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In her Lafayette kitchen, Dr. Kim Bui Drew announces that she’s ready to serve pho, with an array of side dishes from the stove to the countertop.
She turns a bowl of soup into a work of art according to the preferences of each family member. Chicken, bean sprouts and rice noodles are added to the soup, in addition to the bright colors of cilantro, broccoli and purple onion.
Pho is a Vietnamese delicacy consisting of a savory broth, silky rice noodles and meat (traditionally beef). It’s usually served with lots of fresh herbs and lots of lime and spices.
One thing I’ve discovered about pho is that I’ve been pronouncing it wrong for a while. Pho, pronounced “fuh,” is more than just a meal—it’s a glimpse into Vietnam’s history and culture.
In Vietnam, pho is the most widely known dish and culinary export.
Drew is a board certified dermatologist born and raised in Baldwin. After moving to the U.S. from Vietnam, her parents both worked in the food industry.
As far back as the late 19th century, both Chinese and French cuisine had influence on the dish. Rice noodles and spices come from China, while the French promote the consumption of red meat. The word “pho” is said to have originated from the French soup “pot au feu”.
The ability to prepare a meal and share it with others is one of the most fundamental human experiences, regardless of culture.
“When you think of pho, you think of family. When there’s pho on the stove, you’re having a party,” Drew said.
Since most of Drew’s siblings live nearby, her home comes alive whenever she makes pho. On this day, she shared this tradition with my family.
We gather in the kitchen on the island while she works. Several pots boiled on the stove, steam rising. Meanwhile, she chops up more herbs. Focused on lasers, she goes from preparing rice noodles to stirring cauldrons of broth to assembling bowls of pho like a woman on a mission.
Pho is a Vietnamese delicacy consisting of a savory broth, silky rice noodles and meat (traditionally beef).
Drew is a board-certified dermatologist born and raised in Baldwin (near Morgan City). After moving to the U.S. from Vietnam, her parents both worked in the food industry. Her father was a fisherman. Her mother shucks crabs in a factory. Years later, their family opened a restaurant in Morgan City called Bingo’s Seafood.
Drew learned to cook from her parents, but says her grandmother was the best at making pho.
While there is a traditional way of making pho, each family has their own take on the process. Drew did it in her own way. She no longer eats beef and now makes pho with chicken. Over the years, she refined the process. Her father requested her version because of the delicious chicken broth.
Without seeing the recipe, the process of making pho for Drew is ingrained in her memory. She stares at the ingredients and intuitively knows when it’s done.
The prep starts the day before, as the broth, the base of a good pho, needs to be simmered overnight. Drew adds extra flavor by braised chicken bones with other ingredients like ginger, yellow onion, and radishes.
Drew adds extra flavor by braised chicken bones with other ingredients like ginger, yellow onion, and radishes.
Your local Asian supermarket has most of the ingredients for making pho, including packaged spices. Drew shared a bag of the spice with me so I could appreciate its scent. Licorice-smelling anise comes to the fore, followed by a hint of cinnamon bark.
While the broth absorbs the flavors of the spices, the fun comes in preparing the ingredients.
Drew serves me the way she likes it, with lots of veggies. She said she likes to add cabbage. I didn’t add enough hoisin sauce so she squeezed more into my bowl. Between the noodles, broth, and vegetables, the bowls fill up quickly.
Aniseed anise with licorice kicks the gomez up, followed by a hint of cinnamon bark.
Pho served in a large bowl with Asian spoon and chopsticks. At first, I wasn’t sure about proper photo etiquette, but I read the room and invested in it.
I clamp my chopsticks laden with rice noodles onto a ladle laden with vegetables and broth—all the while popping it into my mouth as politely as possible. I am self-deprecating thinking about how I look, not yet confident in my ability to consume light.
The first flavor I encountered was the pleasantly crunchy texture and nuttiness of the sprouts, filling my senses. The flavors of each ingredient came together as I savored each bite.
Drew adds extra flavor with ginger, heated on the stove as shown.
Even though pho is a hot soup, Drew’s family drinks it year-round. Pho embodies the lightness of summer and fresh vegetables that provide warmth on those cold, rainy days, she said. The whole family enjoys this meal together, although they vary in how they cook the soup.
As I take the last sip of my bowl, Drew’s 10-year-old son asks me for seconds.
Chicken Pho (pronounced “fuh”)
Accommodates 10-12 people. Recipe provided by Dr. Kim Bui Drew. Start this recipe the night before serving.
12 quarts water
1 whole bone-in chicken
2 yellow onions
â…” ginger root
1 white radish
1 bag prepackaged seeds and spices (Gia Vi Pho Bac)
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp rock sugar
2-4 chicken stock cubes
1. Bring 12 quarts of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Cook the whole chicken in a stock pot for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Skim foam from boiling as needed. This will put one on the path of consommé.
3. While the chicken is cooking, char the onion and ginger. Roasted onions and ginger enhance the flavor. After charring, the vegetables are peeled and cleaned.
4. After the chicken is cooked, remove the bone.
5. Place the spices in the drawstring cheesecloth bag. Pack contains star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon bark and coriander.
6. Return the skin and bones to the stockpot and simmer. Set cooked chicken aside. Meanwhile, add the charred ginger and onion, along with the radish and remaining seasonings.
7. Simmer on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.
8. In the morning, strain the broth through a fine sieve.
9. Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions.
10. After serving, pour the broth into a bowl and add the noodles.
11. Put the sliced ​​chicken on top and decorate like crazy. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Rice Noodles (Banh Pho)
Accommodates 10-12 people. Recipe provided by Dr. Kim Bui Drew.
2 packets of rice noodles
1. Prepare noodles and chicken broth separately.
2. Place the noodles in a pot of hot water (preferably in a colander), let it sit for about 30-45 seconds and remove.
3. Once al dente, set aside.
side dish
Accommodates 10-12 people. Recipe provided by Dr. Kim Bui Drew. This is what makes Pho nutritious and bright!
1 cabbage
1 broccoli
1 bunch fresh mint
1 bunch Thai basil
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
1 purple onion (sliced)
4 limes (cut into wedges)
3-4 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch cabbage
1 package mushrooms
Sriracha or other hot sauce
seafood sauce
Fish sauce (recommended brand – three crabs)
1. Flash the cabbage and broccoli in a pot of boiling water.
2. Garnish the pho with various herbs, vegetables and sauces.
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