The Best Pho Spots Outside of Vietnam
2025-02-05 · 5 min read
Pho is one of those dishes that purists insist can only be great in Vietnam, and while the best bowls do come from Hanoi and Saigon, the Vietnamese diaspora has planted pho shops across the globe that deliver the real thing. A 24-hour simmered bone broth, fresh herbs, rice noodles, and thinly sliced beef or slow-cooked brisket: these elements transcend geography when the cook knows what they are doing.
In the United States, Orange County, California, has the highest concentration of excellent pho outside of Vietnam. Little Saigon, centered on Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, is home to dozens of pho restaurants, and Pho 79 is the one that food writers and locals consistently recommend. The broth is clear, deeply beefy, and perfumed with star anise and cinnamon in a way that hits every note without overwhelming any of them.
Houston is the other American pho capital. Pho Binh, originally a trailer in Midtown, served pho that built a devoted following and has since expanded. Pho Saigon on Milam Street in Midtown has a broth that rivals anything in Westminster. The large Vietnamese population in Houston means the competition is fierce, which keeps the quality exceptionally high.
In Paris, the 13th arrondissement has been the center of Vietnamese food in Europe for decades. Pho 14 on Rue Tolbiac serves a broth that could sit comfortably in any Hanoi pho shop. In Sydney, which has a massive Vietnamese community, Pho Pasteur in Cabramatta and Marrickville Pho in the Inner West produce bowls that have been perfected over decades of serving a knowledgeable audience.
In London, Keu Banh Mi in Shoreditch and the growing number of Vietnamese restaurants along Kingsland Road, known as the Pho Mile, offer legitimate pho. In Toronto, Pho Tien Thanh on Ossington has earned a cult following. The global pho diaspora has matured to the point where great pho is available in nearly every major city. You just need to know where the Vietnamese community eats, not where the food bloggers post.
