The best bowl in Vancouver: Shio ramen

Serves 6 · 3 hr · Medium

Central Vietnam's spicy beef noodle soup. Lemongrass and fermented shrimp paste are what make it Huế.

You need

• 2 lb (900 g) beef shank, in one piece
• 2 lb (900 g) pork hock or pork neck bones
• 4 quarts (3.8 l) water
• 6 stalks lemongrass, bruised and tied, plus 2 finely minced
• 1 onion, charred
• 2 tbsp fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc), mixed with 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 3 tbsp oil, 4 shallots and 4 garlic cloves minced, 2 tbsp chile flakes, 1 tsp annatto (or paprika)
• 3 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) thick round rice noodles (bún bò)
• Thinly sliced onion, cilantro, Thai basil, shredded banana blossom or cabbage, bean sprouts, lime

How to make it

1. Blanch the pork 5 minutes and rinse. Put it in the water with the beef, tied lemongrass and charred onion, and simmer 2 hours, skimming.
2. Let the shrimp paste settle, then pour the clear liquid (not the grit) into the pot.
3. Heat the oil, fry the minced lemongrass, shallots and garlic 2 minutes, add the chile flakes and annatto, then stir this chile oil into the broth.
4. Lift out the meats; slice the beef and cut the hock. Season the broth with fish sauce, sugar and salt.
5. Cook the noodles, divide among bowls with the meats, pour over boiling broth and serve with the herbs and lime.

Chef's tips

• Add more of the red chile oil at the table.

Contains: fish, shellfish..

Chef Amazing's own recipe, written for a home kitchen. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

Serves 6 · 4 hr 30 min

A clear, fragrant beef broth simmered for hours with charred onion, ginger and warm spices, poured over rice noodles and paper-thin raw beef. Inspired by the beef noodle soup at Le Colonial in Houston.

You need

• 2 lb (900 g) beef oxtail, cut in sections
• 2 lb (900 g) beef marrow or knuckle bones
• 2 medium yellow onions (about 1 lb), halved and left unpeeled
• 4-inch piece fresh ginger (about 3 oz), halved lengthwise
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 5 quarts (4.7 liters) cold water, plus more for parboiling
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 lb (450 g) dried flat rice noodles (banh pho)
• 8 oz (225 g) beef tenderloin, trimmed and sliced paper thin
• 1 small white onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 cup Thai basil leaves
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 3 limes, cut into wedges
• Hoisin sauce and sriracha for the table (3 tablespoons each)

How to make it

1. Put the oxtail and bones in the stockpot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil hard for 10 minutes while gray scum rises, then drain and rinse every piece under cold water. Scrub out the pot.
2. Heat the broiler with a rack 4 inches from the element. Broil the onion halves and ginger on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, turning once, until blackened in spots and soft. Cool, peel off the loose skin, and rinse.
3. Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and fennel in the dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Tie them into cheesecloth.
4. Return the bones to the clean pot with the 5 quarts cold water, charred onion, ginger and the spice bundle. Bring to a boil over high heat, about 20 minutes, skimming off foam.
5. Reduce the heat to low so the surface barely trembles. Simmer partly covered for 3 hours, skimming now and then, and lift out the spice bundle after the first hour so it does not turn bitter.
6. Lift the oxtail onto a plate. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones in large pieces and set aside, returning the bones to the pot.
7. Strain the broth through the fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, pressing lightly. Skim fat from the top with a ladle, then stir in the fish sauce, salt and sugar and taste, adding fish sauce until savory with a slight sweetness. Keep at a bare simmer.
8. About 40 minutes before serving, wrap the beef tenderloin and freeze it for 20 minutes to firm it up. Soak the dried noodles in warm tap water for 30 minutes, until pliable and white.
9. Slice the chilled beef against the grain as thin as paper. Arrange the sliced onion, scallions, sprouts, basil, cilantro, jalapeno and lime wedges on a platter.
10. Boil a large pot of water and cook the soaked noodles for 1 to 2 minutes, until tender but still springy. Drain and divide among 6 large bowls, then lay the shredded oxtail and raw beef slices on top.
11. Bring the broth to a rolling boil, then ladle at least 1 1/2 cups over each bowl; the heat cooks the raw beef to a blush pink within a minute. Serve with the garnish platter, hoisin and sriracha.

