– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

This is my older brother. Never been to

Vietnam. Fresh off the boat and the only

three things he knows about Vietnamese

food is pho, spring rolls, and then the

banh mi sandwich. So, first off we have

is Jeep Ma. And uh

Chad,

are you excited? Yeah, super excited.

And for you guys, you're probably

wondering, he is my older brother. He

has a lot more white hair than me. I do

have a lot of white hair, but white hair

runs very early in my family. But we

have a lot of hair, so let's get some

pho. So you guys, this is Kang. He's the

owner and main chef at the Jeep Ma. So

Yeah, I've been here before. It's very

good pho, but for my brother I want him

to try something nice and special. So,

for anybody who doesn't know what pho

is, can you give me like a one or two

sentence answer what pho is? Basically,

it's the essence of Vietnamese cuisine.

It's very delicate while being also

flavorful and with the herbs, it's the

whole Vietnamese experience. How is your

pho different? The main thing is no MSG,

we don't do MSG here. So, how can we do

it? We cook with a lot more bones,

exactly four times the bones than the

other pho shops. And also we use some

western and modern techniques to make

the pho more tasty.

See, my brother lives in the

Netherlands. And

so he's in Amsterdam, and we went to

like the the top reviewed pho not pho

place Vietnamese restaurant.

It was the worst Vietnamese food I have

ever had in my life. Yeah, it was

terrible. We got a guy, the salad was

was horrendous. The pho was horrendous.

We got bun thit nuong out. I don't even

know what these dishes are. And it's

fully Vietnamese staff. I won't say the

name, but it was absolutely terrible.

So, my brother has extremely low

expectations, so I'm very happy for him

to try something really like delicious.

The Amsterdam Vietnamese food is

terrible. I don't care what anybody

says. It's absolutely terrible. So,

we'll get some pho and we'll probably

order a few other things. He's really

excited. He's He's tired though. He's

tired.

>> [laughter]

>> Northern pho or either southern pho.

Okay. But here we give you not two but

also three options. You can take a look

here.

And then for the meat options you get

four meat options here. All the stars

are the recommendations.

And here's the you tell or way, which is

a signature of our restaurant because

we're the only one in Vietnam doing it

with sourdough. Oh, okay.

Do you prefer northern or southern pho?

Northern for sure, man. Really?

>> For me, northern. Yeah, I'm a

southerner. Okay. But I love northern.

Yeah, I'm southern all the way. I'm

southern. Are you southern? I'm

southern. I'm southern. Yeah, we got

everything for you here.

>> Yeah. So, do you guys want to maybe we

can do one of each?

Sure. Is that okay? So you can try the

different flavors for them. So for your

pho, how long does it take to cook one

dish?

>> We start from 5:00 a.m.

on this day, then we finish 5:00 a.m.

the next other day. So 24 hours of

cooking for making your pho? Yes,

correct. For our pho, it takes 24 hours.

That's how we extract all of the flavors

because we cook low and slow. We get all

the flavors from the bones that we don't

need to use MSG. But like I'm looking at

the broth right now and they all look

different. So like this this one is a

little bit more golden, this one is less

golden, this one is a little bit more

fat. Do you know which one is which? I

know it's labeled but like could can you

tell the difference?

>> I can tell the difference. I can show

you guys also. So we have three kinds,

right? The clear one. So of course the

clear one usually it's a lot less fat

and you can see it's almost like

clarified. Yeah. Yes, you can see the

bottom of the pan. Which pho is this?

This is the clear northern pho. So

northern pho. Clear northern pho. And

then when you take a look then we see

the fat. Yeah. And those are the

northern and the southern. But then how

you differentiate? The southern will be

more dark because we roast the shallots

quite quite a bit so it will be more

dark. So now you can take a look. Yes.

So here you can see it's the southern.

Southern? Yeah. And here's the bone

marrow. Okay. So northern? Yeah, so

these two are northern and

this is the southern one. Interesting.

Yeah. You know what? I'm learning

something new. I like this. I see

there's a lot of marbling in your beef.

What is What's the difference with this?

Yeah, so I tried a lot of beef. We did

R&D for years trying to find the best

beef for our pho. So it has to be

Vietnamese beef. So after a while of

looking we found this Vietnamese beef

that is raised with Japanese technology.

