Vintage 1986 Journal
Chicken or beef phở? Choose the bowl you actually feel like eating
Compare chicken and beef phở by flavour, texture and appetite, with practical ordering questions and a simple way to season your first bowl.
Phở gà is chicken phở; phở bò is beef phở. That distinction is useful, but it does not describe every broth, cut of meat or kitchen. Vietnam Tourism’s phở overview is a good reminder that the dish has variations, not one universal template.
Start with the flavour you are craving
Choose chicken when you want the chicken itself to lead the meal: a familiar savoury flavour and a bowl that invites you to pay attention to the broth. Choose beef when the taste of beef is the reason you opened the menu. Neither choice is a promise about calories, salt, fat or how “light” you will feel afterwards.
At Vintage 1986, the current menu lists both. Read the description, then ask about the broth and meat rather than assuming the chicken version is simply the beef soup with a different topping. A useful question is: “Is the broth different between these two bowls?” It gets you a more meaningful answer than “Which one is best?”
Texture can settle the decision
Think about how you like to eat meat in soup. Do you prefer small, easy bites mixed with noodles, or do you enjoy pausing over the meat itself? Ask how the chicken is served and which beef cut is used that day. Do not infer bones, skin, sliced steak or meatballs from the dish name alone.
Noodle preferences matter too. A bowl can be appealing because of the noodles even when the meat is not the main event. When comparing with a friend, notice one thing at a time: broth first, then noodles, then a bite with meat. You do not need a tasting scorecard. The point is simply to understand your own preference before both bowls taste mostly of the same added sauce.
Give the first spoonful a chance
Try the broth before adding anything. Then make a small change, taste again and stop when it feels right. Emptying every condiment into the bowl immediately makes it difficult to discover what you liked in the first place.
Herbs do not have to go in all at once either. Our guide to the Vietnamese herb plate offers a gentler way to explore unfamiliar leaves. Chilli, herbs and acidity are personal choices, not a test of whether you know how to eat Vietnamese food.
Order a meal, not a challenge
For a solo lunch, begin with one bowl and check the portion with the team before adding side dishes. For two people who enjoy sharing tastes, ordering one of each can be a useful comparison—provided that dietary requirements allow it and you use clean serving utensils.
A chicken dish is not automatically suitable for someone avoiding beef ingredients, and a beef dish is not automatically free of other animal products. Ask about stock, seasoning and cross-contact when those details matter. The dietary-ordering checklist helps turn a vague request into specific questions.
The question worth remembering
“Which phở is more authentic?” is not particularly helpful at lunchtime. “Do I want chicken or beef, and what is this kitchen’s version like?” is.
Vintage 1986 is the restaurant within Siamese Cat Café, not a separate destination. Check the restaurant page for the setting and the menu for current availability and prices. Then choose the bowl that sounds good today. You can be a chicken-phở person on Tuesday and a beef-phở person next time.
Continue exploring
The Vietnamese herb plate: start with one leaf, not the whole pile
“No meat” is only the start: asking about vegetarian and vegan food
Lunch for one: a satisfying order without a table full of food