Mai

This is another childhood favorite of mine.

I have an extremely vivid memory of the very first time I had this dish at the age of 7 or 8. A family friend picked me up after dance class took me to a little restaurant at the corner of a busy downtown Sài Gòn intersection. The incredible textures and flavors made such a huge impression that I can close my eyes today and see myself there.

If you’re not Vietnamese, you likely only know of phở as the noodle soup dish with either beef or chicken. In fact, phở is also the name of the noodles themselves, called “bánh phở” in Vietnamese. The noodles can be used in a variety of other dishes like this one.

Vietnam and China have a long history of cultural exchange and sharing. The Chinese influence is clear in many dishes- including this with the use of oyster sauce.

Phở áp chảo translates to seared phở noodles. Thick phở noodles are fried until they form a ‘cake’ that is crispy on the outside but nice and soft on the inside, then topped with a delicious mixture of sautéed beef, cải ngồng (i.e. yu choy – choy sum), carrots, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, and cilantro.

This is one of my favorite dishes to make for friends.

INGREDIENTS FOR PHỞ ÁP CHẢO

• Beef tenderloin – Thăn nõn bò: If you want the best result, you cannot go wrong with tenderloin- the most tender (hence the name) cut of beef. However, since the beef should be sliced thinly, you can absolutely choose a more affordable cut. I advice against the toughest and fattiest cuts.
• Cải ngồng / yu choy / choy sum: A leafy green commonly found in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. When cooked, this green has a light and sweet taste.
• Carrots – Cà rốt
• White onion – Hành tây trắng
• Tomatoes – Cà chua
• Shiitake mushrooms – Nấm đông cô/nấm hương: These incredibly fragrant mushrooms are a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. Commonly paired with wood-ear mushrooms, this dynamic duo is in more Vietnamese dishes than I can count. For recipes with shiitake mushrooms, click HERE.
• Garlic – Tỏi
• Green onion – Hành lá
• Cilantro – Ngò rí/rau mùi
• Phở noodles – Bánh phở: This dish works best with flat Northern-style phở noodles rather than the thinner Southern-style type. I recommend looking for brands that are made in Vietnam. Pad Thai noodles are too thick and may end up being chewy.
• Oyster sauce – Dầu hào/hàu: a thick dark brown condiment made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt and water. It is sweet, savory, umami and can add a lot of depth to a dish. It is commonly used in Chinese, Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, and Khmer cuisine. Click here for more recipes with oyster sauce.
• Bouillon – Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
• Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• Ground black pepper – Tiêu đen xay
• Cornstarch – Tinh bột ngô: used to thicken the sauce
• Vegetable oil – Dầu thực vật

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PHỞ ÁP CHẢO

1. Thinly slice beef tenderloin into bite-size pieces.
2. Add the sliced beef to a bowl along with all the ingredients in the Beef marinade section, mix well to combine, and let marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Rehydrate shiitake mushrooms with boiling water. If using large mushrooms, cut in half.
4. Peel and slice carrots diagonally into 1/2 cm slices.
5. Wash, trim off root end, then cut cải ngồng/yu choy/choy sum and green onions into 3-4 cm lengths.
6. Cut tomatoes into thin wedges: 4-8 wedges per tomato depending on the size.
7. Peel, cut off root end, and thinly slice white onion.
8. Mince garlic.
9. Roughly chop cilantro.
10. Cook the pho noodles according to package instructions in a large pot of water (about 5-6 minutes). Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to prevent noodles from sticking. Let sit in a strainer for excess water to off.
11. Divide the cooked noodles into even portions.
12. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium. Add one portion of the phở noodles, arranging them in an even circular layer.
13. Fry until the bottom has formed a crispy golden layer that holds the noodles together. Flip and cook the other side. You may need to add oil to ensure the other side gets golden.
14. Remove from the pan to a large plate and place into warming drawer or your oven on the lowest temperature setting to keep warm while you work on the rest of the phở portions.
    If you are making one serving, start working on sautéeing the toppings as the second side is cooking.
    If you are making several, start the sautéeing as the second side of the last portion is cooking.
15. Heat some vegetable oil in another pan on medium. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
16. Add the beef and sauté until no longer pink. This will be very quick- about 30 seconds. Do not overcook. Remove beef to a bowl and set aside.
17. Add some more oil to the pan, along with the carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
18. Add tomatoes, white onion, and shiitake mushrooms. Sauté until onion is almost translucent.
19. Mix together cornstarch and water. Add this, along with the oyster sauce, bouillon powder, and fish sauce called for in the u0022Seasoning for veggiesu0022 section to the pan.
20. Add cải ngồng/yu choy/choy sum and green onions. Sauté until greens are wilted.
21. Add the beef back to the pan, sauté for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, add in cilantro, and stir to combine.
22. When the noodles are ready, add them to a plate and pour the beef-veggies mixture on top.

