It’s fair to say that phở has few lovers. The Vietnamese noodle soup, which was traditionally served only for breakfast (though even in Hanoi it’s now served any time of day), is balanced, restorative and deeply satisfying.
Andrea Nguyen, the author of , perfectly summed it up in an interview with : "It grounds you,” she said. “That's what it does for me emotionally and physically. It gets me into the groove of what the country is about. It's a morning country.”
While that’s hard to top, there are actually plenty of Vietnamese dishes that will quickly find a place in your heart next to phở. Kiss one of these recipes and see if you fall in love.
Vietnamese hot and sour soup
The balance of the hot and the sour, the sweetness from the tomato and pineapple and the smooth kick of chilli are all present in this soupy sensation. This easy and fragrant bowl caps off a stellar week of - thank you, Head Chef Jerry Mai for your rockstar mohawk and !
Vietnamese hot and sour soup Source: The Chefs' Line S2
Crisp pancakes with tiger prawns and prawn floss
One of Luke Nguyen’s favourite street foods, these light and crispy pancakes are made with rice flour and coconut milk mixed with cooked rice and turmeric. You can fill the savoury pancakes with a variety of fillings, with adding tiger prawns. They are best served with a side of for extensive dipping. You’ll need a special báhn knot pan to make the pancakes, which you can pick up at most Asian grocery stores.
Kick your next party appetiser up a level with this stunning dish. Source: Alan Benson
Blue swimmer crab and tomato vermicelli noodle soup
This definitely gives phở a run for its money. It’s full of big pork and crab flavours, cooked in a tomato and tamarind stock then served with fresh lemon and lettuce. The slide of flavours from the briny meatiness of the broth through to the creamy noodles, tangy lemon and fresh lettuce is addictive.
This dish is all about perfecting your master stock. Source: Alan Benson
Rice paper rolls with prawns and pork
Soft rice paper rolls are becoming increasingly popular in food halls across Australia. They are a delicious picnic lunch option, or perfect as a starter to the main meal. The fresh, clean flavours can be varied to suit whatever you have on hand, with by Luke Nguyen using tiger prawns, lettuce and perilla leaves. Or try with sesame and salmon.
Rice paper rolls travel well, so they are perfect for parties and picnics. Source: Luke Nguyen
Caramelised pork belly
is traditionally served during the Vietnamese lunar new year celebrations, but is now enjoyed all over the world, any time of year. The dish is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, spicy, bitter and sour that pairs so beautifully with pork. The caramelised pork is meltingly tender and sweet in this recipe. It’s perfection served with some steamed baby buk choy and green beans.
Caramelised pork belly is an absolute winner served with a light salad and fresh baguette. Source: Benito Martin
Hoi An noodles
This is a speciality from the ancient town of Hoi An. To make it authentically, you need speciality noodles made from local Hoi An rice, which are pre-soaked in a lye made from wood ash. Apparently, even the water used in the soaking has to come from a specific well for this dish to be considered authentic. Never fear, thick rice noodles are a reasonable substitute and the resulting meal is still a perfect balance of textures and flavours and delightfully good for you.
Sadly, we may never make it to Hoi An, but this dish is the next best thing. Source: Sharyn Cairns
Handmade rice noodles filled with pork and wood-ear mushrooms
Báhn cuốn translates as “rolled sheets”, and these delicate handmade rice noodles can be filled with a variety of textures and flavours. adds pork terrine, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, fried shallots and cucumber. Serve the steamed noodle rolls drizzled with and garnished with fresh chilli.
Soft noodles filled with a fragrant, textured filling are a treat for the senses. Source: SBS Food
Grilled pork and noodles
This Hanoi lunch favourite is another fresh noodle dish that adds plenty of herbs for punchy flavour. uses three types of pork - pork belly, pork neck and mince pork. The pork patties are balanced with a herb salad and rice vermicelli noodles. Crispy spring rolls are often added to bún chả, as in , adding extra crunch.
Bun cha is a delicious balance of noodles, a lot of herbs, a beautiful dressing and marinated meats cooked over fire. Source: Kaily Koutsogiannis
Beef noodle salad
If anything is going to win a heart away from phở, it’s a beef noodle salad. In , the beef is marinated in fish sauce, garlic and lemongrass then stir-fried with the noodles. An abundance of fresh green herbs and vegetables turns the stir-fry into a delicious warm salad, drizzled with a tangy nuoc cham dressing. Unbelievably good.
"Bun" is the vermicelli noodles, "bo" is the beef and "xao" means to stir-fry. Source: Benito Martin
Crispy skinned chicken with red rice
Crispy skinned chicken is a popular street food in Hanoi. The chicken is poached in a master stock then thoroughly dried. This ensures the skin turns extra-crisp when hot oil is ladled over it just before serving. contains instructions for creating and keeping a master stock. Luke Nguyen has had this on the go for over 15 years!
To achieve a super crispy skin, ladle very hot oil over the skin again and again until it blisters and crisps. Source: Alan Benson
Chả cá fried fish
It’s the Hanoi rite of passage for every first-time visitor – a plate of at the gorgeous, rickety Chả Cá Lã Vong in the Old Quarter, which you can make at home with . Fresh local fish is marinated in a fragrant mix of ginger, shallots, garlic, turmeric and fish sauce before being fried with a handful of dill and spring onion. Mắm tôm tổng, a spicy dipping sauce is made with mắm nêm, Vietnam’s popular fermented shrimp condiment is served on the side.
This colourful dish looks tricky, but is actually really easy to make. Source: Leanne Kitchen and Antony Suvalko
Sticky rice with chicken and sausage
Sticky rice (xôi) is often served for breakfast but also turns up as an afternoon snack or as an accompaniment to the main dish. is an easy ‘one pot’ dish that you’ll make time and time again.
Have we got your attention and your tastebuds? airs every weeknight at 6pm on SBS followed by an encore screening at 9.30pm on SBS Food Network. Episodes will be available after broadcast via . Join the conversation #TheChefsLine on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter . Check out for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more!
'Xôi' is the name for a whole suite of sweet and savoury Vietnamese dishes made using sticky rice. Source: China Squirrel
