Vietnamese National Dishes

Phở bò Hà Nội: Hanoi-Style Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup

A clear, aromatic beef broth poured over flat rice noodles and tender slices of fully cooked brisket, with a restrained finish of onion, scallion, cilantro and lime.

Vietnamese National Dishes
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Wide view of a Hanoi-style beef phở bowl with clear broth, flat rice noodles, cooked brisket, herbs and lime on a wooden table.
A steaming bowl of northern Vietnamese beef phở, served with lime on the side.
Yield 4 bowls
Cook time 3 hours 20 minutes
Passive time 15 minutes
Total time 4 hours 10 minutes
Calories About 500 kcal per bowl
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Phở bò Hà Nội: Hanoi-Style Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup

Phở bò Hà Nội is a northern Vietnamese beef noodle soup built around broth, flat rice noodles and beef. Hanoi bowls are often described as clear and delicately seasoned, while toppings and table condiments differ from one shop and household to another. This home version uses a long-simmered beef-bone broth, charred onion and ginger, a small sachet of warm spices, fully cooked brisket and a modest garnish of sliced onion, scallion and cilantro.

The bones are blanched and rinsed before simmering to help keep the broth clean-tasting. The onion and ginger are charred for a light smoky sweetness, while the spices are added only for the last hour so their aroma stays balanced. Brisket cooks in the broth and is removed as soon as a thermometer confirms it has reached a safe temperature; it rests before slicing so the bowls can be assembled neatly.

Hanoi phở is not a single fixed formula. Some cooks offer chili sauce, garlic vinegar, fried breadsticks or other accompaniments, and the seasoning can vary. Here, garlic vinegar and chili are optional at the table. Bean sprouts and Thai basil are not required for this restrained northern-style bowl.

Practical

Practical

  • Keys to successBlanch and rinse the bones, then keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. Char the onion and ginger until blistered and fragrant, not reduced to ash. Toast the spices briefly and simmer them in a sachet only during the broth's final hour. Check the thickest centre of the brisket with an instant-read thermometer; cook to 63°C and rest for at least 3 minutes. Cook rice noodles to the package's timing so they remain tender but distinct. Assemble each bowl just before eating, then ladle in steaming broth.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Beef broth

  • 1,000 g beef soup bones (knuckle and marrow bones)
  • 500 g boneless lean beef brisket, trimmed of visible external fat
  • 300 g yellow onions (2 medium), halved
  • 80 g fresh ginger, split lengthwise
  • 3.2 L water for the broth, plus water for blanching and topping up
  • 3 whole star anise pods (about 3 g)
  • 1 small cinnamon stick (about 5 g)
  • 3 whole cloves (about 0.5 g)
  • 1 black cardamom pod (about 4 g), lightly crushed
  • 6 g fine salt
  • 30 ml fish sauce
  • 15 g yellow rock sugar

Noodle bowls

  • 280 g medium-width dried flat rice noodles (bánh phở)
  • 120 g yellow onion, sliced paper-thin
  • 30 g scallions, thinly sliced
  • 15 g cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium lime (about 60 g), cut into wedges
  • 1 small fresh red chili (about 5 g), thinly sliced; optional

Optional garlic vinegar

  • 2 garlic cloves (about 6 g), thinly sliced
  • 30 ml unseasoned rice vinegar
Method

Method

Method

  1. Peel and halve the broth onions. Split the ginger lengthwise. Char both over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning with tongs, until fragrant and blistered in spots, about 10–15 minutes. Scrape away loose blackened skin and smash the ginger. Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and black cardamom in a dry pan until fragrant, then tie them in a spice sachet.

  2. Put the beef bones in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones; wash the pot to remove residue. Return the bones to the clean stockpot with 3.2 L fresh water. Bring to a boil, skim, then lower to a gentle simmer.