RECIPE VIDEO

Phở áp chảo • Crispy Fried Phở

Course: MainCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Medium

Makes

2

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Crispy fried rice noodles topped with a flavorful mixture of sautéed tender beef and vegetables. This dish satisfies those fried food cravings but is balanced and filled with veggies.

Ingredients

• 200 g 200 beef tenderloin

• 130 g 130 cải ngồng/yu choy/choy sum (alternative: bok choy)

• 80 g 80 carrots

• 80 g 80 white onion

• 120 g 120 tomatoes

• 20 g 20 dried shiitake mushrooms

• 3 cloves 3 garlic

• 4 stalks 4 green onion

• 20 stalks 20 cilantro

• 180 g 180 dry phở noodles (see Notes)

• Vegetable oil

• Beef marinade

• 2 tbsp 2 oyster sauce

• 1 tsp 1 bouillon

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 ground black pepper

• 1/2 tbsp 1/2 fish sauce

• Seasoning for veggies & sauce

• 4 tbsp 4 oyster sauce

• 1 tsp 1 bouillon

• 1 tsp 1 fish sauce (or to taste)

• 1 tbsp 1 cornstarch

• 100 ml 100 water

Directions

• Thinly slice beef tenderloin into bite-size pieces.
• Add the sliced beef to a bowl along with all the ingredients in the Beef marinade section, mix well to combine, and let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Rehydrate shiitake mushrooms with boiling water. If using large mushrooms, cut in half.
• Peel and slice carrots diagonally into 1/2 cm slices.
• Wash, trim off root end, then cut cải ngồng/yu choy/choy sum and green onions into 3-4 cm lengths.
• Cut tomatoes into thin wedges: 4-8 wedges per tomato depending on the size.
• Peel, cut off root end, and thinly slice white onion.
• Mince garlic.
• Roughly chop cilantro.
• Cook the phở noodles according to package instructions in a large pot of water (about 5-6 minutes). Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to prevent noodles from sticking. Let sit in a strainer for excess water to drain off.
• Divide the cooked noodles into even portions.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium. Add one portion of the phở noodles, arranging them in an even circular layer.
• Fry until the bottom has formed a crispy golden layer that holds the noodles together. Flip and cook the other side. You may need to add oil to ensure the other side gets golden.
• Remove from the pan to a large plate and place into warming drawer or your oven on the lowest temperature setting to keep warm while you work on the rest of the phở portions.
  If you are making one serving, start working on sautéeing the toppings as the second side is cooking.
  If you are making several, start the sautéeing as the second side of the last portion is cooking.
• Heat some vegetable oil in another pan on medium. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
• Add the beef and sauté until no longer pink. This will be very quick- about 30 seconds. Do not overcook. Remove beef to a bowl and set aside.
• Add some more oil to the pan, along with the carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, white onion, and shiitake mushrooms. Sauté until onion is almost translucent.
• Mix together cornstarch and water. Add this, along with the oyster sauce, bouillon powder, and fish sauce called for in the “Seasoning for veggies” section to the pan.
• Add cải ngồng/yu choy/choy sum and green onions. Sauté until greens are wilted.
• Add the beef back to the pan, sauté for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, add in cilantro, and stir to combine.
• When the noodles are ready, add them to a plate and pour the beef-veggies mixture on top.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Phở noodles: this dish works best with flat Northern-style phở noodles rather than the thinner Southern-style type.

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