I’ve had pho from maybe over a dozen different Vietnamese places here in the states and have gone to a bunch of peoples’ favorite pho joint because every time I mention that I don’t love pho to somebody, they insist that I just haven’t had good pho and we usually go to their favorite joint and I’ve always been a little disappointed.
I love soups, I love broth, I love noodles, I love different types of food from different cultures from all over the world. I don’t think pho is that good.
I’ll take a mediocre bowl of ramen over a “good” bowl of pho any day. Miss me with that branch of basil and a giant bowl of broth.
For me, the draw is as much the way I feel after eating it as the eating part–it feels wholesome. So I get that it’s not amazing for everyone, but I still love it.
It is a great comfort food, and i don’t believe it is terrible for you either. I just got back from meeting a friend for lunch at a pho place. He had never had it before and enjoyed it thoroughly!