What pho can teach us about the history of Vietnam

In the buzzing matrix of Hanoi’s old quarter sits Phở Thìn, one of 700-or-so pho restaurants that speckle this thousand-year-old city. Phở Thìn is practically outfitted with stainless steel tables, embellished by jars and shakers, over wastebaskets for the innumerable spent lime rinds and napkins requisite for enjoying Vietnam’s beloved national dish. Beneath the whirr of fans and clank of lids, diners pore over their bowls of phở bò (beef pho), which owner Nguyễn Trọng Thìn has been serving here since 1979. Nguyễn opened Phở Thìn in the scarce years...