FOOD: Clyde Van Arsdall IV takes us on a journey through history about everything Phố

War-Torn Noodles

The journey of phở

By Clyde Van Arsdall IV

Shank & Bone restaurant in North Park, San Diego.

The smell of a steaming bowl of phở, pronounced fuh, is unmistakable and intoxicating. The fresh herbs that accompany this dish are eye-catching and fragrant. They signal something good is about to be served. The excitement, for me, is palpable. I can only imagine that phở is like a warm hug. A welcome home, for those that remember it from childhood. For me, this beef noodle soup is simply comforting. I have no memories tied to it. I do however feel welcomed by the people that love and serve it. I am neither Vietnamese nor an expert on this ethereal dish. But, I don’t have to be either of these things to enjoy it and sing its praises. There are few things that are more satisfying than discovering new foods, and taking a deep dive into their origins. Let the noodle journey begin.

The history of this dish is a good place to start: what phở is, where it came from, and how this dish reached such a large audience. There are a couple of things you need to know before your introductory bowl of phở. First impressions are important; you want your initial taste to be transformative. I will share tips on ordering and eating this dish. The bone broth alone takes up to 24 hours to cook. The best phở is made by those who have mastered this art. I will share with you some of my favorite places to experience these memorable noodles. The story of phở is one fi lled with confl ict. The wars that ravished Vietnam gave birth to, shaped and eventually elevated phở to what it is today.

A noodle dish born of war. Napoleon invaded Vietnam in 1857. Colonization brought French culture, architecture and cuisine. The French

A bowl of phở tái (rare steak) right over the bridge at Phở Bò in Barrio Logan.

introduced the Vietnamese to beef and their beloved stew, potau-feu. Eating beef was a luxury to the Vietnamese and was well received. Soon, it found its way into a variety of traditional dishes. The most famous example was xáo trâu, a humble bowl of ox broth and vermicelli noodles. It didn’t take long for this bland soup to start morphing into something a little more like pot-aufeu. Parts of the cow that were less desirable to the French found their way into the pot and replaced ox altogether. Beef bones rich in marrow, as well as onions and ginger charred over an open fl ame, elevated the broth. Tough cuts of beef simmered in the pot became tender and added additional fl avor to the dish. Rice noodles called bánh phở, introduced by Chinese immigrants, found their way into the bowl. The new concoction became known as phở, taking its name from the noodles, and a star was born. It would take nearly 100 years and another war for this elevated soup to change again. When France lost Vietnam, the country became divided between north and south — a clear border was drawn. Many Vietnamese fl ed south to escape communism, and with them, they took their beloved phở.

South Vietnam was full of abundance due to trade and climate. It didn’t take long for people to start adding things to their favorite dish. Cooks added spices such as cloves, fennel, star anise and cinnamon, which added layers of fl avor. Fish sauce and rock sugar provided saltiness and a touch of sweetness.

The accompaniments changed as well. New items were added to the thinly sliced chilis and wedges of lime that were served in the north. Generous amounts of fresh herbs — basil, sawgrass leaf, bean sprouts, and scallions — soon became standard. Condiments like chili sauce (sriracha), hoisin (plum sauce) and sa tế (chili oil with lemongrass) became staples.

War had led to the creation of a new southern style of phở. The northern version remains the same to this day. The war raged on, the United States soon joined the fi ght against the North Vietnamese. Fighting communists was a hungry business in which thousands of U.S. soldiers would discover phở for the fi rst time.

The fall of Saigon in 1975 marked the end of the Vietnam war. Phở would once again become mobile, this time leaving Vietnam in order to comfort those who had fl ed the country. This dish provided a taste of home for those refugees living in the diaspora. Phở restaurants started popping up in Vietnamese communities across the globe.

A popular song of the era asked the question that was on everyone’s mind: “War, what is it good for?” The resounding answer given was, “Absolutely nothing.” Absolutes, however, are tricky, and war is nuanced and messy. When studying food history, you often fi nd that there are some delicious dishes that result from wars. Cultures meld, refugees fl ee, new dishes emerge and old ones fi nd new homes, gaining a wider audience. Lucky for us, good food has never recognized borders. It didn’t take long for news to spread about this exotic comfort food. Phở soon found devotees outside of the Vietnamese community. Enough history. Let’s get to the fun part: ordering and eating this magical bowl of noodles.

Han Dam (thinly sliced onions, along with a dish of hoisin and sriracha.

Rare sliced steak, served on the side, and fresh herb plate at Phở Vân

Nuoc beo (scallion oil) is a side you have to ask for. Condiments are a big part of the phở experience.

How to order phở. Ordering Phở is easy if you know what you are looking at on the menu. It is really just about what meats you would like with your noodles. Everything else comes standard. There are some gateway meat choices that most fi rst-time eaters will fi nd easy to like.

Rare and well-done steak is a no-brainer. Well-done steak needs no explanation, but rare steak is a bit more nuanced. Order it on the side so you can put it in the broth yourself. If not, it will be cooked before you receive it. Flank and brisket are also easy to like, as they are fl avorful and tender. Tendon, fatty brisket, crunchy fl ank, meatball balls and tripe take some time to warm up to. I do not want to dissuade you from trying these, but they tend to take a more advanced palate, one that is more easygoing when it comes to texture. If you want to go all-in and try a little bit of everything, look no further than the top of the menu. There, you will often fi nd a bowl titled Đặc Biệt which means special or combo. This will include a little bit of everything. Get ready, you are in for a culinary adventure.

Your steaming bowl of goodness is sitting right in front of you. What do you do fi rst? The simple answer is to smell it. I mean, get close to the bowl with your nose and take it all in. There is nothing that smells quite like phở. Now that you have awakened your senses, it’s time to eat.

