Vietnam's Famous Noodle Dishes That Live Up to Their Name

With a wet-rice farming tradition thousands of years old, Vietnam is the perfect cradle for dishes made from rice, rice vermicelli (bun) above all. It seems every region has its own bun dish that reflects its people and its land. Join VN Cooking to discover Vietnam's bun dishes that truly live up to their fame! 

1. Bun cha

From a very familiar ingredient, pork, people in the North came up with a wonderfully tasty noodle dish: bun cha. Good pork belly is thinly sliced, marinated, then grilled over charcoal until just cooked. For a softer bite, minced pork shoulder is used to make meatballs.

Besides the fragrant grilled pork, the soul of bun cha lies in the well-balanced sweet and sour fish sauce dip and the pickled green papaya. Only a well-made dipping sauce brings out the flavor of the meat and ties all the aromas together, so you never tire of it. 

2. Bun tom (shrimp noodle soup)

This signature dish of Hai Phong is loved across the country for its distinctive flavor. Its main ingredients are rice vermicelli and tiger prawns, plus greens that change with the season, such as water celery, mustard greens and taro stems. Unlike ordinary bun dishes, the broth is made from the shrimp cooking water and simmered bones, giving it a delicate yet rich sweetness.

When served, bun tom can be topped with a few pieces of betel leaf sausage, fish cake and shredded wood ear mushrooms, making the bowl not only hearty but also eye-catching, with the red of the shrimp, the green of the greens, the white of the noodles, the yellow of the fish cake and the black of the mushrooms.

3. Bun mam nem 

Bun mam nem has become a familiar favorite with the people of Da Nang. It is an everyday specialty you can find anywhere in the city. Its two main components are rice vermicelli and fermented anchovy sauce, served with fresh herbs, roasted peanuts, boiled young jackfruit, roast or boiled pork and pork rolls to taste, along with other condiments.

What makes Da Nang's bun mam special is the mam nem. It is made from anchovies washed in seawater and salted following a recipe handed down through generations. Once fermented, it gives off a powerful, distinctive aroma that fills the air and entices every diner.

4. Bun mam 

Bun mam is a familiar dish of the Mekong Delta, especially An Giang and Tra Vinh. The broth of this unique noodle soup is cooked with mam bo hoc, a fermented fish paste that is a specialty of the Khmer people. Originally bun mam contained only fish, but later pork sausage, fish cake and roast pork were added, making the bowl heartier and more appealing. 

Bun mam has a distinctive flavor and comes with many vegetables typical of the Mekong Delta, such as yellow velvetleaf, bean sprouts, shredded water spinach, okra, garlic chives, thinly sliced banana blossom and bitter herb.

As you can see, Vietnamese bun dishes are truly varied and abundant! We hope this article from VN Cooking has given you useful information about bun dishes in Vietnam.