Billie's Kitchen

A fragrant bowl of chicken phở taught me that the simplest dishes often require the greatest patience.

Phở has long been one of my favourite comfort foods, so it felt like the perfect place to begin my journey around the world. As I researched Vietnamese cuisine, I discovered that there isn’t one definitive bowl of phở, but a dish that has evolved alongside Vietnam’s history, with regional styles and adaptations reflecting the country’s changing story.

I chose to make phở gà, both because it’s my favourite version and because its own history fascinated me. Although I’d eaten phở countless times before, making it from scratch helped me see the dish in a new light. The long, slow process of building the broth taught me that the beauty of phở doesn’t come from complexity, but from patience, restraint, and allowing simple ingredients to shine.

What has shaped Vietnamese cuisine?

Fertile river deltas and tropical climates have played a major role in shaping Vietnamese cuisine, while more than 2,000 years of cultural exchange and periods of foreign rule have further influenced its distinctive flavours and traditions.

Chinese rule for more than 1,000 years had a profound influence on Vietnamese cuisine, introducing techniques and ingredients such as stir-frying, noodles, and chopsticks. Later, French colonial rule left its own lasting legacy through ingredients like baguettes, coffee, and pâté. Vietnamese cooks transformed these influences into a cuisine centred on fresh herbs, balanced flavours, fragrant broths, and an emphasis on harmony between sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.

Today, regional identities remain strong, with northern cuisine favouring subtle, balanced flavours, the centre embracing bold spices, and the south incorporating sweeter flavours and abundant fresh herbs. These differences have deep roots in geography and history, but were further reinforced by Vietnam’s political division from 1954 to 1975, when the communist North and non-communist South developed separately.

Learning about Vietnamese cuisine and its history made me realise that some of the world’s most iconic dishes are shaped by centuries of adaptation, resilience, and cultural exchange, rather than belonging to just one tradition.

What is Phở Gà?

Phở gà is a traditional Vietnamese chicken noodle soup made with clear, fragrant broth, soft rice noodles, and tender pieces of chicken. It is accompanied by various garnishes, including bean sprouts, herbs, lime wedges, and sliced chilies.

Although phở is often synonymous with beef, phở gà (chicken pho) has become one of Vietnam’s most beloved dishes in its own right. Emerging in Hanoi around 1939, it likely gained popularity when restrictions on beef sales and later wartime shortages encouraged cooks to substitute chicken. Today, it is enjoyed throughout Vietnam, though northern versions tend to favour a clear, delicate broth, while southern bowls are served with abundant fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, and chilli.

As Vietnam’s history unfolded through colonialism, war, and eventual reunification, phở travelled and evolved with its people, developing distinct regional variations. More than simply a noodle soup, phở represents the Vietnamese philosophy of balance, where aromatic spices, savoury broth, fresh herbs, and tender meat come together in perfect harmony.

My experience with Phở Gà

London is spoiled for choice when it comes to Vietnamese food. In fact, my lab’s go-to lunch spot is a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant just around the corner, and my partner and I regularly visit another wonderful local restaurant near our flat. Before making phở myself, I’d already come to associate it with comfort – it’s the dish I order when I want to unwind, warm up, or simply need a little bit of healing.

While eating phở feels comforting and almost meditative, preparing it is anequally careful and deliberate process, and bringing everything together feels almost artistic. The final bowl is incredibly fresh and vibrant, with every element contributing its own colour, texture and flavour. Making phở gave me an even greater appreciation for a dish I’d already loved, and it has easily become one of my favourite meals to both eat and make.

Vietnamese Phở Gà (Chicken Pho)

Recipe by Billie Delpino

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

20

minutes

A comforting bowl of fragrant broth, tender chicken, rice noodles and fresh herbs that captures the delicate balance of Vietnamese cuisine.

Ingredients

• 2 white onions (halved)

• 25g fresh ginger (sliced)

• 4 star anise pods

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 tsp fennel seeds

• 2 cardamom pods (cracked open)

• 5 cloves

• 1.5 kg chicken thighs (bone in thigh in)

• 2 litres water

• 8 tsp fish sauce

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp salt

• 260g dried rice/phở noodles

• Toppings

• Bunch of coriander

• Bunch of thai basil

• Bunch of mint

• Bean sprouts

• Lime wedges

• Hoisin sauce

• Sliced red chillis

• Sriracha

• Sliced spring onions

Directions

• Roast the spices – add all the spices to a large deep metal pan on a medium heat (no oil). Mix (or shake the pan) frequently, until the spices are lightly brown and aromatic (a couple of minutes is usually good). Remove from the pan.
• Char the aromatics – in the same pan, heat up a small amount of vegetable oil and put the onion and ginger facedown into the pan. Let them char for a couple of minutes, before turning to char the other side. (Looking for a dark brown colour of char).
• Add the spices back into the pan, and add the rest of the soup ingredients (chicken thighs, water, fish sauce, sugar). Bring the pan to a boil, then lower the heat so the pot is simmering gently (lid on). Simmer for 1 hour, scooping off any scum now and again.
• Remove the chicken from the pot, and once cool, shred the meat into small pieces.
• Strain the broth into a clean pot (around 1.5 L water should remain). Heat up the broth again, adding salt shortly before assembling the phở.
• Cook the noodles as the package instructs when ready to assemble the phở.
• To assemble: Arrange a portion of noodles in a bowl. Arrange the shredded chicken on top. Ladle over the broth to fill up the bowl. Serve with your choice of toppings and enjoy while hot!

Notes

• For this recipe, I read many pho recipes, but I ended up taking most inspiration from RecipeTin Eats (https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-chicken-pho-soup-pho-ga/) and Hungry Huy (https://www.hungryhuy.com/chicken-pho-recipe/), blending their recipes into what worked best for me.