Wash the bones in cold water. Add them to a large stock pot, covering them with room temperature water. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium and skim off any scum that surfaces after 30 minutes.

Add the chopped daikon, onion, cilantro root or stems, garlic, and season with ground white pepper. Allow this to gently simmer for at least 1 hour. Keep topping up with water as needed, ensuring the bones remain submerged.

After simmering, carefully remove the bones from the pot. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the cooked vegetables. The stock can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for future use.

For the Thai rice vermicelli, soak them in room temperature water for 5-10 minutes until they’re pliable. If you’re using a different type of noodle, adjust the soaking time based on the package instructions.

In a separate pot, bring 4.5 cups of the pork stock to a boil. Stir in soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and ground white pepper, then add the fish balls, cooking until heated through.

Boil a large pot of water. Dip a portion of soaked noodles and a handful of bean sprouts into the boiling water for just 3 seconds. Remove them and place in a serving bowl. Repeat this step until all portions are cooked.

Ladle the flavorful broth over the noodles and fish balls in each bowl. Top with fried garlic, garlic oil, tang chai, and finish with a sprinkle of cilantro or green onions.

For a Tom Yum twist, add roasted chili flakes and lime juice to taste. Serve immediately with desired condiments on the side.