  3. Simmer the bones uncovered for 3 hours, skimming as needed and topping up with hot water to keep them mostly covered. After the first 90 minutes, add the brisket and charred onion and ginger. Simmer the brisket until its centre reaches 63°C on an instant-read thermometer; remove it and rest for at least 3 minutes, up to 15 minutes, before slicing. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer. Add the spice sachet for the final 60 minutes of broth cooking, then remove it.

  4. Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with clean cloth. Measure about 2.4 L broth; add hot water if needed. Stir in the fish sauce, rock sugar and 6 g salt. Taste and adjust only within the measured salt amount. Keep the broth hot for serving.

  5. While the broth finishes, soak the sliced garnish onion in cold water for 15 minutes and drain. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions, taking care not to overcook; drain and portion into four warmed bowls.

  6. Slice the rested brisket thinly across the grain with a clean knife. Divide the brisket, drained onion, scallions and cilantro among the noodle bowls. If making the optional garlic vinegar, place the sliced garlic in the rice vinegar and serve it on the side. Offer lime wedges and optional chili separately.

  7. Ladle the steaming broth into each bowl so the noodles and cooked brisket are hot. Serve immediately. Keep leftover broth and toppings separate when possible; do not leave the assembled soup at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

  8. Cool leftover broth and brisket promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate at or below 4°C within 2 hours. Use within 3 days. Reheat broth to a rolling boil and reheat brisket until steaming hot throughout; discard food left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Practical

Practical

Practical tips

Ask the butcher for a lean, boneless brisket and trim visible surface fat before weighing it. Keep raw beef chilled until it goes into the broth. If the broth boils hard, lower the heat; a quiet simmer helps keep it clearer and easier to skim. Tie the spices securely so they are easy to remove and do not leave small fragments in the bowls. Keep the cooked brisket covered while it rests. Slice across the grain for more tender pieces. Use package instructions for dried noodles because thickness and brands vary. Rinse briefly only if the package recommends it. The optional garlic vinegar is a table condiment, not part of the measured broth seasoning.

Troubleshooting

The broth is cloudy: It may have boiled too vigorously or carried bone residue into the pot. Keep the heat low, skim gently and strain through a clean cloth. The broth tastes flat: Check salt and fish sauce in small increments, staying within the listed salt quantity. A squeeze of lime at the table can sharpen a bowl. The brisket is tough: It may need more time to soften. Keep it in the gently simmering broth and check both tenderness and the centre temperature; do not slice before it reaches 63°C and rests at least 3 minutes. The noodles clump: They may have been left to drain too long. Loosen them with a little hot water and portion into bowls just before adding broth.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hanoi-style phở always served with the same herbs? No. Shop and household customs vary. This version keeps the bowl simple with onion, scallion and cilantro, while lime, chili and garlic vinegar are offered separately. Can I make the broth ahead? Yes. Strain it into shallow containers, cool promptly and refrigerate. Reheat it to a rolling boil before assembling the bowls.

How to serve

Divide the noodles among four warmed bowls. Add sliced brisket, drained onion, scallions and cilantro, then ladle over the steaming broth. Offer lime, optional chili and garlic vinegar separately. Bean sprouts and Thai basil are not required for this version.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

  • Serving size1 bowl (1/4 recipe)
  • Calories500 kcal
  • Carbohydrate63 g
  • Protein38 g
  • Fat9 g
  • Fibre2 g
  • Sodium1500 mg
Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Fish sauce contains fish; check the label for other allergens and cross-contact. Keep raw beef and bones separate from ready-to-eat garnishes. Wash hands and clean and sanitize utensils and work surfaces after handling raw beef. Cook the thickest centre of the whole brisket to 63°C and rest at least 3 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers at 4°C or below within 2 hours and use within 3 days. Bring broth to a rolling boil and reheat leftover brisket to 74°C throughout.

Closing

Closing

Charred onion and ginger give the clear broth its gentle sweetness. Slice the rested brisket across the grain and assemble each bowl just before serving.

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