What is the Vietnamese name for the rice noodles used in pho?
Answer
Bánh phở
Answer
Bánh phở
What is the Vietnamese name for the rice noodles used in pho? They are called bánh phở.
Bánh phở are flat, rectangular rice noodles made from rice flour and water. They are usually soft and pale, with enough surface area to carry the aromatic broth. Fresh noodles are sold as bánh phở tươi, while dried noodles are called bánh phở khô. Width varies by region and by producer, so bowls of pho do not all contain noodles of exactly the same size.
The word bánh can refer broadly to Vietnamese foods made from flour, rice, or starch, so bánh phở does not mean a sweet cake in this context. It identifies the noodle associated with phở and is also used for noodles prepared in stir-fried dishes such as phở xào.
Bánh phở is easy to confuse with bún, which is thin, round rice vermicelli, or mì, which generally refers to wheat or egg noodles. Hủ tiếu is another Vietnamese noodle category with its own regional traditions and textures. The noodle choice helps distinguish pho from other Vietnamese noodle soups.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026