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It can be said that Ho Chi Minh City is one of the top destinations for food enthusiasts, and the bun rieu dish alone has many variations that captivate diners, such as: bun rieu with duck, bun rieu with fertilized duck eggs, bun rieu with sea crab, stir-fried snails, bun rieu with octopus, bun rieu with dried shrimp and pork cracklings...
Duck noodle soup (Bún riêu vịt) features beautifully cooked, golden-brown duck meat combined with duck blood, herbs, and a sweet, fragrant broth made from dried shrimp paste, tomatoes, and duck meat. Crab and snail noodle soup (Bún riêu cua biển, ốc xào) captivates diners with its rich crab and stir-fried snails in a savory sauce, all in a sweet and fragrant broth. Balut (fertilized duck egg) noodle soup evokes the rich flavor of pork cracklings combined with crispy fried tofu, the sweetness of meatballs and sausage, and fertilized duck eggs.
With simpler ingredients than other types of vermicelli, shrimp and pork crackling vermicelli soup, with its dried shrimp, tomatoes, and pork cracklings, still captivates diners with its fragrant and subtly sweet flavor. Located in a small alley on Nguyen Kim Street, District 10, Mrs. Dao Thi Thanh's shrimp and pork crackling vermicelli soup stall always attracts customers because of its delicious, unique flavor and affordable price.
Mrs. Thanh's noodle soup stall, but "without the broth".
Arriving at the restaurant on a weekend morning, I quickly ordered a bowl of vermicelli soup with dried shrimp and a portion of pork sausage. Soon I had a steaming hot bowl of vermicelli, fragrant with the aroma of tomatoes and dried shrimp. Unlike other places, this vermicelli soup doesn't contain pig's blood, tofu, or snails; it's made with simple ingredients like dried shrimp, tomatoes, and vermicelli, yet it's exceptionally delicious. Each bowl costs 30,000 VND, and customers can order additional pork sausage as desired. Customers can enjoy it with various herbs, banana blossoms, and shredded water spinach. On the table are lemons, chili peppers, shrimp paste, and other condiments for customers to adjust to their taste.
I was impressed by the broth, which had a light sourness from the tomatoes and a delicate sweetness from the dried shrimp – it was incredibly delicious and not at all cloying. In the quiet atmosphere of the small alley, I slowly savored my bowl of vermicelli.
The dishes offer a full range of choices to suit the diner's preferences.
Sharing the history of her family's bun rieu (rice noodle soup), Ms. Dao Thi Thanh said: "My family has been selling this dish since the 1970s, which is more than 50 years now. My mother opened the stall and later passed it down to me, the second generation. Currently, I haven't passed it on to the third generation because my children all have other jobs. Initially, the family sold it in front of the alley, but later moved it inside to be closer to home and to provide customers with more seating to avoid the rain and sun."
Ms. Thanh said: “The ingredients are used daily and not kept overnight. Everything we make is sold as soon as it's prepared. The family both makes and sells; some sell outside, while others prepare the ingredients and cook the broth inside.” The broth is made entirely from dried shrimp, which the owner sources from a familiar supplier at the Binh Dien wholesale market, instead of simmering bones. Ms. Thanh explained that the broth is sweet because it's made with a large quantity of dried shrimp.
The broth is made entirely from dried shrimp.
Dried shrimp is imported from Binh Dien wholesale market.
Mr. Minh, a long-time customer of the restaurant, shared: "I've been eating at this place for a long time, since the old lady used to run it. The owner used to sell at the beginning of the alley, but later moved here. The dried shrimp vermicelli soup here is delicious and unique; I've eaten it in many places but haven't found this flavor anywhere else. The price is also reasonable, the food is hygienic, and it contains little MSG, so it doesn't leave a harsh aftertaste. Because I'm also a restaurant owner, I can immediately tell what kind of spices they use and whether the broth is sweet from bones or MSG."
The restaurant is open from 7 am to around 2 pm, with the busiest time being between 11 am and 12 pm. Saturdays and Sundays are the two busiest days of the week. According to Mr. and Mrs. Minh, the restaurant runs out of food or has no seats available by early afternoon on weekends. But with the philosophy of "satisfying the stomach is all that matters," he willingly chooses a bowl of dried shrimp noodle soup from Mrs. Thanh, even though his house is quite far from the restaurant.
Mr. and Mrs. Minh often take advantage of their days off from work on Saturdays and Sundays to go and experience the local cuisine.
The noodle shop is located in a small alley but is always bustling with customers.
