Battle of the Broths with Duncan Lu
Are you Team Pho or Team Bun Bo Hue?
Duncan Lu is taking the stage at 3:30pm at this year’s Cabramatta Moon Festival!
He’ll be settling one of the great Vietnamese food debates: PHO or BUN BO HUE - which is better? Join Duncan for an exciting Battle of the Broths live cooking segment as he showcases both iconic dishes.
Catch Duncan on the Blue Star Air Conditioning Main Stage on Arthur Street, where you’ll have the chance to taste his delicious broths and cast your vote!
Can’t wait until then? Try both of Duncan’s recipes at home and decide for yourself - recipes for his Pho and Bun Bo Hue are below.
Vietnamese Beef Pho
The story behind this recipe traces Duncan Lu’s Pho Bo through three generations of his family. Inspired by his grandmother’s South Vietnamese-style pho, his mother’s rich yet clean broth, and his own years of refining the recipe, Duncan’s version brings together the flavours and techniques passed down through his family.
The result is a balanced, deeply savoury broth that celebrates his family’s heritage while adding his own touch, including the signature spice blend now found in his Duncan Lu Pho Spice Sachets.
Vietnamese Beef Pho Recipe by Duncan Lu
Vietnamese Beef Pho – Pho Bo
Serves: 8–10
Prep: 1 hour | Cook: 5 hours
Ingredients
Broth
- 3kg beef marrow bones
- 2 brown onions
- 70g ginger, crushed
- ½ bunch spring onions
- 1 bunch coriander stalks
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 45g dried sandworms or dried shrimp
- 1kg beef brisket
- 1 medium daikon, chopped
- 1 Duncan Lu Pho Spice Sachet
- 60ml fish sauce
- 3 tsp anchovy salt
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp MSG (optional)
- 40g rock sugar (optional)
- 7.5L water
To serve
- 1kg dried or 2.5kg fresh pho noodles
- 400g beef tendon balls
- 400g topside or eye round, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch spring onions, sliced
- 1 bunch coriander, chopped
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- Thai basil
- 200g bean sprouts
- 1 lime or lemon
- 2 chillies
- White pepper
- Hoisin and Sriracha
Method
- Roast onions and ginger at 220°C for 20 minutes.
- Boil the beef bones, discard the water and rinse the bones well.
- Return bones to the pot with roasted onions, ginger, spring onions, coriander stalks, salt, dried sandworms/shrimp and 7.5L water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 hours, skimming the surface regularly.
- After 2 hours, add the brisket and daikon.
- After 4 hours, add the Pho Spice Sachet.
- After 5 hours, remove the brisket, cool and slice thinly. Strain out the aromatics and skim excess fat.
- Season the broth with fish sauce, anchovy salt, sea salt and MSG. Add rock sugar if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Soak dried noodles for 1 hour, then blanch in boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Fresh noodles only need about 10 seconds.
- Add tendon balls to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place noodles in bowls, top with sliced rare beef and warm brisket. Pour over the hot broth and add daikon and tendon balls.
- Garnish with spring onions, coriander, red onion and pepper. Serve with bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, chilli, hoisin and Sriracha on the side.
Bun Bo Hue
Bun Bo Hue is a beloved Vietnamese noodle soup originating from Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, known for its bold, spicy, and aromatic flavours.
For Duncan Lu, the dish is deeply connected to family, recalling his mum’s big pots of Bun Bo Hue that the family would enjoy over several days. While he grew up loving both pho and Bun Bo Hue, it was the rich combination of lemongrass, fermented shrimp paste, beef, and pork that kept him coming back for bowl after bowl.
Bun Bo Hue Recipe by Duncan Lu
Bun Bo Hue – Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup
Serves: 8–10
Prep: 1 hour | Cook: 4 hours
Ingredients
Broth
- 2kg beef marrow bones
- 1kg pork hock, sliced
- 500g beef shin
- 4–6 stalks lemongrass, crushed
- 1 brown onion
- 70g ginger, crushed
- ½ bunch spring onions
- 1 bunch coriander stalks
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 45g dried sandworms or dried shrimp
- 1 small pineapple, quartered
- 3 tbsp mắm ruốc Huế
- 40ml fish sauce
- 2 tsp anchovy salt
- 2½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp MSG (optional)
- 7L water
Bun Bo Hue Paste
- 125ml annatto oil
- 2 star anise
- 4g cassia bark or cinnamon
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp minced lemongrass
- 2 bird’s eye chillies, chopped
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
To serve
- Pork blood jelly
- 1kg thick rice noodles
- Spring onions
- Coriander
- Red onion
- Water spinach or cabbage
- Mint
- Vietnamese perilla
- Fresh chilli
Method
- Boil the beef bones, pork hock and beef shin. Discard the water and rinse the meat and bones.
- Return to a clean pot with lemongrass, onion, ginger, spring onions, coriander stalks, salt, dried sandworms/shrimp and 7L water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3½ hours, skimming regularly.
- After 1½ hours, remove the pork hock and add the pineapple.
- After 2½ hours, remove the beef shin and add the prepared mắm ruốc water.
- At 3½ hours, remove the aromatics and pineapple and skim excess fat. Add half the Bun Bo Hue paste and season with fish sauce, anchovy salt, sea salt and MSG.
- Make the paste: Heat annatto oil with star anise and cassia. Add shallots, garlic, lemongrass and chilli and cook for 15–20 minutes until fragrant and golden. Add chilli flakes, sugar and fish sauce and cook for another 3–5 minutes.
- Cook the pork blood jelly separately with water, salt and ginger. Keep below boiling for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to rest for another 20 minutes. Slice into pieces.
- Soak and cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse.
- To serve, place noodles in bowls and top with sliced beef shin, pork hock and pork blood jelly. Ladle over the hot broth.
- Garnish with spring onions, coriander, red onion, water spinach, mint and Vietnamese perilla. Add extra Bun Bo Hue paste and fresh chilli to taste.
About Duncan Lu
Duncan Lu is an accomplished home cook, dental professional, and business owner with a deep passion for Vietnamese cuisine and food from cultures around the world.
His love of cooking began at a young age, inspired by renowned chefs and, most importantly, his Vietnamese grandmother, who introduced him to the traditions, stories, and cultural significance behind home-cooked food.
Following her passing, Duncan’s uncle, a professional chef, continued to teach him the foundations of Vietnamese cooking and passed down his grandmother’s treasured recipes.
Today, Duncan sees food as more than just nourishment - it is a way to connect, communicate, and share stories, memories, and culture. Through his cooking, he hopes to inspire young Australians to explore food, embrace different cultures, and discover the universal language of sharing a meal.
Learn more about Duncan here