Pho cuon is a familiar dish of Hanoi in particular which has become widespread in the North. In other regions, even in big cities, this dish can only be found in luxurious Hanoian restaurants and eateries.
Pho cuon features three peculiar characteristics, being unheard of, strange-looking and having a strange taste.
To make Pho cuon, noodles are not sliced into small strings as commonly seen but instead are cut into square sheets. To prepare it, the seller stir-fries beef on a big fire until just undercooked, then they spread a noodle sheet on the plate, place some raw vegetables into the sheet, top with the stir-fried beef (or pork) and wrap it all into a roll.
To create a delicious roll, besides rolling it evenly, the meat and vegetables must be peaking out slightly from the wrap to attract diners and the noodle sheet should be a little chewy, the beef hot and sweet and the fresh vegetables blended with the sour, spicy and salty sauce.
