Hu Tieu Nam Vang (Phnom Penh Noodle Soup)

This is a recipe that's been long over due. Ever since my book came out a year ago, I've been remiss that I couldn't fit in a recipe for the southern Vietnamese favorite, hu tieu Nam Vang noodle soup. It's a Cambodian-Chinese concoction that the Vietnamese 'borrowed' and then made their own. Nam Vang is the Viet word for Phnom Penh, and the southern part of Vietnam has deep Khmer roots. When you're in Saigon or elsewhere in the Mekong Delta region, there's bound to be hu tieu noodle soup.

Compared to pho from the North, or bun bo Hue from the central region, hu tieu can be downright confusing because there are many versions of it. At its core, hu tieu (pronounced "hoo tee-u") signals a Chinese-Southeast Asian style noodle soup made with a pork bone broth and no fish sauce. But that's where simplicity ends. The noodles in a bowl of hu tieu can be chewy clear tapioca noodles, opaque white rice noodles like you'd use for pho noodle soup, or thin Chinese egg noodles (mi). The toppings cover a wide territory, and may include boneless pork, pork ribs, pork offal, shrimp, squid, wonton dumplings, fried garlic, fried shallot, and/or scallion. As usual, you pick and choose whatever you want. Hu tieu is the extreme have-it-your-way Vietnamese food experience. I've seen a 'dry' version too but have never tried it.

Given all the variations, locking down a classic approach to hu tieu is difficult. There isn't one prevailing concept. Yep, Vietnamese cooking can be downright confusing. In fact, check this extensive Noodlepie blog posting on hu tieu noodle soup. If you read Vietnamese, peruse this hu tieu My Tho page on the Thanh Nien website. Note that they call out three versions of hu tieu -- hu tieu Nam Vang, hu tieu Tau (Chinese hu tieu) and hu tieu My Tho (from My Tho, the capital of Tien Giang province in the Mekong Delta that's famous for their rendition).

For me, the definitive bowl of hu tieu noodle soup is hu tieu Nam Vang. The Phnom Penh version that I was introduced to as a kid by our family friend Uncle Su, a wonderful Chinese-Vietnamese cook, has a deep, umami-filled broth made of pork bones, dried squid and dried shrimp. There's a touch of golden rock sugar to give it sweetness and to round out the flavors. The toppings are similarly a surf-and-turf combination of cooked pork, sliced pork liver, poached shrimp, sautéed ground pork, fried garlic and caramelized shallot. But wait, there's more! The essential garnishes are important here. Delectable hu tieu needs lots of pungent Chinese celery and Chinese chives (flat chives that have a slight garlicky bite); lettuce is also a common garnish but not my favorite for this noodle soup because there's enough to distract already and it doesn't add much.

However, I'm a freak for the Chinese celery (can Tau), which pops its intense raw flavor in the soup. (Chinese celery looks like gigantic Italian parsley but tastes like strong celery.) When it's not readily available or not looking good at the Asian market, I substitute leafy celery tops, which is much stronger tasting than the fat ribs below. Most grocery stores have already trimmed that 'unwanted' portion of the celery plant, so hunt down a nice deep green bunch of celery at the farmers' market. Celery tops can be tough so you may have to halve them lengthwise. In the bowl above, I used celery tops.

I also love using the chewy tapioca noodles for hu tieu. They're fat, chewy, and fun to slurp on. To find them, you'll have to head to a Vietnamese grocery store and look for packages of "Hu Tieu Dai" (chewy hu tieu noodles); despite what the label says, there's no rice in the noodles, but rather tapioca. These noodles are not commonly stocked at Chinese markets. On the other hand, a medium-width flat rice noodle that's like a fettucine or what you'd use for pad Thai works just fine.

There are many steps here so take your time and know that one batch feeds many people. If you're hoarding it all to yourself, you can dole the bowls out over the course of 4 or 5 days. Just refrigerate the broth and toppings. Of course, you may also freeze the broth and meat toppings too.

For the squid and shrimp, head to a Chinese or Vietnamese market and check the refrigerated section for the dried shrimp. Dried squid, sold whole in plastic packages, is often near the dried mushroom, snacks, or dried shrimp.

Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang
Phnom Penh Noodle Soup with Pork, Shrimp, Garlic and Shallot

Makes 8 bowls

Broth:
6 pounds pork bones (neck, spine, or leg), in 2-inch pieces
5 quarts water
3 medium dried squid (2 ounces total), quickly rinsed
1/3 cup dried shrimp
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1-inch chunk golden rock sugar (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/4 pounds pork loin, skin-on leg, or boneless shoulder, 2 by 4-inch pieces

Bowls:
¾ to 1 pound pork liver
1/3 cup Crispy Caramelized Shallot (reserve the cooking oil for cooking the garlic)
Canola or other neutral oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
½ pound ground pork, roughly chopped to loosen
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for garnish
Cooked pork from the broth simmering
1 ½ to 2 pounds dried tapioca stick noodles or dried fettucine-size flat rice noodles (bánh pho), cooked in boiling water until al dente (5 to 7 minutes for the tapioca; 3 to 4 minutes for the rice noodles), drained, and flushed with cold water (keep tapioca stick noodles in a bowl of water to prevent sticking)
16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

