Vietnamese pho delivery service

[shelora]

Someone on the Vancouver forum is jonesing for pho delivery. None seems to exist.

Only relying on a few friend's photographs as clues, street food and food delivery is an everyday occurrence in Vietnam and always cleverly done.

Surely someone has developed a way to deliver fresh, hot and tasty pho noodle soup to hungry customers stranded in an office somewhere.

If you've experienced pho delivery in Vietnam, how is it done? Any photos?

[savvysearch]

Someone on the Vancouver forum is jonesing for pho delivery. None seems to exist.

Only relying on a few friend's photographs as clues, street food and food delivery is an everyday occurrence in Vietnam and always cleverly done.

Surely someone has developed a way to deliver fresh, hot and tasty pho noodle soup to hungry customers stranded in an office somewhere.

If you've experienced pho delivery in Vietnam, how is it done? Any photos?

←

When I order take out (though not delivery), they usually give me the broth in a styrfoam canister and the noodles in another. The herbs and steak are placed in 2 different bags. But the problem with take-out pho is that you still have to reheat the broth so that it is hot enough to cook the meat, which comes raw .

[chefzadi]

In Seoul a large percentage of restaurants deliver, seemed like most of them. I don't recall seeing pho noodle shops, but we did order things like 'kalguksu" and the like. Sometimes the food came from a restaurant that was 2-3 minutes, no more than 5-10 minutes. Seoul is so densely populated.

The deliviery people usually ride mopeds and they had steel boxes with shelves. If the place was really close, everything was just presented as for service but tightly wrapped, surprsingly nothing ever dripped. The containers were re-usable plastic bowls, plates, etc and after we were done eating we would place the dishes outside our front door for pick up.

For take out it was as the previous poster described.

[ecr]

*Anything*, including pho, can be delivered in Saigon. Vietnam's low general income level means that there is someone to do almost anything for you, for a few thousand dong (or less). You can even have fruit delivered to your house, if you want -- peeled and prepared or left as it.

Some of the more "upmarket" (a relative term) noodle and snack shops have their own delivery pple, but most are freelance.

There are also "noodle knockers" --- kids walking the streets striking together two short bamboo or metal or wood rods to make a distinctive sound. If you hear one coming and you're hungry, he (usually boys) will run off to find a bowl of noodles for you and deliver it to your door.

[sanrensho]

The deliviery people usually ride mopeds and they had steel boxes with shelves.

This is the same way ramen and soba is delivered in Japan. Of course, if you really care about your noodles, you don't want noodles that have been sitting in soup for 5-10 minutes.

However, for densely populated areas, this kind of noodle delivery is a great convenience for the lazy and those who don't cook, as well as the elderly.

One thing I find interesting about street food in SE Asia is the extensive use of plastic bags (rather than cups/bowls/containers) for serving food.

[Yuki]

This is the same way ramen and soba is delivered in Japan. Of course, if you really care about your noodles, you don't want noodles that have been sitting in soup for 5-10 minutes.

However, for densely populated areas, this kind of noodle delivery is a great convenience for the lazy and those who don't cook, as well as the elderly.

One thing I find interesting about street food in SE Asia is the extensive use of plastic bags (rather than cups/bowls/containers) for serving food.

←

When I was in Singapore, most of the food was packed in clear plastic bags for takeout order. I guess once the food arrive at the office or home, people would pour the soup and noodles into their own reusable containers. I think the plastic bags are better than using styrofoam containers since they are not as easy to leak and doesn't produce as much garbage.

If someone would like a nice clear plastic box for their food, they would have to pay extra.

[chefzadi]

The deliviery people usually ride mopeds and they had steel boxes with shelves.

This is the same way ramen and soba is delivered in Japan. Of course, if you really care about your noodles, you don't want noodles that have been sitting in soup for 5-10 minutes.

However, for densely populated areas, this kind of noodle delivery is a great convenience for the lazy and those who don't cook, as well as the elderly.

One thing I find interesting about street food in SE Asia is the extensive use of plastic bags (rather than cups/bowls/containers) for serving food.

←

Yes 5-10 minutes can be too long. But in most areas of Seoul there is a noodle shop 1-3 mintues away. In the high rise buildings there are usually lots of restaurants in the building and just outside. The population density isn't always so great, for instance lots of traffic. But it offers alot of ocnvenient services.

Cool thread. It's turning into "how food is delivered in Asia"

[ellencho]

Food delivery in Korea is the coolest. I love that they give you actual bowls, silverware, etc and then I love that when you're done, you leave it outside of your home and the guy'll come back and pick it up later. You couldn't get away with that sort of thing here in the states.

[Keith Talent]

The North American solution is to send your wife to pick it up, then pretend she's the delivery driver when she brings it home. Works for me.

[Soup]

Food delivery in Korea is the coolest. I love that they give you actual bowls, silverware, etc and then I love that when you're done, you leave it outside of your home and the guy'll come back and pick it up later. You couldn't get away with that sort of thing here in the states.

←

I must have been 3 or so. I remember a delivery boy carrying a metal box into my Grandparents house. From it he pulled bowls of JaJangMein for everyone. It was great. When we were done, bowls were set aside and I'm assuming he came back and got them becuase I don't remember that part.

When I was in Seoul last time I saw a lot of folks with trays of food (they were clearly lunch orders) heading down the various narrow streets. It all looked and smelled good. I wonder how that would work with the health code in the US?

I've heard from my indian friends, lunch delivery service is also very popular in india but they will not only deliver from a resturant but also go pick up the food from your house (where your loving spouse has spent all morning preparing lunch).

[sanrensho]

I've heard from my indian friends, lunch delivery service is also very popular in india but they will not only deliver from a resturant but also go pick up the food from your house (where your loving spouse has spent all morning preparing lunch).

The tiffin system in India's major cities is truly astounding. Do a Google search on "tiffin" and "India" and you'll find plenty of information.

Interestingly, some of the food court Indian food places around here have begun offering a tiffin option where they fill your tiffin for a discount.

Edited July 8, 2005 by sanrensho (log)

[touaregsand]

In Seoul almost everybody delivers. The neighborhood geumung gageh (minimarket) will deliver even a pack of cigarettes. You can call someone to have a lightbulb changed. The cleaners will pick up and drop off, usuallly at know extra charge. They even have milk delivery in a country full of mostly lactose intolerant people.

I remember when I was little in Korea, the "yakult" sales girls looked so glamorous. They had uniforms, wore make-up and had the coolers with the company logo. They would walk around selling yakult. Now the yakult ladies are usually middle aged.