Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf

Food is nourishment. It sustains us through connection, culture and memory — bringing people together, carrying traditions across generations and holding stories of home, belonging and care.

We’re happy to share dishes from our staff and the experiences that make them meaningful.  

In recognition of Asian Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting a recipe for egg meatloaf, a comforting Vietnamese breakfast dish, from our Communications Manager Giao.

Ingredients

• 200 g ground pork
• 50 g black fungus (wood-ear mushrooms)
• 50 g mung bean vermicelli
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 eggs
• 1 tbsp oil
• Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

1. Rehydrate the mushrooms and vermicelli in 2 separate bowls with some water for 30 minutes. Drain the excess liquid.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (190°C).
3. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips.
4. Use a pair of scissors to cut the vermicelli into 2 cm-threads.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms, vermicelli, pork, garlic, green onion, salt, fish sauce, sugar and freshly ground black pepper. Use your hands to mix them well.
6. Add in 3 whole eggs and 2 egg whites and mix well to combine. Save 2 yolks to brush on top of the meatloaf later.
7. Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat, pour in the egg mixture.
8. When the edges start to set, transfer the skillet to the pre-heated oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Remove the skillet from the oven and brush the top of the meatloaf with the reserved egg yolks. Serve with rice.

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A note from Giao

I grew up eating cơm tấm (Vietnamese broken rice) sold by a lady near my house in Vietnam. For more than 20 years, she’s stationed at the same alley, opened for breakfast until 8 or 9 a.m. when everything runs out. Her seasoning of pork chop is on point. Her fish sauce dressing is well-balanced. Another plus point, her green onion oil is always fresh and lush, with a generous amount of lard. Her meatloaves, while as simple as those from other shops, always have a crust that cannot be found elsewhere. The trick? Right after taking her meatloaf out of the steamer, she places the entire pan on the charcoal grill (conveniently used for pork chops) for a few minutes. It’s divisive though: some people enjoy it (I do), but some belong to the definitely-no-crust school.

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