Had lunch recently at The Little Hanoi in downtown Heilbronn. Pho Bo, generous with the coriander, and that broth — the kind that must have simmered for hours. And it struck me again: pho is completely underrated in the German food scene. Everyone knows sushi, ramen's everywhere these days too, but a genuinely good pho? Rare, and when you find one, it's usually tucked away somewhere.
Anyone who knows me knows I'm pretty much always up for a culinary experiment. Not every one's a win, I'll say that honestly — there have been evenings I've walked away from thinking I could've skipped that one. But most of the time it works out, and this day was definitely one of the good ones.
While I sat there, I found myself watching the room. Couples at lunch, some handling chopsticks like pros, others sticking to the spoon, visibly unsure how to even approach the whole thing. Honestly, I found it entertaining. That little not-quite-knowing how to tackle a bowl of soup — it takes the edge off a moment almost instantly.
That's when the thought crossed my mind. For two people who don't know each other all that well yet, pho can almost be a little icebreaker. You're both a bit lost together, maybe laughing about the chopsticks, figuring out how to fish the noodles out of the broth without splashing yourself. That breaks the ice faster than any conversation about the weather.
For anyone who's never had pho: start at The Little Hanoi. And if it feels a little chaotic the first time — that's kind of the point.
Discreetly yours,
Lena