Authentic Vietnamese Pho Soup Starter Kit

Our Authentic Vietnamese Pho Soup Starter Kit will put you or your gift recipient on the path to making delicious, authentic pho at home.


Our exclusive Pho Starter Kit includes:

  • Exclusive Pho Spice Blend by Los Angeles Chef Nguyen Bui (Three packets of pre-blended spices in each tube)
  • Exclusive Recipes for Phở Gà (Chicken Pho) and Phở Bò (Beef Pho) by Chef Nguyen Bui based on family secrets in each tube
  • Airplane Brand Rice Sticks, 14oz
  • Red Boat Fish Sauce, 3.38oz
  • Packed in a Reluctant Trading printed textile bag suitable for gift giving

BTW, our Pho Spice Blend can also be purchased separately.

So how did this come about? Here’s the unphogettable story. 

I met Chef Nguyen in 2019 when he was working as a chef at the Michelin Star-awarded Rustic Canyon restaurant in Santa Monica. 

Our paths crossed when Chef Nguyen discovered our spice samples hiding in storage. It wasn’t long before Rustic Canyon became a customer and Nguyen and I became fast friends.

Recently, we decided to team up to launch an authentic pho spice blend using our small-batch spices and Nguyen’s special recipes. 

Each Pho Spice tube contains three pre-blended packets along with exclusive recipes by Chef Nguyen for Phở Gà (Chicken Pho) and Phở Bò (Beef Pho). Or feel free to use the blend with your own recipes.  

Chef Nguyen’s authentic mix showcases our beautiful Star Anise, Black Cardamom, Clove, Coriander Seed, Fennel Seed, Ceylon Cinnamon, and Ginger. The spices are expertly toasted and blended. The aroma is otherworldly.

For the pho recipes, Chef Nguyen incorporated secrets he learned while growing up in the kitchen surrounded by his mom and aunts. He filtered time-honored techniques through his own culinary aesthetic. 

The result? Nguyen calls his pho a “best-of family mash-up.” We call it authentic and delicious.   

The starter set also includes two of Nguyen’s fave pho ingredients: Airplane Brand Rice Sticks and Red Boat Fish Sauce. Makes a unique and memorable gift, too.

Chef Nguyen’s recipes are easy to follow, but you’ll want to carve out plenty of time to make a delicious pho. These are not instant soups. You’ll need to be around for a few hours to simmer the broth.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure of trying pho before, here’s a primer.

  • Pho is Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, noodles, spices, and meat (usually chicken or beef)
  • Pho is considered Vietnam’s national dish and is consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Pho is pronounced “fuh” and Nguyen pronounces his name “when”
  • Pho is pho-nomenal
  • There isn’t one universally agreed upon pho recipe
  • Everyone thinks their pho recipe is the best - including us!
Shipping

Our warehouse is closed on Tuesday, 12/24 and Wednesday 12/25, and Tuesday 12/31 and Wednesday 1/1. No orders will ship on those days.

We normally ship within 1-2 business days after receiving your order. We may need an extra day during the holiday season.

Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are not business days for us. We need some rest too. ;-D

We put together a Shipping FAQs page if you’d like more details on what to expect.

While Overnight is guaranteed, FedEx is no longer guaranteeing 2 Day service, though they should arrive more quickly than other options. Remember, Overnight and 2 Day items require one business day processing time, but we will ship these out first each day.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Would hate for you to be unhappy. The world has enough unhappiness. We're here to make you happy. Okedoke?

Shipping chart

Customer Reviews

Based on 6 reviews
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Karen Garrison
Delicious

I love this kit, and it made a. great version of Pho, a faux pho. Not because of the kit but my lack of skill at creating such a wonderful dish with so many hours of prep. All the work was done for me and the aromatics I have bought and used. The noodles were cravable and slurp-worthy. I hate fish sauce, but it added complexity and "umami" to the dish. So I'm glad I used it. I buy so many spices from Reluctant. P.S. They shipped the same day. You can plan a weekend dinner on Thursday and order the spices; they will be there on time.

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Katie Kammerer
Absolutely Amazing

This is the best Pho kit ever!!! Love that I can make delicious pho at home!

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Susan Clarke
Joy and enthusiasm and excitement!

I sent several of these as gifts and everyone has responded with joy and enthusiasm and excitement!

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Amy Peterson Stout
First time reluctant buyer.

Great products and fair prices.

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Cindy Graham
Very fun Pho

This kit is perfect for first-time Pho makers. Very user -friendly kit. Well worth the effort. Delicious! The very affordable kit makes more than one meal. Highly recommend!

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