Mi Quang Ga – Central Vietnamese Braised Chicken with Rice Noodles

If you’re ever travelling through Central Vietnam, a bowl of mi quang is a must do in the coastal city of Da Nang. In this central-Vietnamese delicacy you can expect soft and chewy rice noodles served with quick-braised marinated chicken, eggs, and doused in a golden umami-filled broth.

Like mi bo kho (Vietnamese braised beef with noodles), mi quang ga is a dish I wouldn’t categorise as a Vietnamese noodle soup or a Vietnamese noodle salad but somewhere in-between, as the noodles and chicken are not completely covered with broth, like you would see in a bowl of pho, bun bo hue or bun mam. Instead, a small amount of concentrated braising liquid is added to the bowl. To achieve this depth in flavour, ensure you use a whole chicken with bone-in.

Along with the braising liquid, the choice of rice noodles is also key to creating the most authentic bowl of mi quang at home. 

Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that fresh mi quang noodles in Da Nang is unparalleled but with limited options in Australia, dried mi quang noodles is the next best thing.

Found in most Vietnamese supermarkets, the noodles may look like pho rice noodles at first glance but they’re slightly wider and thicker. Mi quang noodles also have a higher percentage of tapioca starch compared to pho noodles, giving them their unique bite and chew.

If pho, bun bo hue or bun thit nuong are already popular in your household or a dish you regularly order when out, grab yourself a packet of mi quang noodles from the Asian supermarket, to experience the delicate flavours and exciting textures of this Da Nang delicacy.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cooking time: 45 minutes
• Serves: 5–6
• Difficulty: Moderate – you’ll be right.

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• 1 whole chicken, chopped into medium pieces
• 1 teaspoon anchovy salt
• 1 tablespoon premium fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Other

• 5 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Thai shallots or 1 red onion, crushed
• 1 red chilli, crushed (optional)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
• 750ml–1L water
• 6 hard-boiled eggs or 300–350g hard-boiled quail eggs
• 1 bunch Vietnamese/butter lettuce
• 1 bunch spearmint (húng cay) or mint
• ½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• Small bag (250g) bean sprouts
• 600g dry mi quang noodles/pho rice noodles
• 100g roasted peanuts
• 3 toasted rice paper sheets
• Chilli oil (optional)

Method

How to marinate chicken

1. Using 3 handfuls of salt, rub and agitate to clean the chicken for 5 minutes then rinse well.
2. Duncan’s tip: Cleaning with salt helps to remove impurities and debris from the chicken.
3. Segment chicken into medium pieces: breasts in thirds, thighs in thirds, wingettes and drumettes. Place in a large mixing bowl.
4. Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients and allow to sit for 30 minutes, or for best results, in the fridge overnight.

How to braise chicken

1. In a large pot on medium heat, add cooking oil, garlic, shallots and chilli. Sauté for 2–3 minutes or until fragrant. Add turmeric and Chinese Five Spice powder and sauté for another minute.
2. Turn heat to medium high, add chicken and sauté for 5 minutes or until residual water has evaporated.
3. Season with an additional 1 tablespoon fish sauce, ½ teaspoon anchovy salt and ½ teaspoon sugar, add 100ml water. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Duncan’s tip: This step helps the chicken absorb flavour and improves texture.
5. Add hard boiled eggs and enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes or until chicken is tender.
6. Season to taste with fish sauce, MSG, sea salt and sugar.

How to assemble

1. In a salad bowl, add lettuce, spearmint, coriander and bean sprouts. Toss and serve on the side.
2. Cook noodles as per packet instructions.
3. Duncan’s tip: Soak dry noodles for an hour before boiling for 30–90 seconds (brand dependent).
4. Place a serve of noodles into a large bowl. Top with chicken, egg and a few ladles of braising liquid.
5. Add salad mix, roasted peanuts, crushed rice paper, and chilli or chilli oil to taste. For extra savoury flavour, splash in some premium fish sauce.
6. Duncan’s tip: Microwave rice paper sheets for 30–60 seconds to puff and toast them quickly.

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   Enjoy a Vietnamese beer with Duncan on his next tour.

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