To get the most delicious pho in Vietnam you should stay away from fancy restaurants. Instead, look for the most popular street corner vendors, as they make the best versions of this soup. The secret behind any good pho is the stock. In Vietnam, most stocks are made from big chunks of meat and bones, so we have improvised a bit to get a delicious vegetarian stock with the same breadth of flavour. One of the main ingredients in the stock is the dry-roasted or char-grilled star anise, which gives it that uniquely Vietnamese flavour. You can eat this at any time of the day – in Vietnam you would just as likely be served it for breakfast as dinner. Regardless of when you choose to eat it, don’t forget to serve it with a load of fresh herbs, beansprouts and fresh lime to offset the richness of the soup.