So it brings this beautiful marble into

the Vietnamese beef but while keeping

the chewy and the sweetness of the umami

of the beef. Uh King, I saw you guys use

this. What is this? Yes. So this is our

pho foam. So what we do with this we

emulsify we we blend some aromatic

tallow with our pho broth to make a

aromatic foam for the stir-fried pho.

So which which pho is this? It's a

northern pho. Northern pho. Okay. That

is the southern. Oh joy. I am oi.

I am oi.

>> [laughter]

>> This is the new stuff. Was it one pho?

I'm filming too.

This is It's okay. It's okay. This is

the bold one. So King, my brother's wife

Tashina was asking what is the

difference between northern and southern

pho? Okay, so for the southern pho

there's

a bit more sugar and there's more less

spice in the bowl. So it has a more

aromatic and more rounded feeling. The

northern is usually more of a umami

forward taste. Yeah. Like if I answer

I'd say northern pho is less flavorful.

>> [laughter]

>> Southern pho is more flavorful. In a

way.

That's a very controversial statement

for Vietnamese though. There's a lot of

competition with north and south. So

northern pho here, northern, southern

and then this was um the This is the

stir-fried pho. Stir-fried pho, and then

the pho spring rolls. Yes, and the pho

rolls, yes. So, if somebody likes pho,

this is the This is the the dish to try.

So, pho everything.

>> Everything pho, and but a little bit

modern. So, like this one, we put inside

some It's going to be good pork and with

homemade kimchi and uh some cilantro

green onions. Okay. Yes, and for this

one, you can see it's a normal

stir-fried pho, but on top we use a very

rare kind of beef. It's a golden corn

shin. We have for one cow, there's only

600 g of golden corn shin.

And on the surrounding, there's a pho

bowl, which we use the broth with the

fat to make the pho more aromatic for

the deliciousness.

We got the stir-fried right here, spring

rolls, northern, northern, southern.

Yeah. Also, he calls these pho rolls,

not spring rolls. Pho rolls, thank you.

I'm trying to the the taste the flavors

that he was describing with Mommy. So,

the biggest difference between this and

say something cheap on the street, he

doesn't use MSG.

So, yeah, like the MSG does add like a a

flavor to it that's very unique and

distinguishable.

So, another northern.

Almost like a chicken

tastes different, like less beefy for

some reason.

Okay. Now I'm afraid I'm going to like

the southern one cuz that's what I think

>> I'm used to. Yeah, I'm used to a little

bit more sugar and things. Here, you

take it. I'll spill it.

Okay.

Actually, I think I might like this one

the most. Really? Yeah, yeah, we'll see.

I mean, when I try everything together

cuz it's like all the vegetables and

stuff in it, too.

There are slight differences. They're

not like extremely different. So, I'm

going to put things in kind of

perspective for you guys. My brother has

not really had probably he's from

Southern California, but even the fun

Southern California is hit or miss. I

don't care what anybody says the

Vietnamese food in California

it can be good and it's also really

terrible. What condiments okay? Yes. So

chili sauce? Yeah, chili sauce is

homemade we ferment it for 7 days.

>> Oh, okay. Okay. Garlic?

>> Garlic vinegar

I will I change for you another one. So

the garlic vinegar we make from Hanoi

beer. We ferment Yeah, we ferment it

inside for 15 days and then we put in

the garlic. But I change for you guys.

Yeah, no no problem. No problem.

I'm going to do a broth taste test. We

got Southern.

So you try yours.

Okay. Brother do you want to help me

with the the northern one? How do I do

that? Just give me a little I want to

taste the the broth first.

>> Yeah. Am I going to feed you?

Yeah, this one has a lot more like

fatty texture to it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I'd always prefer Southern, but if I

were to have these all three of them

taste quite different.

>> Yeah. Yeah, I don't know how to describe

it. This one though has a bit more oily

to it, but otherwise like Yeah, and I'm

a pho snob cuz I don't eat a lot of pho

anymore, but um

it it's good. Cuz your since your pho is

a little bit nicer and higher end, do

you recommend still adding like the

these condiments into it?

>> Yes, of course because

in the traditional way of eating pho we

still put chili sauce and garlic vinegar

into it, but I would not recommend too

much lime or hoisin sauce. Okay. I still

put it there because it's a very

preferential thing, but to me the best

is still chili sauce and garlic vinegar.

Okay. So yeah, so for you guys the chili

sauce

Yeah. For sure. Thank you.

