Phở chấm is the pho variant in which the noodles and broth are served separately for dipping.
Its name combines phở, the Vietnamese rice-noodle dish, with chấm, a Vietnamese culinary term meaning to dip. Instead of eating noodles submerged in soup, diners pick up the noodles and dip them into the accompanying broth or seasoned liquid. This makes phở chấm a more interactive, less soup-like presentation than standard phở.
Pho developed in northern Vietnam in the early 20th century and is usually associated with clear broth, flat rice noodles, herbs, and beef or chicken. The word phở therefore covers more than one preparation: phở xào is stir-fried, phở cuốn is rolled, and phở chấm is dipped. A common mix-up is confusing phở chấm with phở cuốn, which also uses separate dipping sauce but wraps the ingredients in fresh noodle sheets.