Rice vermicelli noodles (see notes), broken into pieces -- 1/2 pound
Eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water -- 2
Firm tofu, thinly sliced -- 1/4 pound
Oil -- 2 tablespoons
Ground pork, ground -- 1/4 pound
Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 1/4 pound
Garlic or garlic pickle, minced -- 1 tablespoon
Scallions or shallots, minced -- 2 tablespoons
Lime juice -- 3 tablespoons
Fish sauce -- 2 tablespoons
Brown or palm sugar -- 2 tablespoons
Tomato paste -- 1 tablespoon
Red pepper flakes -- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
Scallions, chopped -- 2
Cilantro -- 1/2 bunch
Mung bean sprouts -- 1 cup
Thai or serrano chile pepper, sliced into thin rounds -- 3
Heat the oil for deep frying oil in a wok, deep pot or deep fryer to 370°F. Add the rice noodles and fry, flipping them over, until they puff up. This should take just a few seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside to drain on paper towels. Dip clean fingers into the beaten egg and then let the egg drip into the hot oil to make lacey strings. Remove the egg immediately with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Repeat until all egg is used up. Chop into small pieces, and set aside. Deep fry the sliced tofu until it browns. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the oil out of the wok or deep pot. Add the pork and stir fry it, breaking it up, until it is cooked through, then remove to a plate. Add a little more oil if needed and stir fry the shrimp until it is just cooked through. Remove to the plate with the pork. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic and minced scallions or shallots. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, brown or palm sugar, tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Simmer over low heat until it is reduced to a syrupy consistency, 3 or 4 minutes. Stir half of the fried rice noodles into the sauce to coat. Then stir in the pork, shrimp and the remaining of the noodles. Mound noodles on a large serving platter. Top the noodles with a garnish of egg strips, tofu, chopped scallions, cilantro, sprouts and chiles. Serve immediately.