Not pho. Pho rolls. Pho rolls. Yeah, I

call them pho spring rolls, but pho

rolls. If you're somebody who likes pho,

this this is definitely going to be

something up your alley.

This is really good. It's really good.

No, brother.

You just had your first bite of proper

Vietnamese food and Vietnamese food in

Vietnam cuz you just arrived. On a scale

of 1 to 10, how would you rate this pho?

I mean, well, it's clearly the the best

pho I've ever had.

>> Exactly. But I think the biggest thing

actually I'm noticing is the noodles are

totally different.

>> Yeah.

The noodles back home suck. I don't know

what it is. They just But these have a

different texture. They're way better. I

would absolutely agree. That's like my

biggest issue. Like in Amsterdam,

horrendous. Everything about that was

horrendous. Horrendous.

>> Even California, like I had pho with you

before in California and the noodles

there are a little bit different. But I

I do remember me I commented to him cuz

they knew who I was. And I was like,

"The pho is fine. It's just the the

noodles are different."

So, it's the best pho he's ever had in

his life. Yeah. Hands down. You know,

before he came, he was giving me

He was saying that he doesn't want me to

take him to bad places, which I would

never do.

You you told me that.

>> I said, "I don't want you to like take

me to like sketchy food." Cuz I know you

like like you've eaten weird things in

the past. So, I was like, "I don't want

you to feed me the weird stuff."

>> So, this is this is brotherly love and

good brother bonding time. So, I'm glad

you're enjoying the the pho. So, this is

So far the best meal he's had in Vietnam

because he's been here less than 24

hours.

>> [laughter]

>> So, he hasn't really eaten anything, but

I'm glad you're enjoying this. So, this

is my pho. I like a lot of chilies.

Oh, my brother's trying the the pho

rolls.

Good?

Really good.

Wasn't what I was expecting as

I was expecting like a spring roll, but

it's definitely different.

>> No, the texture of the rice paper is

like it's it's a nice mouth feel when

you eat it compared

>> meat in this is really good. Yeah, it's

like the high-quality meat that he's

using. Proper bite of the the pho.

What? The meat.

I feel like local people or countryside

people would sometimes prefer the street

pho cuz it's more of like a childhood

taste cuz of the MSG you you you mommy

you mommy flavor.

All right, stir fry.

Here, brother.

You're feeding me?

>> Yeah, I'm feeding you.

Mhm.

Again, the meat's really good. Like good

good? Yeah, really good. I don't know

what's in it, but like it's really good.

Yeah, cuz this foam is like the the

aromatic foam that he like bubbles with

them or

not bubbles. Bubbles is not a good word

to use for that. I don't know. He

mentioned earlier on camera.

>> No, that meat's really good.

Right? It's really good.

Cuz if the noodles remind me of like a

pad thai noodle, but better. Like that's

Yeah, that's actually like that's if you

like pad thai and that type of dish this

So, I've had a lot of fun in Vietnam.

The one thing you can really taste the

difference especially with the meat

quality in this and then also it you

don't have the MSG taste which I like

and I think a lot of people in Vietnam

would prefer that. I understand some

people don't want to have

Um but like I would think like so maybe

some people from the countryside or who

grown up eating pho with MSG, they may

prefer that taste, but especially coming

to this place like this, I think it's

like 150 to 200,000 Vietnamese dong. So,

um I'll ask him in a second cuz I forgot

how much like $6 to $10 for a bowl. It's

a bit more expensive compared to stuff

on the street, but it's it's nice. Like

my brother said it's the best

>> quality. Yeah, and you can taste it. So,

how I I forgot to look at the menu on

the cost. So, how much is the bowl of

pho? Uh so, a bowl of pho that you guys

just had is 205. 205,

>> [clears throat]

>> okay. Or the basic one for one meat is

150. 150, okay.

So, yeah. So, 150 so like $7 to I'll say

like

>> $6, yeah. Yeah, 6 7 to 10-ish. Yeah. All

right, brother. We finished. What was

your favorite thing?

Actually, I think it was the stir fry of

uh that's what it was called, I think.

But I think it was cuz of the meat that

they the flavors and like I don't know

what it was. It was really good. But

then actually I think my most my pho,

but I also ate some of her pho. I tasted

all of them, but I think I maybe liked

my pho the best, which is the northern

pho. Yeah, that one

you can taste like the fatty flavor to

it as well. Yeah, and thank you King.

