Vietnamese Vermicelli Bundles (Bánh hỏi) with Lemongrass Lion’s Mane Recipe (with Video)

1. Bring 4 cups of water in a small pot to boil. Wipe the lion’s mane with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt. Using your finger to tear the mushroom apart into bite size pieces. Add the mushroom to the boiling water. Cook for about 3 minutes. Drain the water and once cooled, squeeze out all the water. Transfer to a small bowl and marinate the mushrooms with dark soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass, sugar, black pepper, garlic, and ginger. Set aside while we prep the vegetables.
2. Peel the outer layer of the daikon radish and carrots and discard. Now shred the radish and carrots. Add to a bowl with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of sugar. Massage the vegetables with your hands. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. You can tell its ready by bending one piece and it shouldn’t snap in half. Rinse the vegetables with water to get rid of the salt. Squeeze out all the liquid from the vegetables with your hands. Add the vegetables to a clean jar along with the vinegar, remaining sugar, and water. Store in the refrigerator while we make the rest of the ingredients.
3. Wash and dry the lettuce, mint, and basil. Prep the cucumbers and scallion. Add the scallion to a bowl along with the oil and salt. Microwave the scallion oil for 45 seconds. Set aside.
4. Add the dried banh hoi pieces to a large bowl. Cover with room temperature water and soak for 5 minutes. Drain the water. Cover the bowl with a wet paper towel and microwave for 1-2 minutes. The banh hoi should be soft and ready to eat. Set aside.
5. Heat up the oil in a nonstick pan. Saute the mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.
6. On a large plate, add the lettuce, basil, mint, cucumbers, and pickled vegetables on one half. On the other half of the plate, add the lemongrass lion’s mane and banh hoi. Top the banh hoi with the scallion oil. Add a small bowl of the vegan fish sauce in the center. Enjoy by layering in the following order: half a piece of lettuce, one mint and basil leaf each, one piece of cucumber, a few pieces of the pickled veggies, and 1-2 piece of the lemongrass lion’s mane. Wrap like a taco, dip in the vegan fish sauce, and enjoy!