This is the Lian Phở Bò, an instant Vietnamese phở noodle soup featuring a beef broth seasoned with traditional phở spices.
The cardboard bowl contained four sealed sachets: dried rice noodles, powdered soup and dried vegetables, chilli sauce, and seasoning oil. Preparation involved emptying all four sachets into the bowl, adding 400 mL of boiling water, and leaving it covered for 3 minutes.
Aroma opened with savoury beef bouillon and mellow phở spices, noticeably more subdued than freshly made phở. On tasting, the broth delivered a surprisingly fragrant, savoury and well-balanced profile for an instant soup, with a notable beef presence alongside cinnamon, clove and star anise. It lacked the rounded depth and sweetness of a slow-simmered phở broth, but retained a clear expression of the characteristic spice profile.
The flat rice noodles were silky but soft and slippery, consistent with the texture of dried phở noodles. They provided sufficient surface for the rehydrated green onion and coriander to contribute aromatic depth. The single piece of wheat gluten ‘meat’ was unremarkable.
Overall, an instant noodle soup with a savoury beef and aromatic spice progression, supported by silky rice noodles and rehydrated herbs that added fragrance to the broth, resulting in a balanced and accessible approximation of phở. A good, budget-friendly option for a quick meal, though it was not a direct replacement for fresh, restaurant-made phở.
This Lian Phở Bò contained 70 g. It was produced in Vietnam and purchased in Sydney, Australia, in 2026.