Garnishes:
½ small bunch Chinese chives, cut into 1 ½-inch-long pieces (1 cup total)
1 small bunch Chinese celery, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch-long pieces (2 cups total)
2 cups bean sprouts (about 1/3 pound), picked over, washed, and drained well
2 or 3 hot Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced
2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges

Make the broth
1. In a stockpot (about 12-quart capacity) over high heat, bring the bones and water to a boil. Use a large spoon or ladle to skim any scum that rises to the top. Add the remaining ingredients. Once the broth returns to a boil, lower the heat to simmer for 1 hour.

At this point, the boneless pork meat should be slightly chewy but not tough. Press it and it should feel like the flesh at the base of your thumb. When it's cooked to your liking, use tongs to transfer it to a bowl of cold water. Let the meat soak for 10 minutes to prevent it from drying up and turning dark. Drain the meat and let it cool before refrigerating. Throughout this time, the broth should have continued to simmer. In total, the broth should simmer for 2 hours before it's done.

2. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer (or a coarse mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth) positioned over a large saucepan.

3. Use a ladle to skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you like. (Cool it and then refrigerate overnight to make this task easier; reheat before continuing.) Taste and adjust the flavor with additional salt and rock sugar. The broth should taste slightly too strong because the noodles and other ingredients are not salted. (Dilute with water if you've gone too far.) There should be about 4 quarts.

Prepare the toppings
4. While the broth simmers, poach the liver. Fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the liver and lower the heat to gently simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the liver feels firm, like the flesh at the base of your thumb. Remove from the water and put in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to prevent it from drying up and turning dark. Drain the liver and store with the cooked beef.

5. Prepare the Crispy Caramelized Shallots if you haven't already, reserving the cooking oil in the skillet. Add extra oil so that there's about 3 tablespoons total. Heat over medium-low heat and add the garlic. Gently sauté, stirring frequently, until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a ramekin or small bowl. Set aside to cool.

6. There should be a good 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. If not, add a little extra. Heat over medium heat and add the pork, salt and pepper, stirring to break the pork up into small pieces. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. Transfer to a ramekin or small bowl. Set aside to cool. All of these toppings may be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before assembling the bowls.

Assemble the bowls
7. Cut the pork and liver into thin slices, about 1/16 thick. For the best results, make sure they are cold. Have ready the shallot, garlic, ground pork, noodles, and shrimp for assembling the bowls. Arrange the garnishes on a plate or put them in small dishes and put on the table.

8. To ensure good timing, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat while you are assembling the bowls. Add the shrimp and poach them for about 2 minutes, or until they have curled and turned orange. Remove from the broth and set aside.

9. At the same time, fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. For each bowl, place a portion of the noodles on a vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water. As soon as they have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10 to 20 seconds), pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl.

10. Top each bowl with sliced pork, liver and 2 shrimp. In the center add some cooked ground pork, fried garlic, and crispy caramelized shallot. Finish with a sprinkling of black pepper.

11. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a rolling boil. Do a final tasting and make any last-minute flavor adjustments. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients. Serve immediately with the garnishes.

Comments

[Nate]

Before I attempt this at home, I need a reference flavor. Do you have a recommendation for a good place to find Hu Tieu Nam Vang in San Jose?

[Andrea Nguyen]

I had a decent bowl of Hu Tieu at Pho Tau Bay in San Jose. It's (gulp) opened 24/7:

Pho Tau Bay
454 Keyes St, San Jose
(408) 999-0345

Across the street is a great little market called Thien Thanh where you can get the ingredients!

[HolyBasil]

I am a big fan of this dish. I love the addition of chinese celery as well - so aromatic.

A tip that a family friend shared with us is to cook the ground pork in fresh young coconut juice (not coconut milk) - the meat clumps less this way and and there's slightly less fat. It also adds a nice, subtle flavor.

[Andrea Nguyen]

Chinese celery is normally way toooooo harsh to eat raw. But in this soup, it gets slightly cooked and still retains its bite, which complements all the other flavors oh so well.

That's a great tip for the ground pork. Probably tastes great.

[T Alexander]

This dish inspires me to check a Cambodian restaurant nearby my place ;-). Thank you for posting this recipe. Do you have any preference for dried shrimp (from Taiwan, Thailand, or Indonesia)?

[Kevin]

The link to noodlepie isn't working for me...
You've inspired me to do some shopping and dive into some soups. One of my favorite things to eat, no question.

[Jaden]

I also love Hu Tieu - but given the choice between Pho and Hu Tieu, Pho always wins in my book.

I have a question for you - trying to figure out the name of a particular vegetable. It's a super curly thin stalk. Curly like tangled ringlets. Crunchy when raw. No leaves. I haven't tried cooking with it yet. I seem to recall eating this veg before in noodle soup. Any ideas? I have a pic I could email to you.

