When you think of pho, the iconic noodle soup probably comes to mind. But Vietnam’s love affair with the rice noodle goes much further. In fact, the slippery rice noodle known as banh pho can be fashioned into a variety of lesser-known but equally delectable dishes.
From crispy fried bites to refreshing, herb-filled rolls, there’s more than one way to enjoy pho.
Pho
Used on its own, the term “pho” refers to the comforting noodle soup made with banh pho that has become synonymous with Vietnam. Originating in northern Vietnam in the early 20th century, the dish spread following the country’s partition in 1954 as refugees from North Vietnam fled south.
The most common version, pho bo, is made with beef and features cuts such as flank and brisket, as well as offal. There’s also pho ga, which utilises chicken. Northern pho is simpler and more delicate, with fewer garnishes like green onions and cilantro. Southern pho has a more robust flavour and comes with a variety of toppings like bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, and chilli.
Pho xao
Pho xao is the dry but saucy, stir-fried counterpart to pho that packs an umami punch. Rice noodles are stir-fried with protein, garlic, choy sum, and bean sprouts along with soya sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce in a wok on high heat for a distinctive charred aroma. As with its noodle soup sibling, pho xao thit bo or the beef version is the most popular.
Pho cuon
A cross between pho and summer rolls, pho cuon uses uncut rice noodle sheets to wrap sauteed beef slices, lettuce and herbs like coriander and mint. Served cold, the rolls are paired with a light dipping sauce made with fish sauce, sugar, garlic, chillies, pickled carrots, and green papaya.
The dish was invented in 2000 after Vu Thi Chinh, owner of Chinh Thang restaurant in Hanoi’s Ngu Xa neighbourhood, saw her customers sweating over hot bowls of pho in the summer and wanted to provide an alternative.
Pho chien phong
Another Hanoian invention, pho chien phong is a dish of beef stir-fried with bok choy, tomatoes and onions on a bed of crispy puffs. The puffs are made by stacking rice noodle sheets on top of each other and cutting them into squares. These squares are deep-fried until they puff up, creating pillows with a golden shell and chewy centre.
There’s also a variant called pho chien trung, where the puffs are replaced by crispy, deep-fried rice noodles.
This story by Yow Hong Chieh was originally published on AirAsia. Zafigo republished this story in full with permission from the publisher, simply because good stories should be read by as many people as possible! If you have stories that will be of interest and useful to women travellers, especially in Asia, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
