Vietnamese Bo Bun

About 2 years ago, I tasted my first Bo Bun and was hooked instantly. No, it's not beef wrapped in the Chinese baozi/bun, but rice vermicelli noodles (bee hoon) with beef. So far, the best Bo Bun I ever tasted is in Toronto's Chinatown. During my stay there, I shamelessly ate Bun everyday and drank Vietnamese coffee served in their cute mini percolator; with generous helping of sweetened condensed milk. If you're Malaysian like me, images of Milkmaid Condensed Milk a.k.a. Susu Cap Junjung and their infamous ROTF, corny jingle will flash through your mind right now.

I tried making Bo Bun after my trip. I found this recipe online and the outcome was quite good. I love Nuoc Cham (NC) sauce. My Bo Bun is always drenched in NC sauce.

Ingredients

· 300g fillet steak

· 2 pips garlic, minced

· 1 small stalk spring onion, chopped

· 1 tbsp lemon grass, chopped

· 1 tbsp sugar

· 2 tbsp oil

· 1 big onion, sliced thinly

· 2 tbsp Nuoc Cham sauce (fish sauce)

Noodles & assorted vegetables:

· 250g rice noodles, cooked and drained

· 100g bean sprouts, blanched

· 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and shredded

· 4 leaves of lettuce, shredded

· 1 handful fresh mint

· 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed

Nuoc Cham Sauce:

· 2 tbsp sugar

· 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice

· 1/4 cup rice vinegar

· 1/4 cap Nuoc Mam (fish sauce)

· 1 small red chili, minced

· 2 pips garlic, crushed

· 1/4 cup water

Method
Cut beef into thin slices/shreds (approximately 3cm long). Mix in garlic, spring onions, lemon grass, sugar and 2 tbsp fish sauce. Marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil and stir fry onions till translucent. Add the beef. Stir-fry over high heat till beef is browned, about one minute. Serve with rice noodle and assorted vegetables and Nuoc Cham sauce.

To make Nuoc Cham sauce: Combine garlic, chili and sugar. Pound or process to a fine paste. Strain in the lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce and water.

Ta-da! My home made Vietnamese Bo Bun

Unfortunately, I can't make Bo Bun today. It's Lenten Season so no meat on Fridays until Easter. My dinner will be grilled salmon basted in Pineapple Teriyaki sauce.

Bon Appetit!