Charred Liver Pho: Bac Ninh's specialty

When visiting Vietnam to explore its culture and cuisine, travelers can't miss out on traditional Pho dishes like chicken or beef noodle soup, celebrated by CNN as one of the world's top 20 dishes in 2024. While there are many varieties of Pho in Vietnam, the charred liver Pho in Bac Ninh province, 30 km north of Hanoi, stands out with its unique flavor and appearance unlike any other Pho. As a dish that diners often refer to as "special", charred liver Pho is unique in both appearance and taste. This Pho stands out with its distinctive ingredients: pork offal like liver, heart, kidneys, bone broth, and tender pork loin. The special preparation method highlights its uniqueness. The liver is charred to perfection—not burnt but just enough to give the thick slices a crispy crust while keeping the inside tender and flavorful.

Many foodies love this type of Pho:

"Unlike other Pho with a light, delicate flavor, this dish is rich and bold. Although its black color made me hesitant at first, the charred liver has a surprisingly nutty and creamy taste."

"After tasting it, I have to admit it has a fresh flavor that truly satisfies the palate. I must say, it truly deserves to be called a specialty of Bac Ninh."

Bui Thi Lan, the owner of the most famous charred liver Pho restaurant in Bac Ninh which has been open for 40 years and always bustling with long lines of customers, elaborated on the recipe:

"The meat selected must be the most tender loin. The offal is cleaned and prepared meticulously, then sautéed with tomatoes and garlic to enhance the flavor, and taken off the heat once it reaches a perfect golden brown. This dish demands a special technique, where the liver needs to be thickly sliced and fried in hot oil over high heat for about 20 minutes. Many have tried to replicate this recipe but often end up overcooking the liver,” said Lan.

"The dish is unique. The fat liver, and other offal are incredibly rich, aromatic, and so unique that it's hard to describe." The broth is what making pho special, and a good pho depends first and foremost on the quality of the broth. It’s the difference between a bad homemade pho and a good pho, a normal pho restaurant and really good one. So, if one knows how to make a good broth, then everything else is just a matter of getting the pho ingredients from the markets.

Unlike traditional Pho, where the broth is ladled directly from the marrow bones, the broth here undergoes an extra step. It is carefully stirred through a pan used to stir-fry tomatoes, hearts, and kidneys to achieve the perfect flavor.

As its name mentions, charred liver Pho, the liver—the star of the dish—is always the most challenging ingredient to prepare. Ms Lan says ingredients must be selected very carefully, especially the liver.

"When it comes to liver Pho, I believe it's an extremely challenging dish to prepare. To create tender, fluffy liver, the chef carefully chooses top-quality ingredients and tests the frying process multiple times until achieving the desired texture. While ingredients like heart, kidneys, and pork loin are readily available in markets, liver demands higher standards. Quality liver is seldom found in regular markets; it often requires special sourcing and rigorous inspection to ensure its quality,” said Lan.

The flavor is what keeps customers coming back, as it is both "indescribable" and "unforgettable." This unique taste appeals to a wide range of palates.

“I discovered this dish through food reviewers on TikTok, and it was also my first time experiencing it. I was extremely impressed by the liver in the dish—it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The charred liver was exceptionally flavorful," said Minh Thuan, a customer at Lan's restaurant.

When you arrive at the restaurant, you'll see a long line of people waiting, most of whom are local customers. The rest are those