King, if people want to try your pho,

so it's G Ma's in Thao Dien. Yes. Please

come here to G Ma and try our our pho.

And also for the evening we have some

more new contemporary Vietnamese dishes

that we really want you to try out.

All right, brother. Let's go.

Nice hat.

I'm trying to get him to wear these, but

I don't even got any yet. You don't It's

very cold in here. I'll get me a pair. I

got the green ones. You want to the

green ones at the house? No, our hotel

has some, too. Those are blue, but yours

are like cheaper. All right, we're

taking a quick break. Uh

Brother, this is the salted coffee.

Okay.

He got black coffee cuz yeah, he's

boring.

That's really good. Yeah, I told you it

was good. Yeah.

Like But I couldn't drink that much cuz

I don't know. I don't eat a lot. Yeah,

he can't handle milk very well.

Good?

>> Interesting. It's like a dessert though.

Yeah, like this salted coffee, the milk

coffee, they have the coconut coffee.

And later I'll have you try egg coffee.

There's avocado coffee, there's

coffee coffee everything. Like coffee

Vietnam coffee is top like in the world.

I got to try that black coffee. Yeah,

you can try the black coffee, but

It's black coffee. This is like a cold

brew.

Strong? Yeah.

I mean I was starting to get a tip, so I

think I need to count it.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
essence /ˈɛsəns/ B2	noun - the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something
delicate /ˈdɛlɪkət/ B2	adjective - very fine in texture or structure; of intricate workmanship or quality
flavorful /ˈfleɪvərfʊl/ B2	adjective - having a full, rich taste
horrendous /həˈrɛndəs/ C1	adjective - extremely unpleasant, horrifying, or terrible
signature /ˈsɪɡnətʃər/ B2	noun - a distinctive product that is characteristic of a person or place
extract /ɪkˈstrækt/ B2	verb - to remove or take out, especially by effort or force
differentiate /ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃieɪt/ C1	verb - to recognize or ascertain what makes someone or something different
marbling /ˈmɑːrbəlɪŋ/ C1	noun - the streaks of fat in meat that give it flavor and tenderness
emulsify /ɪˈmʌlsɪfaɪ/ C2	verb - to make into an emulsion by mixing liquids that do not blend
aromatic /ˌærəˈmætɪk/ B2	adjective - having a pleasant and distinctive smell
controversial /ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːrʃəl/ B2	adjective - giving rise or likely to give rise to public disagreement
distinguishable /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/ C1	adjective - clear enough to be recognized or identified
ferment /fərˈmɛnt/ C1	verb - to undergo breakdown by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms
contemporary /kənˈtɛmpərɛri/ B2	adjective - belonging to or occurring in the present
perspective /pərˈspɛktɪv/ B2	noun - a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something

Key Grammar Structures

• Never been to Vietnam.

  ➔ Present Perfect (omitted subject/auxiliary)

  ➔ The phrase "Never been to" is a colloquial way of saying "I have never been to," using the present perfect to describe life experience.

• You're probably wondering, he is my older brother.

  ➔ Present Continuous for deduction

  ➔ Using "are wondering" here indicates a present mental state or an ongoing assumption about what the listener is thinking.

• It's very delicate while being also flavorful.

  ➔ Conjunction "while" + participle (Contrast)

  ➔ The structure "while being" allows the speaker to describe two contrasting qualities of the food simultaneously.

• I've been here before.

  ➔ Present Perfect for experience

  ➔ The speaker uses the present perfect to indicate that their visit occurred at an unspecified time in the past.

• It's the worst Vietnamese food I have ever had.

  ➔ Superlative + Present Perfect

  ➔ This combination emphasizes the subject's entire life experience up to the present moment.

• We'll be 24 hours of cooking for making your pho.

  ➔ Future Simple (prediction/process)

  ➔ "Will be" describes the duration required for a future-oriented process that they follow.

• If somebody likes pho, this is the dish to try.

  ➔ First Conditional (Real possibility)

  ➔ The "If + present, is" structure establishes a condition for a specific recommendation.

• I'm a pho snob cuz I don't eat a lot of pho anymore.

  ➔ Informal causal connector "cuz"

  ➔ "Cuz" is a reduced form of "because", commonly used in spoken English to denote a reason.