Named after a street in Hanoi, this dish has been served at restaurants devoted to it for more than a century. Fish marinated with turmeric and galangal is pan-fried, then tossed at the table with generous handfuls of dill and scallions. The herbs are added at the table, not in the kitchen; dill cooked for more than 2 minutes loses its aroma and turns dark.
Cut the dill and scallions into 5 cm pieces and place them in a separate bowl; do not chop them, as the herbs should stay in large pieces for this dish. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan for 4 minutes, then coarsely crush them.
Whisk the fish sauce, sugar, water, and lime juice until the sugar dissolves, then add the sliced hot chile. Taste it; the sauce should be too sharp to drink on its own, since the noodles will balance it in the bowl.
Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions, rinse them under cold water, and drain thoroughly. Undrained noodles will leave water in the bowl and dilute the sauce. Arrange them in small bundles on a platter.
Scrape excess marinade off the fish and cut it into 4 cm pieces. Heat most of the oil in a pan until hot. Arrange the fish in a single layer and fry each side for 3–4 minutes, until the edges are golden. Do not crowd the pan; crowded fish will steam in its own liquid instead of frying.
Take the pan off the heat and bring it to the table, or set it on a tabletop burner. Add the dill and scallions all at once and toss for 60–90 seconds, just until the leaves wilt. They should stay bright green; if they turn yellow, they are overcooked.
Everyone serves rice noodles into their own bowl, tops them with fish and herbs from the pan, sprinkles on peanuts, and drizzles with dipping sauce. Do not pour the sauce over the noodles ahead of time; once wet, they will stick together within a few minutes.
Mix the fish with the turmeric, galangal, and yogurt marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, so the color and aroma of the turmeric can infuse the fish.
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