A Morning in Ha Noi
The streets were alive with commuters heading to their jobs and starting their lives again. While the four of us left our hotel on a mission: We needed to find Pho. It was our singular focus that morning, and we were not going to let anything stand in our way.
No room service was going to appease our desire. We wanted to experience breakfast how locals did. At a small hole in the wall, with tiny plastic stools (better suited for children), and a language barrier we’d hopefully overcome.
As we moved further away from the city center, we were given a glimpse into the early morning routine of those who call Ha Noi home. There were window front coffee shops, fried egg sandwich carts, and several soup counters selling different variations of morning stews. Our stomachs began growling as the smells filled our nostrils and we neared our destination.
After two wrong turns and a near death collision hurrying across one of the many busy streets, we finally arrived at Quán Phở Thìn. To say the scene was chaotic would be an understatement. Through the open window, we saw four large pots boiling over a roaring fire, their magical broth sending fragrant steam into the air.
The proprietor, intuitively sensing our confusion, quickly pointed at a sign marked ₫50,000 and uttered “more seats” as she gestured down the block. We quickly shuffled out of the small establishment and looked down the block trying to find a sign for this additional space.
A man carrying a tray of steaming bowls hurried past us into what looked like a sandwich shop. We followed. We noticed there were more communal tables set up inside for those who didn’t fit at the main storefront.
We found four tiny plastic stools and sat down. Looking around, we didn’t see any menus or signs to guide ourselves by, but after a few minutes looking around the same gentleman from before, came in holding another tray of four.
Smiling as if greeting an old friend, he gestured with a nod from the bowls to our group. We all anxiously smiled back and finally, got ready to enjoy some Phở bò.
