Could pho be the next wrap? It’s nowhere nearly as portable (although Pham offers pho for takeout in a heavy-duty Styrofoam cup that she says works well). But unlike a wrap, which is defined by form rather than flavor and, thus, can contain anything, aficionados of pho say the heady broth is one of the richest and most satisfying foods they’ve ever experienced. The comforting taste of pho coupled with its characteristically low price point—plus the sheer love it inspires among an ever-growing number of devotees (whom Nguyen dubs “phonatics”) representing every ethnic background—could catapult pho to the conventional.

Pho: What It Is

One need only sample a steaming bowl of pho to understand why it remains a cherished tradition in its native homeland of Vietnam and why it rapidly is becoming a culinary phenomenon in America, says PhoFever.com’s Nguyen. Its delicately spiced broth, complex flavors, and fresh ingredients delight the palate and satisfy the appetite.

Pho was born in northern Vietnam during the mid-1880s. Heavily influenced by the Chinese, who imported rice noodles and spices, and the French, who popularized the eating of red meat, the word “pho” is often said to be derived from pot-au-feu (literally, “pot on fire”), a classical French preparation of meat and vegetables slowly cooked in water.

The popularity of pho spread in 1954 when the country was divided into North and South Vietnam. As the dish migrated southward, cooks infused it with additional ingredients until it evolved into the version that is commonly served in the U.S. today. Refugees fleeing Vietnam to America in 1975 brought their recipes for pho with them, and today more than 500 restaurants with pho as their core menu item—the vast majority of them mom-and-pops—are spread across the U.S., according to Nguyen.

Traditional pho begins as beef broth simmered for as long as 12 hours with charred onions and a bouquet garni à la classical French cooking. In the U.S., popular pho versions are chicken, vegetarian, and even seafood, although purists do not consider seafood pho true pho. Pho’s near-boiling heat at service allows the guest to cook whatever he or she drops into it. Restaurants that specialize in traditional beef pho usually offer excellent cuts of raw flank steak, eye round, and brisket, but might also include tripe, beef tendon, and chewy meatballs of cartilage and tendon, particularly if located in Asian communities.

Standard garnishes supplied with every bowl include bean sprouts, wedges of lime or lemon, Thai basil, scallion, cilantro, slices of serrano or jalapeño chile, and, more rarely, sawgrass or saw leaf herb. Generally, chopped scallion and cilantro are sprinkled on immediately before service, and the remaining vegetables and herbs are brought to the table for individualized garnishing.

Lovers of spiciness might add a generous squirt of Sriracha hot sauce directly to their bowls to heighten the heat and add a characteristic reddish tint to the broth, but hoisin sauce is strictly optional and should be added only if the broth is not flavorful enough (in which case you should find another pho restaurant, Nguyen says). Dollops of both Sriracha and hoisin sauces, slightly mixed together, should remain in a small dipping bowl on the side to enhance slices of meat and other trimmings as you eat.

Pho for the Masses

At most U.S. restaurants that prepare and serve pho in the traditional manner, pho is the single reason for their existence. So time consuming is the making of the broth, and so beloved is the final product, that pho, with a smattering of ancillary dishes, can keep a small independent open for business. Pho-lovers appreciate the service style, which allows a bowl to be customized in a near-endless number of ways. In most cases, the check is never delivered to the table to make a diner feel rushed.

Restaurateur and author Mai Pham, arguably the best-known Vietnamese chef in the U.S. and owner of James Beard Foundation Award-winning Lemon Grass and the more-casual Lemon Grass Grill, both in Sacramento, California, acknowledges that the care and time required in preparing pho broth leaves little room on the menu for variety. That’s why she worked with StockPot in 2002 to create quick-chilled bases for the beloved standard, so that more operations (including non-Asian concepts) can capitalize on pho’s growing popularity.