History

Vietnamese immigrants brought pho to Charlotte's east-side corridor along Shamrock Drive and Central Avenue starting in the late 20th century. Lang Van opened in 1990 and was awarded Charlotte's only Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025 for the family-run kitchen's pho and broader Vietnamese menu.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg beef knuckle and shin bones
  • 500g brisket
  • 1 large onion, halved
  • 5cm piece ginger, halved
  • 5 star anise pods
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 30g rock sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 400g flat rice noodles
  • 300g raw eye-round beef, sliced paper-thin
  • Garnish: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, sliced chili, sliced onion, hoisin and sriracha

Method

  1. Char the onion and ginger directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until blackened. Set aside.
  2. Boil the beef bones and brisket in fresh water 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones to remove scum.
  3. Toast the spices (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, coriander) in a dry pan 1 minute until fragrant. Tie in a cheesecloth bundle.
  4. Combine the cleaned bones, brisket, charred onion and ginger, spice bundle, fish sauce and rock sugar in a stock pot. Cover with 4 litres water.
  5. Simmer 3 hours minimum. Remove the brisket after 90 minutes; slice when cool.
  6. Strain the broth. Season with salt.
  7. Cook rice noodles to pack instructions. Drain.
  8. Assemble bowls: noodles, sliced brisket and raw beef, ladle hot broth on top to cook the raw beef. Serve with garnishes.

Tip from the editors. The blanch-and-rinse step on the bones is what gives clear broth. Skip it and the broth comes out cloudy and flat.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat vietnamese pho, lang van style

Vietnamese pho, Lang Van style in Charlotte

Lang Van ★ 4.7

east-charlotteTue-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00; Sun 11:00-22:00; closed Mon

Lang Van on Shamrock Drive is the east Charlotte Vietnamese kitchen that took home the city's only Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025 for pho and family-run.

Why locals love it: Hidden in an east Charlotte strip mall on Shamrock Drive, easy to miss until the 2025 Michelin nod tripled the queue.

Tip: Weekday lunch is the easiest window; weekends now run a 30-minute wait.

3019 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215

More cities are in research. Want vietnamese pho, lang van style covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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