San Francisco-Style Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles Recipe (2024)

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Ian from Salt Spring Island, BC Canada

I’ve been using my meat tenderizing mallet for smashing garlic lately. Turns it into a creamy paste. Does a great job and I’ll use it with this recipe.

Eileen

I keep a large bulb of garlic, roots intact, in a small vase (one that held a hyacinth bulb purchased at Aldi works well). Use the tall green shoots from the garlic instead of scallions to add flavor and greenery to any number of dishes. The roots that grow swirl in a lovely pattern in the bottom of the vase, and the bulb will continue to produce shoots for weeks.

Gigi

As a Vietnamese immigrant whose parents owned a restaurant for decades in Denver, I would like to add another essential condiment/sauce in the canon of Vietnamese cooking called Maggi. My family makes this dish using Maggi and not fish sauce. Just thought I'd offer this up as another way to make these yummy noodles. Maggi, in its iconic curvaceous dark brown bottle, is not made of soy but wheat protein. You will often that tangy saltiness in Vietnamese sandwiches.

Patrick

YiaYia, a mortar and pestle crushes the garlic, releasing its flavors and oils, but a food processor just cuts it up finely, and the hard sides of the garlic are still intact, albeit smaller. But, little of the garlic’s flavor is released when it is simply cut into small pieces, so if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, it’s better to crush the garlic with the flat side of a heavy knife, and then mince it.

RobinP

Have been cooking pasta in a skillet for years. Use approximately 3 cups of water per 12 oz of pasta in 12-inch skillet. Turn heat to high. Cook approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently, adding more water towards end if needed as noodles absorb the water and soften. Add favorite sauce - or transfer as recommended in this recipe and toss till you are happy with the finish.

James F

Hamish, Folks have tested this plenty of times - there's basic science to it. Here's one article from a colleague of Kenji's:https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-mince-chop-garlic-microplane-vs-garlic-pressThat said, we cook for our homes, not a lab. Process the garlic any which way you want. The important thing is someone wanting to cook.

Jacques B

DO not buy crushed garlic in a jar. You can get away with whole peeled garlic in a crunch. Garlic is easy to use peel a few bulbs and leave it whole in your fridge and then you will have the pleasure of using garlic in your cereal in the morning.(just to see if anyone is reading)

michelle

Unusual for me, completely followed the recipe, no changes. I'll never cook pasta in a pot again.Added a fair amount of the pasta water, to the end product and tasted like we had a cream sauce. This is amazing, no leftovers ...and chop the garlic however you want!

CFXK

1. On a well supported cutting board, smash garlic cloves with the flat side of a chef's knife - making sure to: hold the handle of the knife over the edge of the board; center the blade over the garlic (lest you send the clove flying across the kitchen); and give the side of the blade a nice hard whack.2. Gather smashed cloves into what will look almost like a pile of pulp, and mince away.Easy; fast; efficient - and a great way to channel aggression.

Lena

I have made this dish dozens of times over the last few years and it's always delicious. I do have a suggestion, however. The amount of sauce needs to be at least doubled from what is suggested above. Keep the butter and garlic on a very low flame so the garlic doesn't burn. Turn the heat off before adding the cheese.

Brad

I found a garlic "rocker" on Amazon while browsing kitchen utensils. I's a bent bar shape with small holes in the center. You press down and rock back and forth on a garlic clove and it pushes the garlic through the holes, releasing the most intense garlic flavor. It's much like a press, but without the messy clean up and frustration of getting all the garlic out of the press. It cleans up in about 15 seconds.I'll never mince garlic again!

MenloPaul

I think there is also a little tangerine juice to counter the garlic, as in their sumptuous roast crabs...

Betsy

Fresh is surely better, but those little jars of minced garlic really do make life easier.

MichaelH

There are lots of vegan fish sauces and oyster sauces available, and they taste great. I live in Northern Virginia, so I get them from H Mart, but you can also find online. The vegan oyster sauce I prefer is Kikkoman. ps I just checked the bottle and it says vegetarian, not vegan - but I don't see anything in the ingredient list that's non-vegan.

laurie

1- Trust and follow the pasta cooking method - but stir to unstick from pan 2- Use all the garlic even if it seems like too much 3- Add a bit more of each of the sauces, and more like 1/2 c. cheese I ended up not even needing to drain the pasta, end result was perfectly creamy/emulsified, not greasy in the slightest. I told my Roman-born husband it was like Vietnamese carbonara. We added lots of black pepper (like the crab dish has). Anyone tried it w/ bottarga instead of cheese?

