Name: Bánh hỏi heo quay — Vietnamese woven rice noodles with roast pork
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 150 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 600 g skin-on pork belly, one even slab no thicker than about 4 cm; pat very dry; 3 g fine salt, for the meat side; 1 g ground black pepper; 1 g Chinese five-spice powder; 5 ml rice vinegar, for brushing the skin; 250 g coarse salt, for the temporary crust; discard after roasting; 240 g dried bánh hỏi rice-vermicelli sheets, prepared to package directions; 30 ml neutral cooking oil; 40 g scallions, finely sliced; 1 g fine salt; 120 g soft lettuce leaves, washed, dried and separated; 200 g cucumber, cut into sticks; 50 g fresh herbs such as mint, perilla and Thai basil, washed and dried; 70 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks; 70 g daikon radish, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks; 30 ml unseasoned rice vinegar, for pickles; 10 g granulated sugar, for pickles; 1 g fine salt, for pickles; 20 g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed; 10 g crispy fried shallots; 90 ml warm water; 45 ml fish sauce; 30 ml fresh lime juice, strained; 25 g granulated sugar; 6 g garlic, finely minced; 2 g fresh red bird’s-eye chile, finely sliced; remove seeds for less heat

Wide wooden tabletop with the bánh hỏi and roast pork platter on the right; small bowls of dipping sauce, pickles, cucumber, peanuts and fried shallots sit nearby. — A wide table setting for bánh hỏi heo quay, with open space to the left.

Yield 4 portions

Cook 90 minutes

Passive 40 minutes for skin drying and resting

Total 150 minutes

Calories per serving about 1,100 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bánh hỏi heo quay — Vietnamese woven rice noodles with roast pork

Bánh hỏi is fine rice vermicelli pressed into delicate woven sheets. It is served in many parts of Vietnam with different meats and local accompaniments. This Sài Gòn-listed version pairs it with heo quay, or roast pork, scallion oil, fresh herbs, crisp vegetables and nước chấm. The pork's crackling richness is balanced by cool greens, bright lime and lightly pickled carrot and daikon.

The exact toppings vary by cook and region. Southern servings commonly use scallion oil, while central-region bánh hỏi may be finished with garlic chives. This recipe follows the former style without presenting it as the only way to serve the dish. Dry pork skin and a two-stage roast help the crackling blister; a thermometer, rather than color or time alone, confirms the pork is safely cooked.

Practical

Tips for successPat the skin dry and score only through the skin. Keep the uncovered pork in the refrigerator while it dries. Use a rack so heat can circulate and fat can drip away. Remove the coarse salt carefully before the high-heat finish. Follow the bánh hỏi package directions; dried brands differ. The sheets should be tender and warm but still hold together. Keep herbs and pickles drained and the dipping sauce on the side so the noodles do not become soggy.

Ingredients

Roast pork

600 g skin-on pork belly, one even slab no thicker than about 4 cm; pat very dry
3 g fine salt, for the meat side
1 g ground black pepper
1 g Chinese five-spice powder
5 ml rice vinegar, for brushing the skin
250 g coarse salt, for the temporary crust; discard after roasting

Bánh hỏi and scallion oil

240 g dried bánh hỏi rice-vermicelli sheets, prepared to package directions
30 ml neutral cooking oil
40 g scallions, finely sliced
1 g fine salt

Fresh accompaniments and pickles

120 g soft lettuce leaves, washed, dried and separated
200 g cucumber, cut into sticks
50 g fresh herbs such as mint, perilla and Thai basil, washed and dried
70 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
70 g daikon radish, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
30 ml unseasoned rice vinegar, for pickles
10 g granulated sugar, for pickles
1 g fine salt, for pickles
20 g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed
10 g crispy fried shallots

Nước chấm

90 ml warm water
45 ml fish sauce
30 ml fresh lime juice, strained
25 g granulated sugar
6 g garlic, finely minced
2 g fresh red bird’s-eye chile, finely sliced; remove seeds for less heat

