At No. 13 Do Luc in Hanoi's French Quarter, giant stockpots bubble through the night to keep up with demand at Pho Thin, which opens at 5.30 am every morning.
Founded by former painter Nguyen Trong Thin in 1979, the steamy shop attracts queues for its unique pho, which – unusually – sees sliced beef stir-fried in garlic before being added to the broth.
In March, a Japanese office worker who fell in love with Pho Thin opened a branch in Tokyo. After reading about his success, Duyen Le Ky and her husband, originally from Ho Chi Minh, decided to bring Pho Thin to Melbourne.