Brezo

Sauces aren't ample enough; next time I'll double it. would also double the parmesan cheese dose. otherwise- a great side!

Steve

So delicious with a pound of shrimp. Add one minute after the garlic. Add a couple extra minutes cook time after you add the sauces to firm them up (mine were medium size so not very large). Recommend extra sauces (little extra garlic if you need it) to coat the extra food better. Definitely splurge on the green onions.

Cressy

This was amazing! I never usually leave notes, but I had to for this! This is going to go into serious rotation in our house. He also has a YouTube video showing how to make this, which was nice to watch.

John

Why would anyone eat "San Francisco style" Vietnamese food? The largest Vietnamese population is 45 minutes away in San Jose. And the Vietnamese culinary capital in this country is Houston.

Jeannie

John, Helene Anh's restaurants, Thanh Long and Crustacean, are longtime favorite restaurants in San Francisco. One of the biggest draws is this garlic noodle dish. The recipe itself is a guarded family secret -- the dish is prepared inside a secret kitchen within the larger kitchen. When my roommate introduced us to the restaurant, we immediately loved the garlic noodles, and every time we return, we would all insist on our own bowl of noodles. Along with that, roasted crab.

nadyne

I used half the pasta but kept the sauce the same. To keep with the San Francisco theme, I used spaghetti from Flour Water. I served it with roasted vegetables (carrots, daikon, broccolini) tossed with olive oil and red pepper flakes. That served two people for dinner, and leftovers for lunch a couple of days later.

Molly

Si Sergio recipe. Add a tbsp of miso paste to sauce and some prawns!

JP

I didn’t think I could find a place where too much garlic was a thing. I adore garlic. Apparently, 20 cloves is my limit. This was tasty but very one note, and if I ever make this again, I would use less garlic.

Suzie Taleff

I really enjoyed this recipe but there certainly wasn’t much sauce. I stirred with tongs and a spatula to mix everything but finally added some more of the cooking water to increase the liquid. Was your result really creamy and saucy? The picture doesn’t look saucy and mine didn’t either. I liked the review where he suggested using more of the soy sauce, etc.Delicious flavor. We had it with halibut cheeks and fresh asparagus. Gourmet for sure!!!

Md foodie

This was delicious. We followed the recipe but used bucatini with broccoli on the side. Wonderful!

Philippe

my father been doing similar for decades, just add canned clams.

Sandie Robinson

Very good dish. I would make more sauce next time as has been suggested. I added shrimp and roasted broccoli at the end. I used whole grain spaghetti. The recipe is a keeper.

Mike Feeney

I chopped up about 10 medium-sized shrimp, lightly searing them. Here in France, we get our shrimp with shells and heads on. I boiled the shells and heads and strained them. I used that water along with enough tap water to cover the pasta. The pasta used took quite a while to get to just not quite al dente so I had to add boiling water to get to that stage. It was a wonderful meal. The copious amounts of garlic did not overwhelm and the cheese while not tasted, added to the texture nicely.

Lezlie Christian

Pasta cooks very well in less water. Use less salt because the pasta absorbs most of the water. I agree, don't skimp on the garlic. Crush it roughly in a mortar with pestle. I added some cooked chicken as a protein, so used chicken broth as well as half and half, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Delicious!

Heather

We’re a garlic-lovin’ family, so I thought this would be a slam dunk, but we all found it bitter and overwhelmingly garlicky. It was just…unpleasant. I wouldn’t make it again, and that’s saying something, considering how much I love garlic.

Cherie Childs

Follow the recipe. Deelish!

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San Francisco-Style Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Where did Vietnamese garlic noodles come from? ›

Most people trace Vietnamese garlic noodles to the Bay Area's Thanh Long restaurant. In 1969, Diana An, the family matriarch and a wealthy woman from Vietnam, was visiting a cousin in San Francisco. The two stopped for a sandwich at Sunset Joe's, an Italian deli in the Outer Sunset neighborhood.

What is Vietnamese vermicelli made of? ›

Of course, being an Asian take on an Italian name, Asian vermicelli noodles are often made with rice or mung beans rather than pasta, but the 'little worm' comparison remains. Rice vermicelli is a key ingredient in Asian cuisine, especially in Vietnam.

