Water buffalo roam freely on the red earth while lotus flowers bloom around the hills, painting them pink. Steep mountains are followed by rice fields before reaching the bustling metropolises where steaming bowls of goodness accompany you through narrow streets filled with scooters and lively voices. Vietnam is an endless poem. Between nature and culture, from south to north, traveling most of its 1650 km using every possible means of transportation, one flavorful constant stayed by our side in the discovery of all its wonders: Pho. The national dish, known for its numerous variations, was always present, a trusted friend capable of rejuvenating the body, heart, and mind; the perfect refreshment for every stop.
Starting in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, we had lunch at the vegan restaurant Heal and Celeb and tasted Pho in its animal-friendly version. A contemporary reinterpretation made entirely of plant-based ingredients designed to bring deep well-being to both body and spirit. In line with the southern version of Pho, sweeter than the northern one, with more vegetables and thinner noodles, the vegan variation was also served with a wide variety of aromatic herbs. Chef Thanh Tiên, the soul of the kitchen, used carrots, daikon, corn, onion, toasted ginger, cinnamon, star anise and many other spices, three types of mushrooms (shiitake, oyster mushrooms, enoki), tofu, and, served on the side to be added at the end, basil and coriander, bean sprouts, lime, chili, and Hoisin sauce. A dish full of aromas, fresh and regenerating, capable of conveying the many benefits of a holistic cuisine.
Satisfied and full of vitality, we visited the former capital before preparing for an eight-hour overnight bus trip to Da Lat, a mountain town at 1500 meters of altitude. Once we arrived, breathing in the fresh air, surrounded by colorful flowers and French-style houses, it was impossible not to be fascinated by the way women, at the first light of dawn, prepared on the ground or on small stalls the sale of vegetables, fruit, meat and other locally grown foods. Our breakfast, however, leaned toward European flavors: pain au chocolat and coffee, among the morning must haves, to fill us with sweetness and, thanks to the contrast, to then appreciate even more the oriental flavors.
After spending the morning here, we set off again on a 14-hour car journey to Hoi An, the city of lanterns whose historic center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The awareness that we were approaching a jewel of rare beauty filled our hearts with great expectations while a unique landscape unfolded before our eyes. We crossed the mountains by car, left breathless by their almost intimidating majesty, to then find ourselves before boundless expanses of moving and unforgettable rice fields. Just a few hours from our destination, as soon as we inwardly expressed the wish to stop, rest and have dinner with something warm and good, a small roadside house with a sign reading Pho appeared.
We experienced firsthand what this extraordinary dish means for the Vietnamese. A North Star, a beacon in the night — and for us it truly was — rich in nutrients, whose warmth reaches deep inside and comforts you.
A meal eaten at any hour, expressing the balance between French and Chinese influences combined with the splendor and authenticity of local ingredients. In short, a way of life.
The place conveyed everything except “quality food,” but that is precisely the beauty of street food. Only there can you have the good fortune of immersing yourself in the real culture. Pho amazed us. Hen meat with bones still attached, skin and everything along with it, including a piece of liver, herbs to add such as mint and basil, thinner noodles and lots of warmth with a spicy touch. One unmissable aspect: making noise while drinking the broth. And voilà, the typical southern Pho. I watch our driver reach for a small basket placed on every table and begin to imitate him. Every little bone goes directly there, while the skin goes to the very happy dog wagging its tail among us. We are the only Western customers and meanwhile on TV a soccer match is being broadcast that excites everyone present. We approach and, with Google Translator (because English is another story), we start talking with them. Every encounter, whether during a trip or in daily life, is a gift. You have the privilege of exploring a universe, a life that is a book full of adventures, emotions, lessons. Looking at the owners of this place, I think of the Tran family from the book When the Mountains Sing, of how much I cried, feeling in my own skin the story of the tragedies of the war in Vietnam; the searing pain and at the same time the hope, always present just as Pho is, a constant dish in the protagonists’ stories, able to heal, bring comfort and manifest the greatest quality of food: to unite.
And so one evening, once in Hoi An, in a little restaurant full of lights and lanterns, always tasting a new version of Pho, here less common, we let ourselves be carried away by the voices around us, the laughter, the smiles of people from all over the world. With the water of the canal in front reflecting the lights, with my mother’s face on the iPhone in a call from Italy, we felt that wherever there is that special food able to warm your heart, that is home. The aroma of the broth reminds me of tortellini, of Sundays with family, of chicken broth, an international and divine creature to be eternally thanked. The people we met, the art of wood carving, the pure and quiet nature, the scooter rides through country lanes whose scent is happiness, are what made us fall most in love with this fairy-tale city. After some days of peace we set off again toward the north.
A comfortable 14-hour night train took us to Ninh Binh, where at 6:30 in the morning we were finally able to see the surrounding landscape. The greenery is more intense than in the south, lotus flowers are everywhere, eager to blossom in the sun while water buffalo play in the puddles. We are close to the capital, yet at the same time still far, still enclosed in a magical fairy tale. In Hanoi the last night awaits us before leaving Vietnam and Pho for a few days, and here too it welcomes us. With a more delicate flavor, with spices such as star anise and cinnamon, thicker noodles, beef or chicken, fresh and light, it is enjoyed even at breakfast.
Contemplating the lake before us, with an illuminated pagoda beside it, I realize that I am only at the beginning of discovering this enchanting country. Just like life, like a captivating novel to continue reading and then to write in the first person, Vietnam is a story of resilience, of strength, of priceless treasures, to be discovered with Pho always by your side.
