Bun Bo Nam Bo (Vietnamese Dry Beef Noodle Bowl with Herbs)
Bun bo nam bo - literally 'southern beef noodles' - is a Hanoi interpretation of southern Vietnamese flavors, assembled as a dry noodle bowl rather than a soup. The dish layers cold rice vermicelli, stir-fried beef marinated in lemongrass and garlic, and a generous pile of fresh herbs - cilantro, Thai basil, mint, and perilla. Crushed roasted peanuts and fried shallots scatter on top, adding crunch and sweetness. The binding element is a bowl of nuoc cham - the sweet-sour-salty-spicy dipping sauce made from fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, and chili - poured over and mixed through at the table. The beef must be seared on maximum heat for under a minute so it stays medium-rare inside while the lemongrass marinade caramelizes on the edges. The beauty of the dish lies in its temperature contrasts: cool noodles, cold herbs, warm beef, and room-temperature sauce all meeting in each chopstick-lifted tangle. Found on nearly every street in Hanoi's Old Quarter, it is lunchtime fuel for office workers who line up at their preferred stall.
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Instructions
- 1
Boil vermicelli, rinse in cold water, and drain well.
- 2
Mix 1.5 tbsp fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and 2 tbsp water for nuoc cham.
- 3
Slice beef thinly and marinate with 0.5 tbsp fish sauce for 10 minutes.
- 4
Sear beef quickly in a very hot pan.
- 5
Layer lettuce, noodles, beef, mint, and peanuts, then drizzle sauce and toss before eating.
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