Last Updated on 8th January 2019 by Sarah and Justin
Where is the best pho in Rotterdam? This is a question we’ve often asked ourselves. We currently live close to two renowned pho spots so decided to check them out. Here is our head-to-head comparison of pho in Rotterdam Centrum: Pho Hanoi vs Deli Tasty.
To make things fair, at each place Sarah ordered pho ga (chicken) and Justin ordered pho bo (beef).
A quick word about our love of pho
As it should be, we discovered our love of pho in its home country, Vietnam. In Hanoi, we ate it for breakfast almost every morning. Waking up to a bowl of fragrant, lightly spiced but not overwhelming noodle soup was a treat. And we learned we didn’t absolutely hate cilantro and that fiery red peppers are something Justin would preferably have on every dish at every meal. After leaving Hanoi we sought out pho in many other cities. Some of them lived up to our experience there, some fell far short. One of our favorites was in Rotterdam.
Read more about our time in Hanoi, Vietnam!
Pho Hanoi
We tried Pho Hanoi during our first long-term stay in Rotterdam last May. We were impressed. Pho Hanoi is a small inconspicuous spot on a street with a whole bunch of other restaurants. Inside the decor is unobtrusive. There are a few pictures of Vietnam on the walls, but that’s about it. You order by number from the English menu.
The good:
- The meat in each dish was quite well-seasoned.
- The noodles were al-dente.
- The chili peppers were spicy and delicious.
- The sprouts came on the side instead of being served in the soup, so stayed crisper.
- The pho ga (chicken) broth was flavorful. You could smell and taste the different spices that went into making it, but they weren’t overwhelming.
- The onions were fresh scallions.
- Extra seasoning options included sriracha, fish sauce, sweet plum sauce, and chili oil.
The not as good:
- The only herb provided was cilantro.
- The spices in the pho bo (beef) broth were a bit potent.
Cost: 10 EUR per bowl
Address: Pho Hanoi, Botersloot 58A, 3011 HJ Rotterdam, Netherlands
Deli Tasty
Deli Tasty looks a bit more festive with its more traditional Vietnamese decor. But you still order by number from an English menu. We’re actually not sure if the staff at either restaurant even spoke Dutch.
The good:
- The meat in each dish was high-quality.
- The noodles were al-dente.
- The herbs provided included cilantro, saw-tooth cilantro, and Thai basil.
- The pho bo (beef) broth was rich and flavorful without being overwhelming.
The not as good:
- The extra seasoning options only included sriracha.
- We’re not fans of a ton of red onions in pho – they’re a bit too potent for our liking.
- The chili peppers were fine, but nothing special.
- The pho ga (chicken) broth was a bit one-note. You couldn’t taste the spices that should be in pho as distinctly.
Cost: 9.50 EUR per bowl
Address: Deli Tasty, Meent 40, 3011 JL Rotterdam, Netherlands
So where’s the best pho in Rotterdam?
We’re split! Sarah preferred the pho ga at Pho Hanoi. Justin thought both versions of pho ga were pretty solid. This just means we have to taste more pho! What a good problem to have.
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LOL I love pho and am somewhat addicted – still don’t know how to pronounce it properly though lol. I have had many a fine pho in restaurants in Canada but sadly have not made it to the source of all things pho yet, but one day.
I wasn’t the biggest pho fan (phan?) until we were in Vietnam … mostly because of the cilantro. The cilantro in SE Asia tastes completely different from cilantro in the US!
I love my first experience eating pho, but the rest of the restaurants I’ve went to didn’t live up to this. We have few Thai restaurants in the Philippines. Nice to know you have great options for pho in Rotterdam. 🙂
We’ve had a few less than stellar pho experiences, and they’re always so disappointing. Fortunately it’s not a pricey dish, so we can just take it as a learning experience and move onto the next one!
Both sound like great places – clearly a close call haha! We had super delicious pho on our recent visit to Rotterdam… but did not write down the name of the place and now can’t remember what it was lol.
Ack! I must know!!!!
Looks very appetizing
I love (vegetarian!) pho! It’s always tough for me to find pho that I can eat, so when I do… watch out!
I can imagine that’s hard to find but would be delicious!