Dreads lean Vietnamese dish for starters (7)

I believe the answer is:

phobias

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'vietnamese dish for starters' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'dreads lean' is the wordplay.
'dreads' becomes 'pho' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'lean' becomes 'bias' (I've seen this in another clue).
'pho'+'bias'='PHOBIAS'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for phobias that I've seen is " Irrational fears".)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.