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Bun thang is a long-standing Hanoi dish, skillfully prepared by women using leftover scraps from Tet (Lunar New Year). To make an authentic Hanoi-style bun thang, you need basic ingredients: thin rice noodles, chicken, eggs, pork sausage, fresh shrimp, scallions, coriander, shrimp paste… All are finely chopped, shredded, or pounded and topped with a clear, hot, sweet broth simmered from chicken stock, dried shrimp, dried squid, dried radish, and shiitake mushrooms. During cooking, the cook must meticulously skim off the foam continuously; the broth is, arguably, the soul of the dish.
Adding a little shrimp paste and a few slices of chili peppers, a bowl of Hanoi-style bun thang becomes a captivating work of art at first glance, thanks to its exquisite presentation, and once you've tasted it, you'll remember it forever.
Although bun thang is a signature dish of Hanoi, it's delicious but hard to find due to its elaborate preparation process involving many steps. If you want to try it, read and compare reviews before choosing a place to enjoy authentic bun thang!
