At five in the morning on Bat Dan street, a queue is already forming outside a stall with no sign. One dish has been served here for three generations: a beef phở with a crystal-clear broth, simmered for twelve hours with beef bones, star anise and charred ginger.
The further south you go, the richer the bowl: armfuls of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, hoisin sauce. Hanoians smile at these "excesses"; Saigonese reply that generosity is a virtue.
Each of our travel designers has their own address, shared only with our travellers. Ask for it: it is often the best memory of a first morning in Vietnam.
