What it is
Hủ tiếu is a southern Vietnamese noodle soup with Chinese and Cambodian roots. The broth is clear pork stock, lighter and slightly sweet, and the toppings run to sliced pork, minced pork, shrimp, quail eggs and crispy fried garlic. It is most often eaten for breakfast.
What makes a good one
The broth should be clean and sweet from bones and dried squid rather than from sugar. Noodles vary and are chosen by you — the clear tapioca strands should be springy, the soft rice noodles should not be mushy. Fried garlic on top should smell like garlic, not like old oil.
Regional variation
Hủ tiếu Nam Vang is the Phnom Penh style, the most common version in the US. Hủ tiếu khô is the same dish served dry, with the noodles tossed in seasoning and the broth alongside — the version regulars order, and much the better choice for delivery.
Common questions
- Wet or dry?
- Dry (khô) if the food has any distance to travel, because noodles sitting in hot broth keep cooking. The choice is the first thing on the dish for exactly that reason.