According to the South China Morning Post, Vietnam is a paradise of famous noodle dishes.
” Humans appeared on earth for many different purposes. I appeared on earth to do this. Eat noodles right here [Vietnam] “, South China Morning Post (SCMP – Hong Kong) ) quoted the late famous American chef Anthony Bourdain as the opening illustration for the article praising the unique taste of noodles and vermicelli in Vietnam.
According to this newspaper, the American chef has made sitting on a low plastic chair eating noodles on the sidewalk a ritual for any visitor to Vietnam.
While in Hanoi in 2016, he and then US President Barack Obama enjoyed Bun Cha.
For SCMP, bun cha is indeed very famous, but it is only one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of different noodle dishes spread across this country with a population of about 100 million people.
Anthony Bourdain brought former President Barack Obama to enjoy a bowl of bun cha in Hanoi in 2016. Photo: SCMP
Excellent fish vermicelli
During the trip across Vietnam, US reporter Chris Dwyer of SCMP started from Hanoi with fish noodles. Fish vermicelli has a rich broth thanks to simmering tubular bones, along with many other ingredients such as tomatoes, vinegar, and dill. ” They convey a light herbal flavor, freshness and acidity, providing the perfect combination of sweet and sour ,” CSMP describes.
Although bun ca is ubiquitous in Hanoi, Vietnamese-American chef Peter Cuong Franklin, head chef of a famous restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, prefers this dish at restaurants along the coast. Central south.
” I think the best version of this dish comes from Nha Trang, where it is filled with the privilege of the sea: a variety of fish cakes, fried fish and fish balls, pieces of fresh tuna or excellent chewy jellyfish. “
Or Marcus Meek, the chef at a five-star hotel in Hanoi, introduced two other traditional dishes.
Ingredients commonly used in Vietnamese noodle soups are sold at a street market in Hanoi.Photo: SCMP
” Nu Ngan has a light and fragrant broth, very satisfying. Then vermicelli noodles, which are also famous traditional dishes of the locality “, he said. ” The broth [of vermicelli] has a nutty taste, with rich flavors coming from herbs, boiled snails and a very interesting aftertaste of star anise .”
Top floor
A destination worth a visit is Hoi An, this lovely commercial district has become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Central Vietnam thanks to its ancient atmosphere with its lantern-lined streets, rivers, bridges and ancient temples.
” Hoi An’s wonderful Cao Lau noodles encapsulate all flavors when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine; they’re sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter ,” praised the SCMP.
Hoi An high floor.Photo: SCMP
Cao Lau noodles are made from rice and they can only really be called Cao Lau if they are made from the local Ba Le well. The noodles are then mixed with turmeric and soaked with ashes of the melaleuca tree to give them a pale yellow color and chewy texture.
What makes Cao Lau such a great dish is the combination of all the ingredients: simmered pork bone broth, anise, and cinnamon flavor, five-spice pork marinated in soy sauce and water fish sauce, combined with basil, mint, coriander, and crispy fresh bean sprouts.
It would not be complete without the most delicious, golden rice cakes still handmade in Hoi An, drying in the sun on bamboo screens.
” Cao Lau is special because it has influences from three major countries, reflecting Hoi An’s rich history as a trading port ,” explained Mr. Cuong Franklin.
” Chinese dishes with five-spiced pork and soybeans, Japanese dishes with noodles similar in texture and flavor to udon, and French with deep-fried ‘breadcrumbs’ give the dish an extra layer of texture. “.
Strange noodles
Finally, the island of Phu Quoc off the southwestern coast of Vietnam is home to vermicelli noodles.
Vermicelli offers diners a self-service experience as each diner stirs up his or her own dipping sauce. This makes it a popular choice for families.
At the restaurant, diners can make their own mixture of chili, fish sauce, kumquat, salt, sugar, and main noodles…, balancing between sweet, salty, umami and sour according to their own taste.
Stir-fried noodles are prepared by the chef from rice flour, cut directly into boiling water, then divide the noodles into bowls, pour the broth, seasoned with a little shrimp paste and assorted side dishes such as shrimp cakes, baby squid or meat. cow.
Phu Quoc noodle soup.Photo: SCMP
A big fan of vermicelli is Bruno Anon, the Spaniard, the head chef of a hotel in Phu Quoc.
” White noodles, soft, chewy, blended with shrimp, fish cakes and a simple, clear, slightly sweet broth. The noodles and seafood are so fresh that all they need to cook is a little hot broth poured. into the bowl ,” he said.
” However, it’s really the dipping sauce that makes this vermicelli stand out and blows away every taste. [It’s] sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and umami.”
For Anon, vermicelli is not only a dish, but also a tradition and ritual. ” It’s an experiential process,” he explains. ” Sharing a bowl of vermicelli with others [is like] sharing stories, it’s a way of life “.