Ingredients:

• Whole chicken

• Many chicken bones

• 3 onions, unpeeled 

• 2 large ginger hands, unpeeled 

• 2-3 lemon leaves

• Vietnamese mint

• Cilantro

• Spring onion

• Salt

• Fish sauce

• Pho noodles

Instructions:

1. Grill the unpeeled onion and ginger until they turn dark black.

2. In a large pot, boil the whole chicken until the meat is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool. Remove all of the bones from the pot, but keep the meat in the pot.

3. Add the chicken bones, grilled onion and ginger halves, lemon leaves, and salt to the pot with the meat. Cover with enough water to submerge all ingredients.

4. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 2-3 hours.

5. While the broth is simmering, julienne the Vietnamese mint, cilantro, and spring onion and set them aside in a bowl.

6. Prepare the pho noodles according to package instructions.

7. After 2-3 hours of simmering, taste the broth and add fish sauce if necessary. Strain the broth through a thin steel strainer to remove any oil or bubbles on the surface.

8. To serve, place the cooked noodles in a bowl and top them with the herbs and the cooked chicken meat on the side. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles.

9. If desired, cook eggs separately by cracking them into boiling water and cooking for 1-2 minutes until the yolk has a thin white skin. Place the cooked egg in a small bowl and pour a bit of broth on top. Serve with black pepper.

10. Serve with lime wedges or Garlic-Chile Vinegar (Vietnamese) and chili on the side for additional flavor. Enjoy!

Note: When cooking the broth, be sure to remove any oil or grease or bubbles from the surface with a strainer to ensure that the broth is clean.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds beef bones (spine and leg bones)

• 1-2 pounds pork leg bones

• 1 pound pork belly

• 2-3 pork trotters

• 1-2 pounds beef tenderloin or flank, thinly sliced

• 1 piece of ginger, peeled and crushed

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 cup white wine

• 5 dried sandworms

• 1 stick cinnamon

• 3 cloves

• 3-5 star anise

• Fresh onion roots

• Fresh cilantro roots

• 3-4 green onions, chopped

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• Fish sauce, to taste

• Pre-made pho noodles

• Fresh chili peppers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. For the beef bones, soak them with ginger, salt, and rice wine for 2 hours. Rinse the bones thoroughly and bake for 15-30 minutes until golden and fragrant. Rinse the bones thoroughly again.

3. Put the beef bones in a pot with water, crushed ginger, salt, and a cup of white wine. Simmer on low heat for 6 hours, skimming the foam continuously. For best results, simmer for at least 12 hours. Cook the broth, not a concentrated stock.

4. For the pork leg bones, simmer them for 2 hours, skim off the foam and fat, and discard. This will produce a tasty broth without the need for MSG.

5. Cook the pork belly and trotters for 15 minutes with ginger, salt, and a cup of white wine, then rinse them thoroughly and put them in a pot with water. Add crushed ginger and salt, then simmer for 2 hours. Let the meat cool, then store it in the refrigerator (the meat will be tender if chilled).

6. Combine three parts beef broth with one part pork broth, then add some water used to boil the beef bones. Skim off the foam and fat very carefully.

7. Add five dried sandworms, one stick of cinnamon, three cloves, 3-5 star anise, fresh onion roots, and fresh cilantro roots to a cheesecloth bag. Roast the bag until golden, then add it to the pot of broth.

8. Use a separate pot to boil the pre-made pho noodles in water for 1-2 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.

9. When ready to serve, add the thinly sliced tenderloin or flank to the pot of broth and cook for 1-2 minutes until just cooked through.

10. To serve, place the pre-cooked pho noodles in a bowl, add the cooked beef and pork belly, and arrange the thinly sliced white onions on top. Ladle the hot broth over the top, then sprinkle with chopped green onions. Serve with fresh chili peppers and fish sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Bun dau is a popular street food in Hanoi, Vietnam that consists of rice vermicelli noodles, deep-fried tofu, and a side of dipping sauce. Here's a recipe to make bun dau Hanoi style:

Ingredients:

• 1 package of rice vermicelli noodles

• 1 block of firm tofu

• 1 cup of vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup of fish sauce

• 1/4 cup of rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons of sugar

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1-2 bird's eye chilies, sliced

• 1/4 cup of chopped roasted peanuts

• A handful of mixed herbs, such as mint and cilantro

• 1/4 cup of sliced pickled vegetables, such as carrots and daikon

Instructions:

1. Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. Cut the tofu into small cubes or triangles, and pat dry with a paper towel.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tofu to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, and sliced chilies until the sugar is dissolved.

5. To serve, arrange the rice vermicelli noodles, fried tofu, mixed herbs, pickled vegetables, and chopped peanuts on a platter. Serve the dipping sauce on the side.

6. To eat, take a bundle of rice vermicelli noodles and dip it into the dipping sauce, then add some fried tofu, herbs, pickled vegetables, and chopped peanuts. Enjoy!

Bun dau can be customized to your preference by adding additional ingredients such as sliced cucumbers or bean sprouts. It's also common to serve bun dau with a side of Nem Ran (Vietnamese fried spring rolls) or grilled meat.