Noodle Journey Episode 70: Mama Phở Gà

 I’m continuing the phở series with Mama’s Phở Gà, the chicken counterpart to the Phở Bò I reviewed last time. If you’re unfamiliar with phở, check out that review first – I covered the basics there and want to keep this one more focused. This bowl shares the same spice blend and artificial garnish flavors as the beef version, but swaps in a lighter artificial chicken-style broth.

This is widely available for under $2 at Walmart and most Asian grocery stores. Like the Phở Bò, this one contains a block of rice noodles, a seasoning packet, and a flavored oil packet. It’s not vegetarian (thanks to fish sauce) and not gluten-free, even though it uses rice noodles. Sodium comes in at 2,010mg (87% DV), which is actually a bit higher than the beef version. Garnishes include dried green onion, carrot, and soy protein strips intended to mimic chicken, which are larger and more convincing in appearance than the beef-style soy protein chunks.

Noodles:
These are identical to the ones in the Phở Bò bowl: nice and chewy, with a satisfying thickness and no gumminess. They hold up well to steeping and are a solid example of how good instant rice noodles can be.
• 9/10

Spiciness:
Like the beef version, this has a very faint, unadvertised chili tingle. It’s mild enough that most people won’t notice, but I still register it slightly, and I still get the impression it’s probably an attempt to emulate fresh sriracha or chili pepper garnishes.
• 1.5/10

Overall:
This is a solid, if salty, instant take on phở gà. The broth has the same blend of cinnamon, star anise, and cloves you’d expect from phở, but it’s lighter and cleaner than the beef version. There’s even a subtle lime note here that I didn’t detect in the Phở Bò. The soy protein strips are chunkier and more believable in this one, and they integrate nicely with the rest of the soup. While neither bowl can compete with a freshly made restaurant phở, this is a great option for a fast, satisfying meal. I actually prefer this Phở Gà slightly over its beefy sibling – the meat seasoning here tastes a little less artificial and is just more enjoyable overall for me.
• 8/10