While the world is nuts about phở, my Vietnamese noodle/broth combination of choice is bò kho.
Bò kho is a beef stew deeply infused with star anise and lemongrass. The hunks of meat and carrots in bò kho are tender as can be due to hours of simmering.
Back in California, my family ate bò kho with a wide(ish) rice noodle that sometimes veered toward tender. In Saigon, bò kho is served with a thinner and more al dente rice noodle.
The fabulous bowl of bò kho featured up top is from a hidden stall on Ton That Thuyet Street in District 4. The Astronomer and I, along with his sister Rosalind and gas•tron•o•my reader Shay from LA (!), shared two bowls (10,000 VND each) on our early morning food tour today.
very interesting…we eat bo kho often at home (with baguette) but never hu tieu bo kho. It’ll be on my list of things to try in VN! 🙂
Here’s a brilliant idea The Astronomer came up with – first, eat the bo kho with the hu tieu. And then ask for a baguette to sop up the rest of the broth! You’ll be super full, but that’s not a bad thing 😉
haha I didn’t think of that…great idea! 🙂
Bo Kho is one of the most tasty dishes. I miss it a lot.