Method

Pat the pork skin completely dry. Score shallow parallel lines through the skin without cutting into the meat. Rub the meat side with 3 g salt, pepper and five-spice. Brush the skin lightly with rice vinegar, set the pork skin-side up on a rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Wrap the sides and meat side in foil, leaving the skin exposed. Cover the skin evenly with coarse salt. Roast on the rack for about 60 minutes, until the meat is nearly tender.
Carefully lift away and discard the salt crust and foil. Raise the oven to 220°C / 425°F and roast for 20–30 minutes, until the skin is golden and blistered. Insert a clean instant-read thermometer from the side into the thickest meat without touching the tray; it must reach at least 63°C / 145°F. If needed, continue roasting and recheck. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
While the pork roasts, toss the carrot and daikon with the rice vinegar, 10 g sugar and 1 g salt. Leave for at least 15 minutes, then drain lightly. Whisk the warm water, fish sauce, lime juice, 25 g sugar, garlic and chile until dissolved. Cover and chill the sauce if serving later.
Heat the neutral oil until hot but not smoking. Put the scallions and 1 g salt in a heatproof bowl; carefully pour the oil over them and stir. Prepare the dried bánh hỏi exactly as its package directs. If the package calls for steaming, steam until tender and warm, then separate into manageable sheets or bundles.
Spoon scallion oil over the warm bánh hỏi. Slice the rested pork into bite-size pieces with a clean knife, keeping the crackling attached where possible. Arrange the noodles and pork on a platter with lettuce, cucumber, herbs and drained pickles. Finish with peanuts and fried shallots. Serve with the nước chấm for dipping or wrapping in lettuce.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in covered containers at or below 4°C / 40°F. Store pork, noodles, herbs and sauce separately for best texture; use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftover pork to 74°C / 165°F.

Practical

Practical guidance

Set the platter in the centre of the table and let everyone build a bite with a lettuce leaf, bánh hỏi, pork, herbs and a little pickle, then dip it in nước chấm. If dried bánh hỏi is unavailable, ordinary rice vermicelli can be served, though it will not have the same fine woven texture. Keep the sauce separate until eating. For make-ahead cooking, dry and roast the pork, prepare the sauce and pickle the vegetables in advance; refrigerate them promptly. Steam the noodles and make the scallion oil close to serving time. Refrigerate cooked pork within 2 hours and keep it at or below 4°C / 40°F.

Troubleshooting

The crackling stays soft: The skin may have been damp or the oven was not fully hot for the second stage. Dry it well before roasting and use the high-heat finish. The pork is not at temperature when the skin is crisp: Lower the oven to 200°C / 400°F, loosely protect the skin with foil if needed, and continue until the thickest meat reaches 63°C / 145°F; then rest at least 3 minutes. The bánh hỏi clumps or tears: It may be over-soaked or handled while too hot. Follow the packet timing and separate gently after steaming. The dipping sauce tastes too salty: Add a little water or lime from the listed ingredients and taste again; fish sauce brands vary in saltiness.

Frequently asked questions

What is bánh hỏi? It is very fine rice vermicelli pressed into delicate woven sheets or bundles. Dried versions are sold in some Asian grocery shops; prepare the brand you buy according to its packet. Can I use regular rice vermicelli? Yes, as a practical fallback. Loose bún noodles are thicker and will not have bánh hỏi’s delicate woven texture. Can I prepare the components ahead? Yes. Roast the pork and make the pickles and dipping sauce ahead, then chill them separately. Steam the noodles and prepare scallion oil shortly before serving.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving size1 of 4 portions
Calories1,100 kcal
Carbohydrate66 g
Protein21 g
Fat82 g
Fibre4 g
Sodium1,150 mg

Allergens and food safety

Fish sauce contains fish and peanuts are an allergen. Check packaged bánh hỏi, fried shallots and fish sauce for wheat, soy, sesame and cross-contact information. Keep raw pork and its juices away from ready-to-eat vegetables and use clean utensils after handling it. Measure the thickest meat from the side with a thermometer; whole pork must reach at least 63°C / 145°F and rest for at least 3 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C / 40°F and reheat pork to 74°C / 165°F.

To finish

Add extra lettuce and herbs to the platter so the rich pork has a fresh contrast.
Keep the nước chấm, peanuts and fried shallots separate until the meal is served.

Bánh hỏi heo quay — Vietnamese woven rice noodles with roast pork

Practical

Ingredients

Roast pork

Bánh hỏi and scallion oil

Fresh accompaniments and pickles

Nước chấm

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Xôi vùng cao — Lào Cai-inspired five-colour sticky rice

Bún cá Hải Phòng — Hai Phong fish noodle soup

Bánh canh cá lóc Huế — Huế snakehead fish noodle soup