[Andrea Nguyen]

Nate, another place to try hu tieu nam vang in San Jose is to go the food court tucked in the back of the Lion Shopping center at the corner of King and Tully. The food court is very Vietnamese and is next to the Anh Hong Bo 7 Mon restaurant. Hu tieu is served from the stall on the left as you enter.

[Andrea Nguyen]

As for dried shrimp, I pick by looking at the shrimp -- I like them orange but not bright bright orange, which somehow makes me suspicious. I normally buy the medium size ones and choose mid to high price. And if there's any sign of mold, totally avoid the package!

[Andrea Nguyen]

Kevin, I just fixed the Noodlepie link. Thanks.

Jaden, I'm a pho gal too but it was a real pleasure to have good hu tieu. As for the vegetable you found, my guess is that it's pre-shredded curled water spinach stems. Looks like lime green curly/kinky hair right? But do email me the photo at:

andrea @ vietworlkitchen.com

[Nate]

Andrea,

There is a Pho Tau Bay in the new strip mall down on King Rd at Aborn Rd. I guess it is the same owner? I stopped by once but wasn't impressed. Maybe we had the wrong dishes?

I've been to that food court in Lion Plaza. Maybe next time we're there we'll try it out.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Andrea Nguyen]

Nate,

When you're dissatisfied, that's when you head to your kitchen -- to do right by your palate. Admittedly, that Pho Tau Bay didn't do much for me either. The hu tieu was alright. But I have a feeling about that little food court. It's not fancy but kind of fun. If you don't like the hu tieu, you can get something else! ;-)

That's a nice and thorough food blog that you and Annie have at:

http://chezannies.blogspot.com/

[Binh]

Very, very nice recipe. Thank you Andrea. The Hu Tieu Nam Vang I remembered from Saigon is also served with pickled chopped garlic. Just be careful to make it fresh and consume it right away -- sometimes it can turn a nasty green over night, I find.

[Andrea Nguyen]

Glad the recipe is up to snuff, Binh. Is the pickled chopped garlic you're talking about cu kieu?

[Binh]

No, not cu kieu. They always had this jar of chopped garlic in vinegar/sugar mixture. I think it soften the edge of the raw garlic.

[Andrea Nguyen]

Oh, I'll have to try that out, Binh. Thanks!

I am living far away in Hampshire England but your Recipes are Great Please continue giving us the wonderful cuisine of Viet Nam.

Sincerly M Podro Mr

[Tung]

There is a Hu Tieu Nam Vang restaurant (this is the restaurant name)in San Jose, off of Tully Road, on Alvin. This restaurant is located behind Chuck E. Cheese, right off highway 101. It is always busy, and their hu Tieu is sooo delicious.

[Sandy]

i'll let you guys at san jose in on a little secret. it's called Dalat Restaurant. their restaurant is located on william street downtown near the tung kee noodle. check out their yelp page:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dalat-restaurant-san-jose

their house hu tieu is the way to go. they have both the dry and wet version. and you dont foresake the delicious broth in the dry dish- they give it to you in a side bowl. their broth is the tastiest ive ever eaten. ive eaten here for the past 10 years and its always been top notch. the atmosphere is also very welcoming. you'll see people from all sorts of backgrounds and ethnicities dining alongside one another in this tiny restaurant. there are usually some police officers in uniform dining there as well.

the version on the page is very much like theirs- sans the liver. im super excited to try out this recipe, because its the only version ive come across that is similar to dalat's. and Hu Tieu Nam Vang isn't unique to dalat, i came across the best Hu Tieu Nam Vang in chinatown in paris. but then again, ive never been to vietnam.

i think Pho Tau Bay is a chain- i came across one in minneapolis. i would never go there in san jose considering the city is a mecca for pho restaurants. its suitable for other cities where pho isn't so readily available, though.

the latinos have taco trucks- i think the vietnamese should jump on the bangwagon and get pho trucks. then i could get my fix w/o traveling for forty-five minutes.

[Sandy]

oh, expect to pay around $10/bowl of hu tieu here- this isn't pho.

[Andrea Nguyen]

Thanks Tung and Sandy for the recommendations. I wondered what's behind that Chuck E. Cheese...!

[Joel]

Thanks for the recipe Andrea! (Yes, I know discovering only now is a bit late). I had been to some Vietnamese noodle joints in Auckland that were run by Chinese-Cambodian migrants, and their hu tieu is something to die for. I have heard claims they have to use real pork bones and can't take shortcuts by using MSGs, as opposed to, gasp, the stock for pho.

I remember reading about a Cambodian noodle soup with thin rice sticks and pork pieces (k'tieu) that is virtually their national dish, and is it the same as hu tieu?

In Wendy Hutton's Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass that has the recipe of the Cambodian noodle soup. The only importance difference from your recipe is the addition of shredded Chinese salted cabbage during seasoning, that brings in aromas of the pickled cabbage into the stock when served.