How long does it take to cook Vietnamese noodles? ›

Dried noodles should be cooked in lots of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes (for small noodles) and up to 12 minutes for extra large noodles. Watch the foaming water as bun noodles can over boil in a pot. Moderate the temperature and/or add some fresh water to the pot while it's going fast and furious.

What to do with bun noodles? ›

Small and medium bun are great for noodle salad, salad rolls and most noodle soups. Large size bun is mostly for bún bò Huế noodle soup.

Where did garlic noodles come from in San Francisco? ›

What Are San Francisco-Style Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles? This garlicky noodle recipe is a twist on a classic San Francisco dish, created by Helene An at her Thanh Long restaurant in the early 1970s, where it has been famously served with baked Dungeness crab for the past five decades.

Where did San Francisco garlic noodles come from? ›

Helene's daughter Monique An, who now manages Thanh Long, recalls that her mother came up with the recipe for the garlic noodles sometime around 1978, having noticed how much her American customers loved pasta—especially, as Helene writes in the book, “pastas laden with cream and butter.” She set out to create a noodle ...

Which is healthier vermicelli or pho noodles? ›

Vermicelli noodles, also known as rice vermicelli or rice sticks, are generally considered a healthier noodle option compared to many other types of noodles. Vermicelli noodles are typically made from rice flour, making them naturally gluten-free.

What is the difference between vermicelli and regular noodles? ›

So, if you're in the U.S., vermicelli is basically a thinner version of spaghetti, meaning that it is best served with a simple tomato sauce or an oil-based sauce like garlic and olive oil. In general, the thinner your pasta, the lighter the sauce should be.

What is the difference between vermicelli and pho noodles? ›

What's the difference between Bun Noodles and Pho Noodles? Bun Noodle soups use vermicelli noodles, which are round in shape and have a darker white color when cooked. Whereas Pho Noodle soups use rice sticks, which are flat and have an opaque and translucent color when cooked.

What kind of noodles are used in pho? ›

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a Vietnamese noodle soup that's made with broth, rice noodles, meat, and fresh garnishes. Authentic versions take much more time and love than this recipe (here's a great cookbook with authentic recipes from Andrea Nguyen, or check out this authentic recipe).

What is noodles called in Vietnam? ›

Vietnamese noodles are available in either fresh (tươi) or dried (khô) form. Bánh phở – flat rice noodles; these are available in a wide variety of widths and may be used for either phở soup or stir-fried dishes.

Are Vietnamese noodle bowls healthy? ›

Are Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowls Healthy? Yes! What I love about these Vermicelli Bowls is how fresh and packed full of nutrients they are. They are also very adaptable.

What is the difference between bun noodles and pho noodles? ›

First, visually, Pho noodle is flat, thin, long noodle while Bun bo Hue noodle is round. Second, topping. Pho topping is mostly single thing. It could be thin slice of Bo Chin (cooked boiled beef and slice), or slice of chicken breast, or small piece of beef or pork stir fried (tai lan).

Are rice noodles the same as vermicelli? ›

Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as "rice noodles" or "rice sticks", but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather than rice grains themselves.

What are Vietnamese vermicelli noodles called? ›

Miến (dried glass noodles)

In Vietnam 'miến' refers to clear glass noodles or vermicelli. These noodles are thin and cylindrical, with a slightly chewy texture.

When were garlic noodles invented? ›

A 'Bay Area phenomenon'

Ever since Helene added pungent garlic noodles to Thanh Long's menu in 1978, the dish has been widely successful and the inspiration for other Bay Area restaurateurs who have created their own.

What culture is garlic noodles? ›

Vietnamese American garlic noodles, recently named one of The New York Times' most popular dishes of 2022, are a delicious example. Vietnamese-born aristocrat-turned-restaurateur Helene An fled South Vietnam for San Francisco in 1975, moving in with her mother-in-law, Diana.

What is the famous noodle in Vietnam? ›

Phở It's obvious, Phở is in no. 1 in the list since it has been the most famous noodle soup dish of Vietnam. It's warm, tasty, flavourful and above all, it contains all the quintessence of Vietnamese gastronomy.

What are traditional Vietnamese noodles? ›

Vietnamese noodles include many types of noodles from Rice Vermicelli Noodles (Bún), Rice Sticks (Bánh Phở), Egg Noodles (Mì), Glass Noodles (Miến) and many more. What is this? For these Vietnamese Noodles, we are going to use Rice Vermicelli Noodles (Bún) and Lemongrass Chicken to create Bun Ga Nuong.

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