When people think of Vietnamese food, the first dish that usually comes to mind is phở, and at the heart of it all is pho tai. This traditional version, topped with thinly sliced rare beef, is the foundation for every other style of phở and is often considered the gold standard. Whenever Hanna and I sit down at a pho restaurant, this is always her go-to order. It’s simple, comforting, and endlessly satisfying. Now today, I’m going to break down how I make pho tai at home completely from scratch. From crafting a clear, flavorful broth to preparing the beef just right, I’m dropping all my tips and secrets to help you create a bowl that tastes just like the best restaurants!
Pho has arguably become the most famous Vietnamese dish worldwide, often regarded as the gateway to Vietnamese cuisine. While its exact origins are debated, pho is believed to have developed in northern Vietnam in the early twentieth century, influenced by both French and Chinese culinary traditions. Over the years, pho spread throughout the country and eventually across the globe. In Vietnam, it is not just about food; it’s about culture. From busy street corners in Hanoi to neighborhood restaurants in Saigon, pho is more than just a bowl of noodles; it is a reflection of Vietnamese heritage, resilience, and a testament to how it brings people together (plus, in my opinion, it’s the greatest hangover cure!) Today, Vietnamese cuisine is celebrated internationally, and pho has become its proud ambassador. Loved for its fragrant broth, delicate rice noodles, and endless customization, pho captures everything people adore about Vietnamese food: comfort, balance, and soul.
The best bowl of pho starts with its broth. For pho tai, the broth should be deeply beefy yet still light and clear. To achieve the perfect flavor and consistency, I prefer using a combination of marrow bones and knuckle bones. Both are packed with collagen and gelatin, which create that silky, full-bodied texture in the soup. To ensure a clean broth, the first step is to parboil the bones. This removes impurities and prevents murkiness later on. From there, the bones are gently simmered for six to twelve hours. The key is to keep the broth at a gentle simmer, never a rolling boil, so it develops richness without turning cloudy.
Throughout the entire simmering process, it’s also important to continually skim off any impurities that rise to the top, which requires a little bit of babysitting. Another optional step at the end of the cooking process is to filter the broth through a fine-mesh strainer.
Additionally, I will say that I prefer my broth to be full of fat and silky. However, if you’re more health-conscious or just want an ultra-light broth, plan to make the broth the day before. Then allow the soup to cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge. As the broth cools overnight, the layer of fat (nuoc beo) will rise to the top and solidify. You can then easily separate the two layers.
Once the bones are simmering, aromatics and spices bring depth and complexity. I stick with tradition here:
You can experiment with the spice ratios to suit your taste, but after countless pots of pho, this blend is the balance I return to again and again. Now, another important step that people often overlook is when to remove the aromatics and spices. Personally, I prefer to remove the charred onion, ginger, and the spice bag around the 1.5- to 2-hour mark. This gives them enough time to impart their flavor and essence without overpowering the broth or allowing it to disintegrate into the broth. (You can leave the daikon in for the duration of the simmering process, though.)
For tái, which means rare beef, the traditional choice is eye of round. It is lean, mild, and when sliced paper-thin, it becomes beautifully tender when it just kisses the hot broth. You can also splurge on cuts like ribeye or filet mignon for an even richer bite.
The key here is technique. Freeze your beef for a couple of hours before slicing. This firms it up, making it much easier to cut into thin, uniform slices, and just ensure that you’re cutting the beef against the grain. In Northern Vietnam, they also pound out their thin slices of beef to further tenderize it.
What makes southern-style phở especially beloved is the abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables served alongside the steaming bowl of noodles. For my pho tai, I serve it with:
Together, these garnishes allow each person to customize their bowl, adding crunch, brightness, and spice with every bite.
Once your broth is ready and your toppings are prepped, it is time to assemble the bowl. Start by blanching the dried pho noodles in hot water until they are just tender (I like mine to be slightly chewy), then drain them well and add them to the bottom of your serving bowl. Lay the thinly sliced beef on top of the noodles in a single even layer. Then add your favorite herb garnishes right on top. Finally, ladle the steaming hot broth over the top. The heat of the soup will gently cook the thin slices of beef to a perfect rare. Serve the pho with additional herbs and fresh vegetables on the side, allowing each person to adjust the dish to their taste.
Now personally, I am a bit of a purist when it comes to pho, so I avoid adding hoisin or sriracha directly to my broth. Instead, I like to make a small dipping sauce for the beef by combining hoisin, sriracha, a squeeze of lime juice, and a drizzle of chili oil. It makes the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, tangy, and savory to enjoy alongside every bite of meat.
This post is part of a collaboration with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF). All opinions…
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Hi! How many pounds of eye of round did you use? It’s missing on the ingredients list. Thanks!
Thanks for catching that! Updated the recipe - and I used about a 3lb hunk of eye of round!
Can I use the instant pot and will it taste different? If yes, for how long?
you definitely can, should taste pretty similar, but the broth won't have the same clarity, due to the higher cooking temp. Make sure you change the proportions so that it fits into your instant pot, and I'd probably go pressure cook mode on high for 45-60 minutes, with a natural release.