How to eat phở. There is no one way to eat phở; everyone has a di erent take on it. However, I do feel, as a chef, the fi rst thing you should do is taste the broth. The broth takes a long time to make and tasting it before you alter it in any way is a sign of respect. Next step for me is pepper. I love to observe what others do and I see people pepper their broth more often than not. How much you add is up to you — add, taste and adjust.

Rice noodles can sometimes clump together. This is a good time to gently separate them to make them easier to eat. This can be easily accomplished using your chopsticks and spoon. Once the noodles have spread out, then it is the time to doctor up your bowl. The side plate of fresh Thai basil, possibly sawtooth herb, bean sprouts, lime and chilis are all there for you to add to your bowl of phở any way you see fi t. It is best to tear up the herbs rather than add them whole. All are good; the winning combination is the one you choose. Just know they don’t have to be added all at once. I

like adding things in stages, as the taste of the phở will change as you add to it.

There are two other popular sides that don’t come standard and have to be ordered: Hanh Dam and Nuoc Beo. Hanh Dam is a side dish of thinly sliced white onions in vinegar with a touch of sugar, they are tart with a hint of sweetness. I love these and pile them right into my bowl. Nuoc bBo is scallion oil made with fat that has been skimmed o the broth while cooking. The white ends of the onions are added to this oil. The oil can be spooned into your phở for additional fl avor. The scallions are seldom fully cooked so they can be a bit astringent if eaten straight from the oil. If you put them in your broth or dip them in one of the many sauces, it will take the edge o . They are delicious and crunchy.

The next things to consider are condiments. Most of these — like hoisin, sriracha and garlic chili sauce — can be found on the table, but one of my favorites, sa tê, you will have to ask for. Sa tê is chili oil with garlic and lemongrass. How to use these condiments with your phở is where many people di er. I am of the notion that it is best to keep these separate from the broth. Most good phở establishments provide small dishes for condiments. Hoisin and sriracha are often mixed much like soy sauce and wasabi are mixed for sushi. Hoisin is fi rst added to the dish, then sriracha. The two of them are then combined. The amount of sriracha you add will a ect the heat. Small amounts of this mixture can be added to bites of noodles and meat using your spoon. Another method is simply dipping small amounts of meat on the side using the small sauce dish as a dipping bowl. The same is true of chili sauce, sa tȇ and garlic chili sauce. If you simply add these to the broth, the whole bowl will taste like these sauces and the delicate nature of the beef broth will be lost. I can’t stress this enough, but this is only a suggestion. You do you — adding these straight to the bowl is perfectly acceptable, but for me, I feel it is much better to add these to individual bites.

When eating phở, there are no hard and fast rules, but those who eat phở with regularity hold chopsticks in one hand and the spoon in another. Chopsticks can be used to assemble bites in the spoon or simply alternate bites of noodles and meat using chopsticks with spoonfuls of delicious broth. The pros seem to use these two delivery devices in tandem, a technique I am dutifully working on.

I hope you will venture forth and discover phở for yourself. This dish is no longer a treat that I indulge in from time to time. Phở is now a regular staple for me, one I cannot live without. The smells, fl avors and textures are well worth a trip over the bridge. Here are some places to get a steaming bowl of goodness.

Sawtooth herb on the side of the bowl at Phở Hòa, a real treat if it is o ered.

• Clyde Van Arsdall is a third-generation Coronado local, chef, and storyteller. For more stories and follow-ups to his articles go to oliveavenuesupperclub.com

Places in San Diego to get good phở.

Phở is considered breakfast food in Vietnam. Several of these locations open early for breakfast. If you haven’t had phở for breakfast then you need to do so. Pick an overcast morning and head out early. This is by far my favorite time of day to enjoy this amazing dish. • Phở Hòa located in San Diego’s Little Saigon Cultural and Commercial District on El Cajon Blvd. This is a food hall with long tables specializing in only phở. The plates of fresh herbs are the most generous I have found. They even contain sawtooth herb which is not o ered by most places. The sa tê (chili oil) is housemade and worth asking for. This place is one of my favorites. Hours 7 am - 8 pm. • Phở Vân located in City Heights on El Cajon Blvd. Nice atmosphere with a menu that o ers more than just phở. The sa tê is excellent and made in-house — don’t forget to ask for this. This is one of my favorite breakfast spots, and one of my favorite bowls. Hours 8 am - 9 pm. • OB Noodle House has two locations, both located in Ocean Beach. The original is on Cable Street. The newest location, Bar 1502 is located on Niagara Avenue, down the street from the entrance to the pier. Both have a large phở selection with an expansive menu of other items that can best be described as Asian fusion. Both have a great craft beer lineup, but they di er slightly, as the original on Cable focuses on sake and Bar 1502 specializes in whiskey. Garlic Chicken Wings and Sizzling Fish are a must-try. Hours 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm. • Phở Bò located in Barrio Logan on Newton Avenue. This is the closest bowl of phở to Coronado; they do a great job and have a menu that includes more than just phở. Hours 9:00 am - 9:00 pm. • Shank & Bone located in North Park has a nice open format with roll-up garage doors that allow the dining room to spill out onto the sidewalk. The menu o ers more than just phở and they have a great lineup of craft beers. Hours 12pm - 10pm. • Phở Point Loma Grill located in the Midway District on Midway Drive. This is a large restaurant with a menu that o ers more than just phở. The bánh mí, Vietnamese sandwiches are amazing. They also have a decent selection of local beers. Hours 9:30 am - 9:30 pm.

Phở Vân restaurant on El Cajon Blvd.

Phở Bò restaurant in Barrio Logan.

Phở Hòa in the Little Saigon Cultural district on El Cajon Blvd in San Diego.