Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư – The Bowl That Bites Back in Hanoi

The Holy Grail of Hanoi’s Breakfast Culture

There are meals that imprint themselves into your memory—not because they’re fancy or fussy—but because they strip everything down to what really matters: fire, bone, time, and soul.

Walk down the chaotic, honking arteries of Hanoi and you’ll eventually end up in front of Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư, a bright-orange box of a building that always has a queue snaking outside. The name alone is practically sacred—whispered with reverence by locals and travellers alike.

Controlled Chaos and Steam: First Impressions

Inside, the air is thick with steam and anticipation. Bowls clatter. The staff move like they’re on rails, unfazed by the heat or the ever-churning tide of bodies. You slide onto a shared table, knees brushing a stranger’s. There are no frills, no translations, no time to hesitate. Just point at the brisket, or better yet, go full-send with the Bát đặc biệt — rare and cooked beef slices in one special bowl, everything done right.

The Broth That Hits Like a Freight Train

The broth—oh, the broth—isn’t polite or dainty. It smacks you with beef marrow and charred onion, star anise whispering in the background like an old story retold a thousand times. It’s murky, rich, and unapologetic. No MSG magic tricks here—just hours of simmered patience. The kind of broth that slaps your jetlag into submission and makes you wonder if your life has been a lie until this point.

The Noodles, the Meat, the Ritual

The noodles are fresh, wide, and silky—just enough resistance to remind you they’re hand-cut with pride. The meat? Sliced tender enough to melt but not fall apart. It’s a bowl that evolves with each slurp. Add the fiery red chilli, a splash of vinegar, a squeeze of lime, and suddenly it’s alive. Bright. Dangerous. Beautiful.

Don’t Skip the Quẩy

The unassuming fried doughsticks (quẩy) on the side? Essential. Tear, dunk, soak. Repeat. They’re like the bread to your communion.

More Than Just Soup

Anthony Bourdain once said, “Food is everything we are.” And in Hanoi, phở isn’t just breakfast—it’s religion. It’s the heartbeat of the morning. It’s where lovers and hungover poets and grizzled grandfathers all gather to chase the same thing: perfection in a bowl.

Forget the glitz. This isn’t your Instagrammable neon-lit fusion joint. Phở 10 is fluorescent lights, laminated menus, and metal stools that bruise your thighs. But here, you come to worship at the altar of beef and broth. And I’d kneel again in a heartbeat.

The Details

Address:
10 Lý Quốc Sư, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
Prices: Around 70,000 VND (~£2.20)

Pro Tips for First Timers

• Order the phở tái chín for the full beef experience.
• Add the sữa đậu nành (soy milk) or trà đá (iced tea) to cool the fire.
• Always get the quẩy.
• Go early or off-peak to avoid the snaking queue.