How to Order Pho like a Pro? Here are menu tips and a pronunciation guide

Calling all pho lovers! A pho restaurant menu is full of so many options. I cook my own pho and know what I want but when I go out for pho, all the terms and add-ons can overwhelm. You read that right. Even for a so-called pho expert like myself, pho can seem daunting.

Pho shops in Vietnam and eleswhere have a myriad of options because the noodle soup is the ultimate Vietnamese customizable dish. Indeed, you can have it your way. That said, before you go to a pho shop, make sure it serves what you want. Some pho shops make only beef pho. Some specialize in chicken pho. A few focus on vegetarian pho. The ones who do it all are trying too hard so know what they do best!

Why no accent marks for pho?

Because the word has been in the English language dictionary for years. It’s part of the mainstream culture so I don’t have to include all the diacritics (accent marks) for you to know what I’m talking about. But, how to pronounce phở well for Vietnamese ears? That’s this post helps you with too.

Decode a pho menu and order your bowl well. My dad and I will help you.

I enlisted my dad to assist me. He had fabulous Vietnamese pronunciation, and was able to speak all three major Vietnamese dialects, having been born in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, in 1930. His hometown was in the most northern city in central Vietnam. He attended military academy in Hue (the major city in central Vietnam), served as military governor of several provinces in South Vietnam, and raised a family Saigon with my mom, who is firmly northern Viet. With all the foreign incursions into Vietnam, Dad also learned Chinese, some Japanese, French, and English.

After we immigrated to America in 1975, my father taught English as a Second Language (ESL) for years, during which he learned Spanish from his students. He loved languages and knew how to teach people well. I asked him to help me teach people to order pho at a restaurant. I created a 1-page explainer and he recorded each Vietnamese word. He was 86 at the time we recorded in 2016, just a few months before The Pho Cookbook published.

For the recording, I suggested that he do it like the 1970s and 80s cassette tapes that he had his ESL students listen to and recite along with. He nailed it. Above is a photo of my dad the night we made the recording. Despite his battle with prostate cancer at the time, he was camera ready. Below are pho terms followed by his recording.

From basic to grad-level pho knowledge, you'll find pho terms to help polish your pho prowess.

Basic pho pronunciations

Impress your friends and favorite pho shop owners. Say these simple pho terms like a pro:

pho = phở
pho rice noodles = bánh phở
beef pho = phở bò
chicken pho = phở gà
vegetarian pho = phở chay
🗣️ Practice with my dad:

Pho favorites

Foundational pho appeals to people who want simplicity. They’re also doable by home cooks because they are classics, unfussy, and straight up good. Considered old school, cozy and homey, these are what you would get a small pho shops in Vietnam.

Cooked beef = chín
- Expect slices of chewy-tender brisket or other tough cuts that have been cooked in the broth. The meat is flavorful and is one with the broth. It's super every time.
Rare steak = tái
- You like rare-ish beef, order a tái bowl, but know it often clouds the broth. The thin slices of steak are lightly cooked by the broth.
Meatball = bò viên
- Springy meatballs (sometimes with tendon bits) add fun to pho. They're usually halved or quartered for easy retrieval. The meatballs are beloved by kids of all ages.
🗣️ Practice with my dad's:

Adventurous pho

Want to venture beyond the basic? Here are topping options to consider. You can order a combo of items or just one of them.

Fatty brisket = gầu (Rich sliced brisket with a generous layer of fat though it can sometime be the same meat as chin. Pho flavor depends on some fat.)
Tendon = gân (For soft, rich contrasts, order pho with gelatinous, opaque pieces of tendon, cut from a gelled block or broth bones.)
Flank = nạm (Want a balance of chewiness and beefiness? Go for chewy, ripply rough flank. It may look loosey goosey but it’s not the same as flank steak.)
Tripe = sách (Unlike honeycomb tripe, the fringelike white book tripe used for pho is cut thin. It's slightly chewy with a little crunch. There’s little gamey flavor or smell.)
Crunchy flank = vè dòn (The frilly strips of fat and lean with an unusually pleasant, slight crunch. The cut is unusual and uncommon, but a favorite of pho aficionados.)
🗣️ Practice with my dad:

Fancy pho

If you’re not into an a la carte pho experience, go for the works! Let the kitchen strut its stuff. For an epic bowl, order one of these:

Special bowl = đặc biệt (When you’re want all the textures the kitchen has to offer, order the special. It’s great for exploring the various cuts to see what you like.)
Train bowl = xe lửa (The term borrows from Saigon-based pho shops from long ago. It’s basically an extra-large special bow with the works. So it’s an XL đặc biệt.)
🗣️ Practice with my dad:

What size to order?

Along with choosing toppings, know what your appetite can handle. You may have two or three options to choose from.

Small bowl = tô nhỏ (It's akin to what you’d get in Vietnam.)
Medium bowl = tô vừa (A satisfying serving to keep you happy till your next meal.)
Large bowl = tô lớn (For super hungry folks. You could share it.)
🗣️ Practice with my dad: