Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, took its modern form only after several experiments. In the late 1920s vendors tried adding sesame oil, tofu and other ingredients, but these did not catch on. Phở tái, served with rare beef, appeared by 1930, and chicken pho followed in 1939. After the partition of Vietnam in 1954, over a million people moved from North to South Vietnam, and pho became popular in the South, where new garnishes like lime, bean sprouts, basil and sriracha became standard. In the North, private restaurants were nationalized, and during the subsidy period after the war, a meatless version was served because of shortages. Bread or cold rice was often served alongside, which led to the habit of dipping fried dough in the soup.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.