Pho Hoa Pastuer, Ho Chi Minh

It was our last day in HCM, we were sad as we need to return to Hanoi. We were in Benthanh Market when Jeffrey asked if we would like to have the best Pho Bo in Saigon.

I wondered why he asked at all..He should know our answer :p

So we cut short our shopping time in Benthanh to ensure we got to savour the delicious noodles..

The moment we stepped in, we were greeted with the aroma of beef and beef stock..as we climbed to higher floors, we could see diners (mostly locals) tucking into their huge bowl of pho with gusto. I knew then that we are in the for some seriously good pho.

The tables were already laden with goodies..

meatpies, dough fritters, meat paste, fresh vegs, bananas..to snack on if you are still hungry after having the pho..

Dragon girl and Jeff ordered crunchy flank and fatty flank while I ordered fatty flank and sliced beef. We didn't wait long, soon, a piping bowl of pho was placed in front of me.

To my disappointment, they prepared my pho with just the sliced beef. No fatty flank :(
The soup, unlike most of the pho bo we have tried so far, was a little murky. It taste heavenly; hours of boiling the bones and meat gave the broth a sweetness and flavour like no other. The pho was so smooth that it practically glides down my throat. And the sliced beef; I suspect they served sliced raw beef on my noodles and just poured boiling hot broth over it to cook it. The texture was perfect; tender and juicy; almost, just almost; melt in mouth..

Dragon girl passed me a few fatty flank..I took a bite and I was totally smitten. This was even better than the sliced beef..This piece of meat was so flavourful, I just cant describe the burst of beefiness in my mouth that I'll remember for a long, long time. Perfecto.

I dunked some gio cha quay (aka yau zha gwai in cantonese) into my pho too..that tasted delicious with the noodles. The combo sounds weird, but trust me, it's yummy :). And if you like trying all sorts of beef preparation, you should order pho with mix beef; you'll get brisket, sliced beef, flank (crunchy and fatty), tendon and beef paste.

Our total bill was about RM25, which I would willingly pay for this fantastic bowl of pho bo..

Pho Hoa Pastuer is located at 260C Pastuer P8, Q3 TP, HCM.