Bún
Bún—an Asian treat that’s a healthy (and tasty) alternative to pasta salad—comes straight from the sidewalk vendors of Vietnam.
Working from minimalist portable kitchens set up on sidewalks and in alleys, Hanoi’s famous street vendors keep the city well fed. At noontime, many of the busiest cooks specialize in hefty bowls of bún, the lean, light Vietnamese take on pasta salad. As fast food goes, bún could hardly be more healthful: a heap of cool rice noodles, leafy greens and fresh herbs topped with a small amount of sizzling grilled meat and chopped peanuts. Diners add spoonfuls of the tart, tangy fat-free dressing, nuoc cham, and toss the ingredients together so that every bite delivers contrasting textures and tastes. Dried rice-stick noodles, as thin as angel hair pasta but more wiry, can be found in many supermarkets. They need only a brief soaking to remove surface starch followed by a minute or two in boiling water to become pliable. Thin-sliced pork scented with lemongrass is the conventional topping, but garlicky marinated shrimp is an alternative for seafood fans. For a crowd, arrange the fixings buffet-style and let guests put together their own bowls. Pass nuoc cham at the table, along with cold beer.
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