House Noodle Recipe

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for 20 minutes if using dried; reserve soaking liquid. If using ginger/garlic alternative, smash the garlic and slice the ginger.

In a large pot, combine the chicken stock and 2 cups water. Add rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (or ginger and garlic), the mushroom soaking liquid (carefully, leaving sediment behind) and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Season the simmering broth with 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon white pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep the broth at a low simmer while preparing other components (about 20–30 minutes total to build flavor).

Season ground pork

In a bowl, combine the 8 oz ground pork with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 5 minutes to marinate.

Heat a skillet or small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon neutral oil. Add the seasoned ground pork and break into small pieces with a spatula. Cook until no longer pink and lightly browned, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Quickly blanch the thin pork slices for 30–45 seconds (until opaque) then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking; drain and set aside. Alternatively, slices can be cooked directly in the simmering broth in a later step.

Briefly poach the shrimp in the simmering broth or boiling water for 1–2 minutes until pink and curled; remove and set aside. Poach fish balls and fish cake slices in the same simmering broth for 2–3 minutes until heated through. Keep all proteins warm.

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions: typically soak in hot water for 5–8 minutes (for dried flat rice noodles) or blanch fresh noodles for 30–60 seconds. Drain well and divide among serving bowls.

Quickly blanch the bean sprouts for 15–20 seconds in boiling water, then refresh in cold water and drain. Place a small handful of bean sprouts atop the noodles in each bowl.

Crisp the wonton wrappers by shallow-frying or air-frying: cut wrappers into desired shapes, fry in 350°F (175°C) oil for 45–60 seconds until golden and puffed, or air-fry at 375°F (190°C) for 4–6 minutes. Drain on paper towel and set aside to keep crisp.

Bring the seasoned broth back to a gentle simmer. If you blanched pork slices earlier and stopped them in cold water, you can add them briefly to the simmering broth for 20–30 seconds to reheat and integrate flavor.

Taste the broth and adjust with additional fish sauce, soy sauce, salt or white pepper if needed. Keep it very hot but not boiling aggressively.

Divide the cooked ground pork among the bowls on top of the noodles. Arrange the sliced pork, fish balls, fish cake slices and shrimp attractively on top as well.

Ladle 1 to 1 1/4 cups of hot broth into each bowl, making sure to cover the noodles and warm the proteins.

Garnish each bowl with minced green onion, cilantro (if using), a sprinkle of crispy fried garlic or shallots, and one or two fried wonton pieces for crunch. Serve lime wedges and chili oil on the side for individual seasoning.