Bún Bò Nam Bộ: Recipe of Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Bún Bò Nam Bộ or Bún Bò Xào (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad) is also known as Stir-fried Beef Vermicelli Souhtern Style with ingredients including fried or grilled beef served with vermicelli, roasted peanuts, cucumber, raw vegetables, bean sprouts mixed with sweet and sour fish sauce. Regarding the origin, Southern beef noodle soup is controversial, but according to widely known information, this dish comes from Hanoi Vietnam.

Overview of Bún Bò Nam Bộ (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad):

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad is also known by Bún Bò Xào or Phở Xào in the North or Bún Bò Nam Bộ in the South. A bowl of this tasty noodle salad is usually substantial enough to be a full meal by itself. I think this dish says quite a lot about Vietnamese cuisine which values a fresh, pure and clean taste.

If you visit Hanoi Capital or other cities in Northern Vietnam, it is quite easy to find a street food shop selling this dish. Bun Bo Xao and Bun Cha (Vietnamese grilled pork meatballs with noodles - Worldwide famous by former US President Barrack Obama) are two popular noodle street food dishes in the North.

It is super easy to replicate this noodle salad at home. Stir-fried beef and colorful vegetables and herbs are placed on a bed of soft vermicelli noodles. To make it even more delicious, we sprinkle it with crunchy fried shallots and roasted peanuts.

We then drizzle Vietnamese signature fish sauce dressing over the salad and give it a good mix before eating. Simple as it may sound, it is a feast to the eyes and stomach.

Ingredients and Recipe of How to Cook Bún Bò Nam Bộ:

1. Ingredients Preparation:

• 14 ozs Beef rump
• 2 stalks Lemongrass
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 onions
• 4 Tbsps soy sauce
• 5 Tbsps Fish sauce
• 2 Tbsps Lime juice
• 3 Tbsps honey
• ½ tsp peppers
• 2 Tbsps whole spelt flour
• 4 Tbsps sesame oil
• 4 scallions
• 2 carrots
• ½ Cucumber
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 2 handfuls fresh soybean sprout
• 4 cilantro
• 2 Tbsps roasted Shelled peanut (without salt)
• 14 ozs Wide rice noodle
• 2 Tbsps Rice vinegar
• salt
• Chili sauce (optional)

2. How to Cook?

• Rinse meat, pat dry and cut into very thin slices. Clean and wash lemongrass, remove outer hard leaves, cut the inside into fine rings. Peel garlic and onions. Finely dice garlic and cut 1 onion into wedges.
• For the marinade: mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey, pepper, lemongrass, and garlic. Add the meat and onion slices to the marinade and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop remaining onion and roll in flour. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan, add onion and fry over high heat for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove fried onions from pan, drain on a kitchen towel and set aside.
• Clean and wash spring onions, carrots and cucumber; cut spring onions into rings, carrots and cucumber into fine sticks. Wash lettuce leaves, spin dry and cut into fine strips. Wash bean sprouts and drain in a sieve. Wash cilantro, shake dry and pluck leaves. Chop the peanuts.
• Let rice ribbon noodles swell in hot water according to package instructions or cook briefly. In parallel, for the sauce, mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons water. Heat remaining oil in a pan, add meat with marinade and fry over high heat for about 5 minutes.
• Put rice ribbon noodles into 4 bowls, arrange each with spring onions, carrots, cucumber, lettuce leaves, bean sprouts and meat. Drizzle with sauce and top with fried onions, peanuts as well as cilantro leaves. If desired, serve chili sauce with the Bun Bo Nam Bo.

Best Places to Try Bún Bò Nam Bộ in Hanoi Old French Quarter:

- Bách Phương - Bún Bò Nam Bộ:

• Address: 73-75 Hàng Điếu, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi Old Quarter
• Opening Hours: Open 7:30 AM ⋅ Closes 10:30 PM
• Phone: 091 152 91 66

- Bún bò cô Nam Saigon:

• Address: 56 Hàng Điếu, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi Old Quarter
• Opening Hours: 7:15 AM–10 PM
• Phone: 0767 418 989

- The Corner Food : Bún Bò Nam Bộ - Phở Bò Sốt Vang:

• Address: 1 Báo Khánh, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000
• Opening Hours: 11:00 AM –10:30 PM
• Phone: 094 149 99 39

- Bun Bo Nam Bo:

• Address: 1 Nguyễn Văn Tố, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi Old Quarter

- Bún bò Nam Bộ:

• Address: 47 Trần Quốc Toản, Trần Hưng Đạo, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi French Quarter
• Opening Hours: 07:00 AM – 09:00 PM

Best Places to Try Bún Bò Nam Bộ in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City:

- Bún Bò Nam Bộ – Nguyen Trong Loi:

• Address: 45 Nguyen Trong Loi, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, HCMC
• Opening hours: 10:00 - 22:00
• Reference price: 35,000 VND – 45,000 VND

- Ha Thanh Quan:

• Address: 760 Pham Van Bach, Ward 12, Go Vap District, HCMC
• Opening hours: 07:00 – 21:30
• Reference price: 5,000 VND – 55,000 VND

- Viet Street

• Address: 3rd Floor, Lotte Mart South Saigon, 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, Tan Hung Ward, District 7, HCMC
• Opening hours: 09:00 – 22:00
• Reference price: 20,000 VND – 100,000 VND

- Bun Cha Hanoi U Kim:

• Address: A49 Bach Dang, Ward 2, Tan Binh District, HCMC
• Opening hours: 09:00 - 14:30
• Reference price: 5,000 VND - 45,000 VND

- Cô Quyên:

• Address: 269 Ba Hom, Ward 13, District 6, HCMC
• Opening hours: 07:00 – 13:30 | 16:30 – 22:00
• Reference price: 25,000 VND – 40,000 VND

- Cha's House:

• Address: 362/43 Phan Huy Ich, Ward 12, Go Vap District, HCMC
• Opening hours: 09:00 – 21:00
• Reference price: 15,000 VND – 30,000 VND

- Ngoạm Kitchen:

• Address: 200/21 Le Thanh Ton, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
• Opening hours: 10:30 – 20:00
• Reference price: 30,000 VND – 150,000 VND

Adventure Journey

See Also:

• Best Vietnamese Food Not to Be Missed in Vietnam
• Best Local Street Food in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Best Local Street Food You Should Try in Hanoi City
• Best Local Street Food Not to Be Missed in Hue City
• Best Local Street Dishes Not to Be Missed in Hoi An