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a magnificent city endorse such an abomination?!) What’s Next for Pho Pho is set for a major culinary trans- formation in the years ahead, not because it needs to change — how could one possibly improve it? — but because that’s just what happens when traditional cuisine meets Main Street. Though ramen has virtually nothing in common with pho, its subjugation to experiment is perhaps an excellent indicator of what is to come. Taco ramen. German ramen with sauer- kraut and schnitzel. As pho continues its deserved domination tour across the country, it will encounter chefs who seek to fuse it with other culi- nary styles. In the United States, it is not hard to find pho with Texas-style smoked brisket. Pho with seafood or pork. Is that pho? Or is that faux pho? Because pho is such a beloved Vietnamese staple and part of a strong cultural identity, it is painful to imag- ine what might be done to it over time. (If bean sprouts are considered by some to be heretical, what is one to make of shrimp and crawfish pho?) As with most things, simple is best. I will continue to enjoy the fare at my local restaurants, but I am not the one to say what is authentic and what is not. I’ll leave it to the chefs to sort out what is acceptable and respectful in its preparation. As for the traditional pho, I will say this: It was very hard to resist drinking it straight from that bowl. Pho and Bun Bo Hue are among the many noodle soups Chef Vee Prasith serves at Asia in the L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles, Loui- siana. The beef pho is made with round steak, brisket and beef meatballs. The spicy Bun Bo Hue is a Vietnamese-style soup with rice noodles, beef shanks and Vietnamese pork sausage in a rich stock made of beef broth, pork bones, lemongrass and hot chili oil.​

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