Dried shrimp vermicelli soup with unique ingredients - Photo: HUY DOAN
In a peaceful, leisurely alley, completely different from the hustle and bustle of District 10 (HCMC), Mrs. Dao Thi Thanh's vermicelli soup restaurant serves countless diners every day and often closes early because the pot is empty.
The shop was “started” by Ms. Thanh’s mother in 1970. When she started helping her mother, she was only 11 years old and has kept her mother’s job until now.
The name sounds very strange, vermicelli with dried shrimp, also comes from the restaurant's special cooking method.
Homemade vermicelli soup with dried shrimp
When jokingly asked why Ms. Thanh has been doing this job for so long, she said: "It must be because of the farmer blood from my mother in me."
Ms. Thanh's family used to live in the North, then moved to the South to live and do business.
Mrs. Thanh's family's small crab noodle shop for 50 years - Photo: HUY DOAN
According to Ms. Thanh, the family's circumstances at that time were difficult and lacking, so her mother wanted to find a job in wholesale to earn a living and support the family.
And the current dried shrimp vermicelli shop is her mother's "business".
Ms. Thanh said: “At that time, Saigon had many delicious dishes, but my mother just thought that our family was from the North, so she chose to sell regional dishes.”
The shop was originally located in this alley but was a bit more rustic and simple. Low plastic tables lined the wall.
The ingredients were neatly arranged by her mother on the table, not on a cart like now.
The restaurant is always crowded with diners - Photo: HUY DOAN
“Gradually, my family saw that the restaurant had a certain number of customers, so we moved inside to make it more convenient.
Rain or shine, it's less hard for the diners" - Ms. Thanh shared.
Thanks to that, the space of the restaurant is also a big plus.
Although the house is not spacious, it is always kept clean and feels airy.
The neat arrangement, especially the use of home furniture, makes diners feel like they are enjoying a bowl of "homemade" vermicelli soup.
"Remember to add lots of dried shrimp and tomatoes, okay?"
Almost anyone who often eats at the restaurant will hear the catchphrase of the regular customers here: "Remember to add lots of dried shrimp and tomatoes, ma'am."
That is also the special feature of Mrs. Thanh's vermicelli soup with crab, because the main ingredients are dried shrimp and tomatoes, not crab, blood or tofu like some other places.
The ingredients are simple but no less special than regular vermicelli soup with crab - Photo: HUY DOAN
In addition, pork rinds also bring a unique, fatty flavor to the eater.
Ms. Thanh said that this rusticity was passed down from her mother. Because bun rieu has become a familiar dish to everyone, Ms. Thanh's mother wanted a new flavor of bun rieu, but still retaining the rusticity.
A bowl of vermicelli soup here only has simple ingredients such as dried shrimp, tomatoes, pork rinds, green onions...
Each ingredient is carefully selected and prepared by Ms. Thanh from 4am. For example, the dried shrimp will be medium-sized and washed thoroughly so that the broth does not have residue.
One of the most important ingredients is the broth.
The broth is cooked thoroughly with the ingredients. When you eat it, you can immediately feel the sweetness of the dried shrimp, a little sourness from the cooked tomatoes and a little fat from the pork rinds.
Compared to the usual vermicelli soup, the broth here is a bit different. A person eating at the restaurant even said that the broth tastes like... vermicelli soup.
Ms. Thanh said: “In addition to dried shrimp, I also use another ingredient to cook with the broth. But this is my secret.”
Because of this richness, many people become regular customers, and some diners even visit Mrs. Thanh's restaurant right after long business trips.
“The broth is rich and sweet due to dried shrimp. Every time I go there, I drink it all up”; “The flavor is unique” - a diner shared in the review section of Google Maps.
Ms. Thanh said: “My happiness is seeing customers enjoy the food, love it and come back.” Above all, she also considers this dried shrimp vermicelli soup restaurant a “memento” from her mother to her.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bun-rieu-chi-tom-kho-ca-chua-top-mo-va-nuoc-leo-nhu-canh-bun-ma-hom-nao-cung-sach-noi-20241021153941093.htm
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