As for masking poor broth, sweetness is not the only way, and not even the most effective way. The easiest thing to mask a poor broth is actually adding salt or MSG or adding spiciness. Just look around most Vietnamese restaurants, whenever a patron feels the broth is not quiet what they want, what does the patron usually do? He/she grabs hot sauce to overpower it, not a bottom of sugar.
Yes, sugar is one way to mask. MSG is the other common way. The spiciness use i don’t consider as offensive though, because that’s post-masking, and that’s on the patron not the cook. Younger generations are adding hoisin and sriracha by the loads, but they tend to do that even without so much as tasting the broth, so that’s less about masking a bad pho and more about doctoring the flavor profile (even though it serves as an effective way to also mask bad pho). It’s more akin to adding condiments to a hot dog. And they’re going to do it regardless of how well the broth turns out.
According to Wikipedia sources, southern-style pho emerged after 1954, when northerners brought pho with them when fleeing the communists, so 60 years is about right. Northern style pho apparently developed between 1900 and 1907, which makes it about twice as old. And I am two years older than your father.
When asked about “authentic” pho, Andrea Nguyen said in an interview “Am I supposed to wear a conical hat and carry a shoulder-pole thing with me? For me, authenticity is about honesty and truth and intent.”
I don’t disagree with Andrea Nguyen on the overratedness of authenticity. But calling out bad pho is not a defense of authenticity vs sincerity. That’s an easy excuse used to defend bad dishes. Taken to that extreme, there is no such thing as bad pho, just different pho. I don’t buy that. It’s as weak as pineapple on pizza which, at least, satisfies Andrea Nguyen’s definition of authenticity. The overusage of sugar in pho has neither honesty nor truthful intentions. It’s simply masking or lacking skill.
Chacun à son goût. Personally I’ve found every bowl of southern style pho sweeter than I would like. And I’m accustomed to the cooking of my Shanghainese wife, who puts sugar in everything she cooks.
