My hometown, Hanoi, is a city full of lakes. We have several beautiful lakes around the city, which have been turned into small pretty parks. The local residents love to hang around these places, and the price of housing there is super high. One of the most expensive areas is definitely the place surrounding the West Lake (Ho Tay). This area was developed back to the colony time (around 1920-1930) and it remains a lovely place. The West Lake is part of Hanoi history with so many rumours and stories that dated back from more than 100 years ago. But it is also famous for food. The Hanoians always praise the West Lake Prawn Fritters. And if you travel a bit further to the other side of the lake, there are plenty of cheap seafood restaurants to hang around, too.
The dish I feature today, rice noodle rolls, is also from the West Lake area. These rolls are super cheap, and with a casual flair around the place, people can all have a good time. The food itself is simple but oh so tasty. These rolls normally have stir-fry beef and herb filling, accompanied by the sweet-sour nuoc cham. If you want your sauce a bit spicy, fresh chilli slices are provided, too.
To make these at home, I have added more herbs to the original version, which features only coriander (cilantro). I have added to my pleasure some Thai basil & rice paddy herb (click here to see the photo). I love to arrange them in order, so after every bite, I can experience different herby aromas. It is truly amazing and so refreshing.
For this recipe, you need to get a package of rice noodle sheet from Asian market. If unavailable, substitute with rice paper. The texture will be different, but delicious still.
Rice Noodle Rolls with Beef & Herb Filling (Pho Cuon)
Ingredients
1 package of rice noodle sheet (or rice paper, as required)
300g beef fillet, thinly sliced across the grain
1 tsp finely minced lemongrass (white part only)
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tbsp good quality fish sauce
Oil, about 1-2 tbsp
Herbs, to serve: Choose from coriander (cilantro), Thai Basil, Rice Paddy Herb etc.
Vietnamese dipping sauce (recipe follows)
Method
Marinade the beef with lemongrass, garlic and fish sauce for 20 mins.
To prepare the noodle, cut the noodle sheet to squares of 15cmx15cm. Briefly dip each sheet in hot water. Set aside. (If using rice paper, skip this step)
Prepare dipping sauce. Wash herbs and briefly dry them using paper towel.
Stir-fry the beef mixture in hot oil until just cooked.
To roll, arrange the beef and herbs inside each rice noodle sheet. Roll up and serve with dipping sauce. (or use rice paper as your wraps as package direction).
Dipping Sauce:
1 cup warm water, ¼ cup fish sauce, 3-4 tbsp castor sugar, ½ lime, 2 garlic cloves – finely minced, 1 chilli paddy – sliced.
Preparation: Put water, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice together. Stir to dissolve. Taste to see if you have the right balance, and adjust ingredients accordingly. Add garlic and chilli just before serving (so your chilli and garlic will `float´ to the surface).
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Beautiful. Your photos are really popping lately
I would love to taste this!
Awesome! We used to be able to find these (or something similar) at Thai restaurants in California, or at the one or two Vietnamese restaurants we managed to find, and they were always fabulous.
There’s a place in Orange County, California called Bánh Cu
The picture with the sauce having the lime slice is gorgeous!! How did you get the lime to slice so fine?
Maryann, thank you.
The colors in the photos are so vivid. I can only get rice paper sheets and they are not as pretty as the rice noodle sheets you use.
Hi Anh, what a great post. It brings back some great memories. I lived in Hanoi for a while, just off Truc Bach Lake. Every chance we got we would wander around to Truc Bach village for noodle rolls. They were so so good. I also loved the fried egg noodles.
Our local stores only have Asian foods mid-winter, for Chinese New Year. One would think with the Vietnamese influence there would be more…Maybe in Paris.
Hi Anh,
These are beautiful Anh! I’ve never heard of rice paddy herb before – is it similar to anything else?
The photos are talking, they look so white and pure.
How beautiful. For me, white dishes are the hardest to photograph! Your’s are so good!:))
Anh, I love your recipes and your pictures are sooooo beautiful, really I congrats you, so nice Gloria
the prominence of white in the first two pics, gives it a divine look. I wish you were living close by!!!
Hehe. I just made prawn fritters last night. And I’ve got a story about when I was in Hanoi to go with banh pho cuon whenever I get around to posting it.
Lovely. This is almost like the Chee Cheong Fun in S’pore – just that this seems healthier with additional herbs fillings.
They look so…heavenly!
Wish, I could visit your place…
Beautiful picture as usual.
Sher, rice noodle sheets are not easy to find I suppose. But like I said, rice paper should be more than ok!
Your photos are amazing, especially that sauce! We visited the West Lake area on an all-too-short holiday in Hanoi. It is a wonderful, surprising city, and I hope to visit again some day.
hey Anh, I know I have asked you this question a million times! but your camera is working wonders. your pics rock? Do you enhance them with some software? how do you come up with such pics? please tell me:)
Great photos! I like the use of all of the herbs.
Lydia, I hope you have a chance to visit Hanoi again.
I havent´t tried rice noodle rolls. Is that similar taste with spring rolls?
Hi Anh, I have not tried these Rice noodle rolls before, I’m sure they taste as fantastic as they look!
Anh, how stunning. The marinade sounds absolutely divine! In Vietnamese and Thai restaurants here, we can get something they call “summer rolls” that looks very similar to this – though they usually have shrimp and tofu in them. I wonder if they’re the Westernized, “dumbed-down” version of your rice noodle rolls? I shall have to find the noodles and make these – they look refreshing and utterly
What a beautiful dish and presentation. The dipping sauce looks tasty too.
Gorgeous! I use rice paper sheets for asian style rolls and I am always on the lookout for anoter great recipe…like yours! Thanks!
Oh wow, I have seen rice noodle sheets in the Asian stores here… I will try this, looks sooo delicious!
I have not had the rice noodle rolls but the feeling I can imagine, how wonderful it will be.
Retno, this is much fresher than spring rolls. The taste and texture are very different.
Beautiful!
cant take my eyes off the pic… they r just b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l…
This sounds sensational Anh. I have most of the ingredients on hand so am really keen to try this.
They look so light and yet full of flavor, Anh!
This sounds absolutely delicious! I love fresh Asian herbs…I can almost taste it…mmmm!
Beautiful shots, Anh. So pristine and serene, a perfect table to rest at after a killer day.
I am so glad you post something familiar from your home-country, Anh. We use rice noodles (vermicelli rice noodles) and cellophane (glass noodles) for soup and stir-fry. Lovely taste.
I love the sweet and hot dipping sauce which is also great on rice. And your photos, as always, are so appealing.
East Meets West Kitchen, thanks.
I brought back 2 packets of spring roll wrappers just to make dishes like these. Have bookmarked your recipes.
The photos are beautiful, as is the “picture” of the region you so lovingly paint with words.
These look delicious, Anh! I’ve never had rice noodle rolls before, but I sure would love to try them.
Adored hearing about Vietnam. And this dish is so beautifully elegant!
Never had rice noodles… this sauce looks so tempting!
Hello, I discovered your blog while looking for more info on Vietnamese cooking. I’m Korean and we don’t use half the ingredients the Vietnamese do, and I’m in love! =) Thank you for your informative blog and beautiful pictures. I plan on using your website as a resource for my attempts at cooking.
I have a question. Does this dish keep well overnight?
Suz, thanks!