August 1, 2026
Pressure! Noodles! Petty takes!
Kenji/Serious Eats – 30-Min Pressure Cooker Pho Ga
Pho fans hijack the chat as a 30-minute soup sparks ramen shade and recipe-age drama
TLDR: Kenji’s big claim is that a pressure cooker can turn pho ga into a fast, flavorful weeknight meal in under 30 minutes. The comments, of course, cared just as much about debating pho versus ramen, questioning why a recipe was posted there at all, and nitpicking recipe dates.
A humble chicken noodle soup recipe somehow turned into a full-on food forum faceoff. The article itself is simple enough: Kenji says you can make pho ga—Vietnamese chicken noodle soup—with rich broth, tender chicken, and bright spices in under 30 minutes thanks to a pressure cooker. He even sells it as a lifesaver while cooking far from home in Bogotá, where the high altitude usually makes soup-making more annoying. The big promise? Fast cooking, clear broth, and no endless skimming.
But the real action was in the comments, where readers instantly made it about Team Pho vs. Team Ramen. One commenter proudly declared pho more "crispy," shouting out the sprouts, lime, mint, and jalapeño while throwing delicious shade at ramen for being so heavy it "puts me to sleep." And just like that, a recipe post became a noodle rivalry.
Then came the classic internet side-eye: why is this even on Hacker News? One baffled reader asked if the "hack" was simply that dinner happens in half an hour, which honestly became the funniest mini-roast in the thread. Others swerved into recipe historian mode, grumbling that the dish is old and websites should stop hiding original publish dates behind vague "updated on" labels. Meanwhile, the practical cooks chimed in with a calmer take: yes, pressure cookers are fast, but some said the soup should still rest a bit so the flavors can mingle. In short, the broth looked clear—but the opinions were gloriously messy.
Key Points
- •The article presents a method for making Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, *pho ga*, in under 30 minutes with a pressure cooker.
- •It says pressure cooking tenderizes chicken quickly and infuses broth with aromatic spice flavors without long simmering.
- •The method helps keep the broth clear because the liquid is not boiling aggressively, reducing the need for skimming.
- •The author describes cooking from Bogotá, where high elevation creates challenges for soups, doughs, and vegetables.
- •The article explains that many electric pressure cookers maintain pressure independently of local atmospheric conditions, making them useful for high-altitude cooking.