Episode
The Secret to Perfect Pho: Chef Thuy Pham on Vietnamese Traditions & Making Food Your Love Language
- Podcast
- The Recipe
- Published
- Feb 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2374
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- https://episode.flightcast.com/01KHBPBTMRQBPZGNNC8HZMC39N.mp3
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Summary
In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Thuy Diem Pham, chef, author, and one of the leading voices in Vietnamese cuisine. Born in a rural village in southern Vietnam and raised in the UK, Thuy's journey is a testament to the power of heritage, family, and cooking with love. From opening her own Vietnamese restaurant to becoming a consultant for Baxter Storey and writing three cookbooks, Thuy is championing authentic Vietnamese cooking whilst making it accessible and inspiring for home cooks everywhere. Thuy prepares her beloved Bun Ga Hue, a traditional chicken noodle soup from the Midlands of Vietnam - a regional twist on Vietnam's national dish, pho. Using corn-fed chicken gently poached for clarity, charred onions and ginger for depth, aromatic lemongrass and star anise, fresh pineapple for natural sweetness, and a punchy lemongrass chili oil made with crispy shallots, garlic, and annatto seeds, this dish beautifully encapsulates the five essential tastes of Vietnamese cuisine - hot, sour, sweet, aromatic, and pungent. Finished with rice noodles, vibrant herbs including Thai basil and morning glory (water spinach), and a generous squeeze of lime, this recipe is comfort food at its finest whilst being naturally healthy and nourishing. Throughout the episode, Thuy shares her remarkable journey from growing up as a rice farmer's daughter in rural Vietnam to moving to the UK at seven and a half without speaking a word of English, her father's insistence on preserving their Vietnamese heritage through language and food, and why clarity in broth-making is an art form that requires patience and love. She discusses the regional differences in Vietnamese cuisine from north to south, the French influence on dishes like pho and Vietnamese stew, why her grandmother wo…