Pho Bo Saigon — a vietnamese main course dish from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — featuring herb plate, sweeter broth, hoisin ritual

Phở · Vietnamese · Main Course

Pho Bo Saigon

Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

“Sweeter broth, and a garden on the side. The south believes pho should be a party.”

3,345 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 5 platforms

9 in 10 mention customisation joy first

7 in 10 say it's worth it for the herb freshness

5 in 10 would come back the same week

2 in 10 note: purists call it busy

Synthesised from Google · TripAdvisor · Reddit · Yelp · 1 food blog · Updated July 2026

The story the reviews tell

Reviewers embrace the ritual — tearing herbs, dosing sauces, building a different bowl every third of the way down. The north-south debate runs hot in the comments, with southern loyalists defending sweetness as generosity.

What makes this version distinct

Saigon pho runs sweeter and rounder, served with a heaped plate of Thai basil, sawtooth herb, bean sprouts, lime, and chillies — plus hoisin and sriracha on every table. The diner finishes the dish themselves. It's the version that emigrated with the diaspora, which is why most of the world's pho tastes southern.

Signature elements

herb platesweeter brothhoisin ritualdiaspora standard

What people love

  • customisation joy
  • herb freshness
  • generous bowls
  • familiar worldwide

Know before you go

  • purists call it busy
  • sweetness varies

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