Pho cuon is Hanoi's rolled-pho specialty from the Truc Bach lake area: fresh rice-noodle sheets wrapped around stir-fried beef and herbs, dipped in nuoc cham instead of being ladled into soup.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
Pho cuon was invented on Ngu Xa street near Truc Bach Lake in the 1990s when local cooks repurposed unused fresh pho sheets as wrappers. The sheets are rolled around stir-fried beef, lettuce and herbs, then dipped in nuoc cham. Pho Cuon Huong Mai is the canonical Ngu Xa counter; Pho Cuon Chinh Thang holds a Michelin Selected listing for the same dish.
Common allergens: Fish (nuoc cham), Soy
Pho Cuon Huong Mai on Ngu Xa runs the rolled-pho strip near Truc Bach Lake for 60,000-100,000 VND a plate, with fresh sheets wrapped around beef.
Try: Pho cuon
Order: Pho cuon rolled rice noodles with herbs and beef; add pho chien phong puffed pho on the side.
Tip: Whole Ngu Xa block runs the same dish; if Huong Mai is full, the next counter does it for the same price.
Pho Cuon Chinh Thang in Hanoi is a Michelin Selected pho cuon counter in Truc Bach, plating fresh rice-noodle sheets stuffed with stir-fried beef.
Signature: Pho cuon, Pho chien phong puffed pho, Pho xao bo
Order: Pho cuon with seared beef and a side of pho chien phong, the deep-fried puffed pho squares.
Tip: Tiny seating; busiest at lunch. Stand-up counters fill first on Mac Dinh Chi, sit-down at number 7.
More cities are in research. Want phở cuốn covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.