5 VIETNAMESE DISHES WITH NODDLES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE NOT KNOW

“Phở” has been one of the first few words that one will think of immediately when talking about Vietnamese food. And it is, this Vietnamese hot noodle soup has made its way into the worldwide recognition with its sweetness of broth, a wide range of using herbs and more. Within the country’s cuisine, however, there are quite a few more noodle soups than just “phở”, and they are all worth your try once you visit Vietnam.

Noodles have always been a huge and dominant part in Vietnamese culinary culture. No matter where you enjoy or how much you pay for a bowl of noodle soup, these dishes are the top choices for a quick meal with your stomach being fuller than usual, hence they have become really popular in Vietnam. There’s pho of course, but you might hear of some dishes like “bún” or “hủ tíu” with too many different variations, and some of them are as popular as “phở” that you might have never tried before. So the question is, which one should you begin to discover this very important part of Vietnam’s cuisine? It’s about time for these 5 hot noodle soup dishes to receive their recognition!

Bún bò Huế

A typical Bun bo Hue with side garnishes

A related noodle soup to phở due to its similarities, bún-bò-Huế is one that you should not miss when traveling to Vietnam. Originated in Hue, a former capital of Vietnam, this rice vermicelli with beef dish appears as a more boldly flavored noodle soup than phở by many, mostly due to its perfect balance of spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavors in the broth, along with the predominant flavor of lemongrass that is greatly admired. The noodles are usually thicker and bigger than the ones using in bún-riêu or bún-thịt-nướng, included with the dominant usage of beef shank, oxtail, sometimes pig’s knuckles upon request and a wide range of garnishes such as lime wedges, mint, basil, sliced banana blossoms… all that you can ever imagine for a tasty and warm breakfast. Someone has described bún-bò as a dish “you never knew you loved” and that is true, it leaves you mouthwatering for such flavors.

Bún riêu

Bun rieu cua, a popular type of Bun rieu with crab.

Perhaps a lesser-known Vietnamese hot noodle soup, bún-riêu still has its own charm to attract many visitors to try for once. Not only is the dish delicious, it is also rich in nutrition with calcium from the ground crab shells, iron from blood cubes, protein from fried tofu and lots of vitamins and fibers from the side vegetables. It’s more common that you would find this dish from many street food vendors, since the combination of seafood tasting and the natural sweet acidity of tomatoes – one of the key ingredients of this soup, is more of a late meal than a breakfast, and more flavorful too! Think of one lazy afternoon with a little bit of gray and rain – a rare weather occasion in Vietnam during December to enjoy, having a hot bowl of bún-riêu with nice broth, soft and fluffy crab base stock with many garnishes and a full spoon of tamarind paste for a sour taste, that’s when you know bún-riêu can do no wrong to your food travel in Vietnam.

Bún mắm

A hot bowl of Bun mam for your breakfast.

And here comes another hot noodle soup with side garnishes to add into: bún-mắm. This traditional rice vermicelli soup, however, comes with a strongly-flavored fermented shrimp paste broth that will make your culinary experience unforgettable (no pun intended!). If you are a seafood lover and expecting a hot bowl of soup with full of shrimp, squid and fish altogether, then this is just right for your wish. The noodle soup is hot, salty, smelly, sweet and sour at the same time. At first you might not be a fan of the fermented fish or shrimp paste in the broth, but as that umami combination comes together with a slice of squid, a few rice vermicelli in a spoon at once, it will leave you nothing but a strong impression and another hunger for the next one. The only advice you should take while savoring this very special bún-mắm: this is not the best bowl to take if you need to cool down, especially while you’re travelling to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

Mì Quảng

A closer look of Mì Quảng, one of the most popular hot noodle soup in Vietnam

So yes, there have been phở, bún-bò, bún-riêu and bún-mắm, the four hot noodle soups with a unique umami flavor for each dish. But then this might happen, as you might feel a little bit too much of the broth sometimes. In such occasion, mì-Quảng is your answer. Originated from Quảng Nam, Central Vietnam, this noodle dish has been noted for its small amount of broth, the difference of the rice vermicelli and the addition of peanuts and toasted sesame rice crackers. At first mì-Quảng might seem a little bit too dry since its broth is only half of the serving bowl, but when you savor the strongly-flavored broth while dipping the noodles or the crackers for a taste, it all makes sense. And what could be more ideal than a dish with not too much strongly-flavored broth, but instead a wide range of shrimp, thinly-sliced pork and chicken with side herbs to make it look good like mì-Quảng for lunch?

Hủ tiếu

Hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho, one of the popular variations of Hủ tiếu in the Southern Vietnam

Last but not least, Hủ-tiếu is also a common choice of hot noodle soups in Vietnam to try once you start your Vietnam travel. Also known as kuy teav in Cambodia or kuai tiao in Thailand, hủ-tiếu has been an extensive culinary part in many South East Asia countries as a popular choice for breakfast and dinner. With many variations of this dish, there are also a wide range of garnishes and aromatics to customize the dish for a diner. It’s very easy to savor this noodle soup at a street vendor while you are wandering around the Chinatown – the origin of hủ-tiếu as the ethnic Chinese groups were the first to introduce this, or at any restaurant with the adaptation of its Cambodia style (Hủ-tiếu Nam Vang), or a rural adaptation from the Western Vietnam (Hủ-tiếu Mỹ Tho). With chewy rice noodles, clear and soothing broth, tasty toppings that add extra to the hot bowl of hủ-tiếu, you won’t have to think much for your breakfast from now on.

Of course there are some more hot noodle soups that could have made to the list, but with these 5 dishes, it appears as more essential amongst the others that you should try when you visit Vietnam. Besides, they are the top choices for those who want to try cooking Vietnamese food at home, so prepare yourself for an upcoming Vietnamese cuisine tour, and learn the recipe to make them right away!