Pans and tools

• 12-quart stockpot
• rimmed baking sheet
• dry skillet
• fine-mesh strainer
• cheesecloth or tea ball for spices
• large pot for noodles
• sharp slicing knife
• instant-read thermometer

Chef's tips

• Common mistake: boiling the broth hard, which turns it cloudy. Keep it at a bare simmer and skim.
• Make-ahead: the broth keeps 5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen. The fat that hardens on top is easy to lift off.
• Reheat the broth to a full boil before serving or the raw beef will not cook.
• Swap: use beef shank or short rib for part of the oxtail, and gluten-free tamari-free hoisin is optional at the table.

Contains: fish, soy, wheat.

From The Best 100: our home version, inspired by Le Colonial, Houston. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

Serves 6 · 1 hr 10 min

A thick, peppery potato chowder built on salt pork, fresh steamed clams and cream, served with plenty of saltines. Inspired by the clam chowder at Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, Maine.

You need

• 24 littleneck clams (about 3 lb), scrubbed
• 1 cup water
• 4 oz (115 g) salt pork, rind removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion (about 10 oz), cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups bottled clam juice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers, for serving

How to make it

1. Put the clams and 1 cup water in the Dutch oven, cover, and cook over high heat for 7 minutes, shaking the pot once, until the shells open. Lift the clams out with tongs into a bowl and discard any that stay closed.
2. Pour the broth through a fine strainer lined with a paper towel into a measuring cup, leaving the grit behind. Add enough bottled clam juice to total 3 1/2 cups. Wipe the pot clean.
3. Pick the clams from their shells and chop the meat into 1/2-inch pieces. Refrigerate in a bowl.
4. Cook the salt pork in the clean pot over medium heat for 9 minutes, stirring, until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel and leave 2 tbsp fat in the pot, pouring off the extra.
5. Add the butter, onion and celery to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned.
6. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the clam broth, scraping up the browned bits. Add the potatoes, bay leaves and thyme.
7. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, partly covered. Cook for 14 minutes, until a fork slides easily into a potato. Press about a quarter of the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the broth.
8. Stir in the cream and pepper and heat for 5 minutes until steaming, but do not let it boil. Add the clams and half the pork bits, and cook for 2 minutes just to warm the clams. Taste, add up to 1/4 tsp salt, and remove the bay leaves.
9. Take the pot off the heat and let the chowder rest for 10 minutes so it thickens and the flavors meld.
10. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining pork bits and chives. Serve with the saltines.

Pans and tools

• 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid
• fine-mesh strainer
• paper towels
• slotted spoon
• wooden spoon
• ladle

Chef's tips

• Common mistake: rubbery clams. Add them at the very end, only to warm through.
• Taste before salting, since salt pork and clam juice are salty.
• Chowder tastes better the next day. Reheat gently over low heat and do not boil.
• Swap: two 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams with their juice for the fresh clams, added in step 8, or thick-cut bacon for the salt pork.

Contains: shellfish, dairy, gluten.

From The Best 100: our home version, inspired by Eventide Oyster Co., Portland, ME. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

Serves 4 · 1 hr 45 min · Easy

Soaking the rice with a little oil helps it break down into the silky texture Hong Kong cooks want.

You need

• 3/4 cup (150 g) jasmine rice
• 1 tsp neutral oil, 1/2 tsp salt
• 10 cups (2.4 l) water or light chicken stock
• 1 in (2.5 cm) ginger, in thin matchsticks
• 1/2 lb (225 g) pork tenderloin, thinly sliced, mixed with 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 century eggs, peeled and chopped
• White pepper, sesame oil, sliced green onion, cilantro
• Fried dough sticks (yau char kwai), to serve

How to make it

1. Rinse the rice, drain, mix with the oil and salt and leave 30 minutes (or freeze it overnight, which breaks it down faster).
2. Bring the water to a boil, add the rice and half the ginger, and simmer, stirring now and then, 1 1/4 hours, until it's smooth and porridge-thick.
3. Stir in the pork and half the century egg and simmer 3 minutes, until the pork is just cooked.
4. Season with salt and white pepper and serve with the rest of the egg and ginger, green onion, cilantro, a few drops of sesame oil and fried dough to dip.

Chef's tips

• Thin with hot water if it gets too thick; it keeps thickening as it sits.

Contains: eggs, soy, sesame, wheat (dough sticks)..

Chef Amazing's own recipe, written for a home kitchen. Saved, it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.