Have You Tried Every Dish Made with Pho Noodles?

Pho is one of the most celebrated dishes of Vietnamese cuisine, admired by many of the world's top chefs. But have you tried every dish made with pho noodles?

Besides traditional pho noodle soup, the flat rice noodles used for pho are turned into plenty of other equally tempting dishes.

PHO NOODLE SOUP

This is the first dish that comes to mind when it comes to pho noodles.

Pho is sold everywhere, from small neighbourhood stalls to upscale restaurants, all serving this rich, flavourful dish every day. The soft white noodles are made from rice, so every strand carries the taste of the Vietnamese homeland.

The broth is made from beef bones simmered for many hours, giving it a deep, rich flavour. The most popular version today is beef pho: tendon, rare beef and fresh, chewy slices of beef served with basil, bean sprouts, ginger and more to suit each diner's taste.

Besides beef pho, chicken pho, beef meatball pho and vegetarian pho are just as popular. A steaming bowl usually costs from 35,000 VND upwards, depending on the restaurant.

PHO ROLLS

This is considered the most unusual of all the dishes made from pho noodles. When people think of rolls, they usually picture fresh spring rolls or nem rolls wrapped in rice paper. Pho rolls are completely different, as they are wrapped in sheets of pure white pho noodle.

Each sheet of pho noodle is wrapped around a filling of beef and fresh herbs, with a delightfully unusual taste. It may seem a simple dish, but you will be surprised by the thin, fragrant wrapper, the carefully seasoned beef and the fresh vegetables that keep it from ever feeling too heavy.

The dipping sauce is sweet and sour, and if you like heat you can add a little minced chilli. A plate of pho rolls costs on average just 40,000 VND for a quality serving.

PHO TIU

The name may sound unfamiliar, but this is a fairly popular dish in the north of the country. Pho tiu is quite similar to mi Quang, with only a little broth – just enough to coat the noodles. A bowl of pho tiu contains pho noodles, beef, fried shallots and fresh herbs.

Its signature flavours are the gentle tang of vinegar and the nutty richness of roasted peanuts. Diners toss everything together so the noodles soak up the broth at the bottom of the bowl, then eat.

A good bowl costs around 35,000 VND.

STIR-FRIED PHO NOODLES

Like the familiar stir-fried hu tieu noodles you often eat, stir-fried pho has a distinctive sauce poured over the noodles. The sauce is seasoned to a family recipe, giving it a unique flavour you won't find anywhere else.

A plate of stir-fried pho usually costs between 35,000 VND and 60,000 VND, depending on the restaurant. Most people prefer it with chicken rather than the traditional beef, as the shredded, stir-fried chicken has a richer flavour than beef.

PAN-FRIED PHO NOODLES

This dish is also quite popular in southern Vietnam. The pho noodles are pressed flat in a pan over medium heat until they stick together into a round cake, then served with beef and vegetables stir-fried until full of flavour.

With its crispy yet chewy noodle cake and elaborately seasoned beef and vegetables, the dish never feels heavy and has a delightfully unusual taste. A full plate of pan-fried pho usually costs around 40,000 VND, a very reasonable price for such a good, tasty plate.

PUFFED FRIED PHO NOODLES

The name says it all: pho noodle sheets are deep-fried until puffed and crisp, then served with stir-fried beef and vegetables. The noodles used for this dish are large, square sheets that puff up and turn a beautiful golden colour when fried. They are served with richly flavoured beef stir-fried with vegetables, plus a few shiitake mushrooms and onions, so the dish gives off a wonderfully appetising aroma.

This dish is rarely sold in the South these days and is mostly found throughout the North. A delicious plate of puffed fried pho costs only about 40,000 VND.

PAD THAI

This fusion dish is also very popular in Vietnam; in more purely Vietnamese terms, it would be called Thai-style stir-fried pho.

A plate of pad Thai will impress you with how much goes into it. The pho noodles are stir-fried with all kinds of seafood and colourful vegetables. Its signature flavour comes from the tangy, rich sauce made with tamarind pulp.

A serving of pad Thai costs from 50,000 VND, which is why it is so popular.

Ng.D