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    Home » Pho vs Pad Thai - What's the Difference?

    Pho vs Pad Thai - What's the Difference?

    Last Updated Date: Dec 28, 2020 | Published: Apr 14, 2020 by Lane Souvannalith

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    Table of Contents

    • Are you wondering what the difference is between Pho and Pad Thai? I'm going to talk through all of the ingredients, the preparation, as well as the nutritional component comparisons between both of these very popular Southeast Asian dishes.
    • Similarities Between Pho and Pad Thai
    • The Difference Between Pho and Pad Thai
    • Main Comparison
    • Frequently Asked Questions About Pho and Pad Thai
    • Best Recipes for Pho and Pad Thai
    • Get my free recipe book that includes five of the most popular Southeast Asian noodle recipes!
    • Summary
    • Other Posts You Might Enjoy

    Are you wondering what the difference is between Pho and Pad Thai? I'm going to talk through all of the ingredients, the preparation, as well as the nutritional component comparisons between both of these very popular Southeast Asian dishes.

    Pho and Pad Thai are very popular noodle dishes that have it's origins from two Southeast Asian dishes. Both dishes are similar in that they use the same rice stick noodles, however after that, the differences are very drastic.

    Pho and Pad Thai are of different regional cuisines. Pho hails from Vietnam whereas Pad Thai has its origins from Thailand. 

    Similarities Between Pho and Pad Thai

    Pho and Pad Thai both commonly contain meat, vegetables, and rice sticks. Both dishes also utilize soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar as a part of the cooking and preparation process. 

    The Difference Between Pho and Pad Thai

    Pho is Vietnamese cuisine whereas Pad Thai is Thai cuisine. Pho is commonly seen as a beef or chicken broth based soup that includes noodles topped with fresh vegetables. Pad Thai is a stir fry noodle dish that melds together fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and tamarind paste.

    Pho Xao is Vietnamese dish that also gets compared with Pad Thai. Pad Thai is different than Pho Xao because of the tamarind paste, lime, and rice vinegar that provides the sweet and sour taste it is known for.

    Main Comparison

    What does Pad Thai taste like?

    Pad Thai has a blend of sweet, salty, sour, and umami. Because of the palm sugar that is used, it's not as sweet as using granulated sugar. The saltiness comes from the fish sauce. The tamarind paste provides the texture and sour that Pad Thai is known for. 

    pad thai recipe using premade sauce

    What does Pho taste like?

    Pho has the a balanced meld of sweetness and smoky depth married also with umami. The broth is made from roasted beef bones with an infusion of spices like star anise, cinnamon, and coriander to provide a very distinct, yet complex flavor profile. The broth includes rice sticks that are then added and then topped with several fresh herbs like mung bean sprouts, Thai basil, and culantro.

    easy authentic vietnamese pho broth

    What's healthier - Pho or Pad Thai?

    In one serving of Pho, there are 450 calories. In one dish of Pad Thai, there are 1,131 calories. From a calorie perspective, Pho has the least amount of calories compared to Pad Thai.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Pho and Pad Thai

    Is Pho the same as Pad Thai?

    Pho is a different dish than Pad Thai. Pho is a Vietnamese broth-based noodle soup that is often topped with fresh vegetables. Pad Thai is a Thai stir fry noodle dish that is often mixed with proteins egg, chicken, or pork.

    What's the difference between Pho Xao and Pad Thai?

    Pho Xao is a different dish than Pad Thai. Pho Xao is a stir fry with origins from Vietnam whereas Pad Thai hails from Thailand. While both cuisines share similarities in that they contain rice sticks, meat, and vegetables, the difference is that Pad Thai has additional ingredients like tamarind paste and palm sugar, which gives it a sweet and sour flavor profile whereas Pho Xao is milder in flavor when compared to Pad Thai.

    Is Pho and Pho Xao the same thing?

    Pho and Pho Xao are not the same cuisine. While both dishes are Vietnamese cuisines that use rice sticks, that's where the similarities end. Pho is a rich broth based noodle soup that incorporates rice sticks topped with fresh vegetables. Pho Xao is a stir fry noodle dish that combines proteins like chicken, pork, or beef with vegetables like bok choy in a blend of spices and condiments like soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce.

    Best Recipes for Pho and Pad Thai

    If you are looking for some recipes that you can try at home, I wanted to share with you two recipes that I think you'll absolutely love on my blog.

    With all of my recipes, I make sure that I provide you a full ingredient list, which includes what you may need to get at a specialty Asian supermarket. When I can, I try to provide photos of the ingredients so that you can identify them at the store.

    Best Pad Thai Recipe with Premade Sauce

    Now that you know the differences between both of these dishes, why not try Pad Thai on a busy weeknight? In this recipe, I share how you can make Pad Thai without making the sauce from scratch, saving you a ton of time.

    Best Vietnamese Pho Broth Recipe

    Everyone who has ever eaten Pho knows that the magic is in the broth. You have good pho when you have an amazing broth. Pho is known to be a very complex broth to make, but when done right, it's worth the wait. It is one of the richest broths you'll find on the planet due to the complexity involved in the production of infusing all of the spices together. Check out my recipe to make your own.

    Get my free recipe book that includes five of the most popular Southeast Asian noodle recipes!

    Want some other delicious Southeast Asian recipes?

    Subscribe to my newsletter and also receive my 5 recipe cook book for the BEST and most popular recipes from Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos!

    Summary

    Both Pho, Pho Xao, and Pad Thai are delicious and very popular Southeast Asian cuisines that are savory, delicious, and have umami.

    I hope this guide helped provide some insight on the differences and similarities between these two dishes. The next time you head to your local Vietnamese or Thai restaurant, you'll know exactly what to order and know the differences between each of these cuisines so you know what to expect.

    Pad thai versus pho

    Other Posts You Might Enjoy

    If you loved this comparison between Pho and Pad Thai, you might also love these posts:

    • Difference Between Vermicelli Noodles and Rice Noodle Sticks
    • What’s the difference between Thai food and Lao food?
    • Pad Thai Recipe Using Premade Sauce
    • Vietnamese Pho Broth from Scratch
    • Difference Between Khao Poon and Khao Soi
    • Difference Between Lad Na and Pad Thai


    Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CookingwithLane.com receives a small comission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. CookingwithLane.com is a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


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    Meet Lane

    lane souvannalith
    Hi, I'm Lane! I love sharing my love of authentic Vietnamese, Lao, and Thai food! I moved into the states in the 1980s. During my life change, I brought along with my delicious recipes from Vietnam (my descent), Laos (where I was born), and Thailand (where I was a refugee during the war). I'm passionate about showing how anyone can make these delicious cuisines and how you can make it right at home! Learn more ...

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