In a large pot, add the stock, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and onion. Bring to a boil, turn to low, then simmer with the lid on for 45 to 1 hour.

Strain out the spices and onion, then add 2 Tbsp of fish sauce or soy sauce. Taste the soup and add more if needed (it depends on the kind of sauce you use). * You can do up to this step ahead of time and then just reheat the soup when you are ready to eat.

If using fried tofu, grill it a bit in a frying pan (no oil needed) and cut into thin slices. Put on top of the soup just before serving.

Prepare the noodles according to the directions and drain. Some packages tell you to chill the noodles in cold water, but it makes the soup cold so I recommend keeping the noodles hot! (Just make sure you do this just before adding the soup, or else they noodles will stick together).