Thailand’s Nation newspaper rated pho as delicious and nutritious, ranking it among the four must-try dishes when traveling to Southeast Asia.
The list of “4 most nutritious and delicious dishes in Southeast Asia” was updated on August 10 by The Nation, a prestigious English-language newspaper established in 1971 in Thailand, based on the criteria of distinctive flavor and rich nutritional value.
Pho – a traditional Vietnamese dish, tops the list of the most nutritious and delicious dishes in Southeast Asia.
The Nation describes the dish as consisting of soft rice noodles, beef or chicken, herbs and spices. The broth is made from bones, combined with herbs such as cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and onions, creating a sweet and light taste. The dish is light on the stomach, rich in protein and nutrients, suitable for any time of the day.
Tom Yum Kung (Thailand) ranked second on the list. The dish is cooked with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chili peppers, rich in antioxidants. Some studies have also shown that the herbs in the dish can help inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
The remaining two positions belong to Gado-Gado (Indonesia) a vegetable salad served with peanut sauce rich in fiber and vegetable protein and Tam Mak Hoong (Laos) a spicy green papaya salad containing probiotics to aid digestion.
Pho is a popular dish in Vietnam and has many varieties. Nam Dinh pho and Hanoi pho were recognized as national intangible cultural heritages by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in August 2024. Last year, CNN’s travel website (USA) also ranked Vietnamese pho at number 2 in the list of the 20 most delicious dishes in the world. In 2025, the famous international culinary website Taste Atlas ranked beef pho at number 93 in the top 100 most delicious dishes in the world.
