How to Make Chicken Pho

When a Vietnamese Restaurant called Bunker opened across from a scrap-metal yard in Ridgewood, Queens, its beef-and-noodle pho became a hit. But chef Jimmy Tu quickly realized he had neither the time nor the space to make enough beef broth to meet demand. So he switched to a quicker but just as rich-tasting chicken pho. He builds flavor in stages, adding pan-roasted shallots and onion and then toasted spices and goji berries to the broth as it simmers. The result shows just how much he learned from his mother and aunt, and from the chefs he trained with at Manhattan's Montrachet and Eleven Madison Park. 46-63 Metropolitan Ave.; bunkervietnamese.com. —Tina Ujlaki

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DIY Pho

A tiny Vietnamese restaurant in an industrial stretch of Queens, New York, has become a cult favorite for its chicken-and-noodle soup. Here’s how to make it.

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Boil the water

In a large stockpot, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the chicken to the pot, breast side down.

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Submerge the chicken

Cover the chicken with a heatproof plate to keep it submerged and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and poach the chicken for 30 minutes.

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Chill the chicken

Prepare a large ice water bath. Transfer the chicken to the ice water to stop the cooking. The meat will be barely cooked through at this point; it will continue to cook in the finished soup.

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Toast the spices

In a heavy skillet, toast the spices with goji berries over moderately low heat, stirring, until very fragrant. Transfer to a bowl.

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Pan-roast the alliums

In the same dry skillet, cook the onion, leek and shallots over moderate heat, stirring, until deep golden brown in spots, about 10 minutes.

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Simmer the broth

Remove and shred all of the meat. Return the skin and bones to the pot and simmer, adding the pan-roasted alliums, spices and rock sugar in stages to develop flavor.

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Strain the broth

Strain the pho broth through a fine sieve into a large heatproof bowl.

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Fry the shallot garnish

Heat canola oil in a large skillet. Add thinly sliced shallots and fry, stirring frequently with a slotted spoon, until browned. Drain and let cool until crispy.

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Finish the pho

Add the chicken to the broth and simmer just until cooked through. Season the broth with fish sauce and salt. Ladle into bowls and add the noodles and garnishes.

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