Pho Cuon in Hanoi: The Rolled Pho of Ngu Xa Street

Phở cuốn takes the ingredients of a beef pho, leaves out the soup and rolls everything into a soft parcel you dip and eat by hand. If you are looking for pho cuon in Hanoi, the name to know is Ngũ Xã, the small street by Trúc Bạch Lake where the dish was born.

What phở cuốn is

A phở cuốn roll has three parts:

• The wrap. A fresh sheet of bánh phở, the same rice noodle used in pho soup, left whole instead of being cut into strands.
• The filling. Thin slices of beef seasoned and stir-fried with garlic, rolled up with lettuce, coriander and other herbs such as basil or dill.
• The dip. A bowl of fish sauce mixed with vinegar, sugar, garlic and chilli. Many shops add slices of pickled green papaya, carrot or cucumber. Each kitchen has its own balance of sweet, sour, salty and hot, and regulars tend to return for a particular mix.

The result is lighter than a bowl of soup: soft noodle, warm garlicky beef, cool fresh herbs and a sharp sauce in each bite.

How it began

Phở cuốn is young by Hanoi standards. It came from Ngũ Xã, a former village beside Trúc Bạch Lake that was once known for bronze casting rather than food.

The Vietnamese press tells its origin in more than one way:

• The change-of-menu account. A VnExpress report from 2004 said the dish had appeared only about two years earlier, started by a pho seller on a corner of Ngũ Xã Street who wanted to offer something different from soup.
• The empty-pot account. A later Việt Nam News feature tells of a vendor who had run out of broth late one night. She wrapped the beef and herbs she had left in uncut noodle sheets and mixed a dipping sauce from what was in her kitchen. Her customers came back for more, and neighbours soon started selling it too.

The accounts disagree on who made it first, but they agree on the street, on the idea of serving pho without broth, and on the dish catching on in the early years of this century. Today a row of shops along Ngũ Xã and the streets around it sell phở cuốn, many alongside fried pho dishes such as phở rán.

How to eat pho cuon in Hanoi

• Use your hands. Pick up a roll, dip it into the sauce, and eat it in a few bites. This is finger food.
• Order several. The rolls are small, so people usually eat a few each, and on summer evenings tables of friends share them over a drink.
• Go in the late afternoon or evening. Shops are busiest at the end of the day and at weekends. Vendors say it sells especially well in summer, when a light, fresh dish suits the heat.
• Try a fried pho too. Many phở cuốn shops also sell fried pho with beef and egg, so you can taste two takes on the same noodle at one table.

Where to try it

Ngũ Xã Street and the streets around it are the natural place to start. In December 2022 the local authorities opened the Đảo Ngọc – Ngũ Xã night food and walking zone there, centred on Ngũ Xã and Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu streets, so the area is set up for eating out in the evening. Traffic arrangements can change, so follow the signs on the day.

You will also find phở cuốn elsewhere in the city, but there is no official list of the best shop, and we do not rank shops we have not reviewed ourselves.

Local tip The shops sit by Trúc Bạch Lake. On a warm evening, a walk along the water before or after your meal is an easy way to make a night of it.

Good to know before you order

• Not vegetarian. The classic filling is beef, and the dip is based on fish sauce. Ask whether a shop offers anything else before you sit down.
• Fish allergy. Fish sauce is in the dip and is often used to season the beef. If you are allergic to fish, phở cuốn is best avoided.
• Raw herbs. The herbs inside the roll are fresh and uncooked. See our guide to eating street food safely in Hanoi if you are cautious about raw greens.
• Spice. Chilli goes into the dip; ask for it on the side if you prefer a milder taste.