Vietnamese Noodle Soups

Noodle soups are a staple Vientamese food with an amazing variety of choices for people to decide upon. The noodles can be fat, skinny, round or flat and be made of rice or wheat. The soups cover a spectrum of flavors from salty to spicy each providing a unique taste. Below is list of some of the most popular noodle soups you will find in Little Saigon.

• Phở: Beef and Chicken Vietnamese Noodle Soup

  

  Undoubtedly the most famous and popular Vietnamese food, there is certainly no shortage of restaurants specializing in Phở. Phở is relatively simple in its presentation. The main ingredients are the broth, bánh phở (rice noodle) and beef briskets or chicken meat. The broth is made by slow cooking beef or chicken bones with ginger and spices over several hours. Ox tails, ginger, cinnamon, onion and other spices can also be added for more flavor.

  The rice noodles are flat and either thin or a fatter variety. The meat is generally thin slices of rare beef (pho bo or pho tai) which will be cooked by the piping hot broth. There is also chicken pho (pho ga) which is prepared differently in different restaurants. Some offer sliced or whole white chicken meat with no skin and while others may be chopped up with skin, bones. and tendons along with dark meat Typical vegetable ingredients are onions, chili peppers, culantro, lime, bean sprouts, and Thai basil. These give the pho its extra herbal flavor and texture. These are given on the side for you to add according to your tastes. Other sides include nước béo(fatty oils) for extra extra fatty flavor and hành dấm, ( vinegared white onion) If you are a spicy eater then you can add hot ¬chili peppers or sriracha. If you want more msg and flavor, Hoisin is the sauce to add. For first time eaters, experiments with the different items to discover the right mixture of items suited to your tastes for your perfect pho.

• Bún Bò Huế: Spicy Vietnamese Beef & Pork Noodle Soup

  

  Prepare to sweat. This is the spicy lovers noodle soup as you can see just by looking at the photo. This dish which comes from the central Vietnam city Huế, consists of vermicelli noodles and beef in a spicy broth.

  The broth is made with beef bones and shank, lemongrass is added for a distinct flavor. Additional seasonings include shrimp sauce, salt, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, shallot, annatto seeds and of course some spicy chili powder, giving the soup a burst of intense spicy flavors that will have you reaching for your glass of water often.

  The main food ingredients are slices of marinated and boiled beef shank, pork hocks, oxtail, cubes of pig blood and thick rounded vermicelli noodles. You can ask for just the meat and noodles if you don’t fancy the other items.

  Additional vegetable ingredients are served on the side for you to add at your liking. These include lime wedges for an added sour taste , cilantro , banana blossoms, diced green onions, raw sliced onions, mint, basil, chopped cabbage, and bean sprouts.

• Mì: Egg Noodle Soup

  

  There are many variations of Mi noodle soups which originated from the Chinese. A popular choice is Mì((wheat flour noodles) Hoành Thánh(wonton) Thịt Xá Xíu (roasted pork). Mi is more "stringy" with a yellow appearance and tends ot have a rougher texture which differs from rice noodles like pho or bun bo hue which are smooth and white. The broth is generally cooked with pork or chicken bones, so it is like a tasty chicken soup. It’s usually topped with slices of pork and green onions, cilantro, and lettuce. Other variations of Mì add different meats such as duck, chicken, shrimp, squid, or other meats. It may also be served dried without the soup or with the soup on the side if you prefer.

• Bánh Canh: Vietnamese Thick Noodle Seafood Soup

  

  Bánh Canh is a fat noodle soup often served with seafood. The noodle is thick(but soft) and round with a tasty soup that or is very different in flavor than the other soups already mentioned. Often crab(cua), fish cakes(cha cá) and shrimp(tôm) are the prefered types of banh canh alhtough you can top it with other meats such pork or beef meatballs in addition to the usual green onions, white onions, cilantro, lettuce and other veggies.

• Bun Thang: Vietnamese Chicken, Pork Egg Noodle Soup

  

  Bun Thang is a noodle soup coming from Hanoi and consists of vermicelli noodles and three equal portions of chopped strands of egg crepes and cha lua (a sausage like roll made with pork wrapped in banana leaves) and , shredded chicken. Additional toppings may include shrimp or shrimp paste and the veggies: green onions, peppers, cilantro and rau răm. The clear broth is made with chicken and has clean clean and simple flavor with no additional sauces needed. The result is a very artful presentation with the different ingredients firing your taste buds to delight. It doesn't have the kick as other noodle soups but its still delicious.

• Bún Riêu: Crab Noodle Soup

  

  Bún riêu is another vermicelli noodle soup and is usually topped with cua (crab), cá (fish) or ốc (snails). Other ingredients may include pork chunks, meatballs, shrimp paste, huyết (pig's blood cubes), fried tofu, hạt điều màu (annatto seeds) and veggie garnishments like split water spinach stems, shredded banana flower, rau kinh giới, spearmint, perilla, bean sprouts, chilis or lime. This soup is made with tomatoes and crab paste and tends to be reddish in color from the annato seeds which makes it look spicy, but it actually has a sour seafood taste. Another delicious Vietnamese noodle soup unique from the others.

• Hủ Tiếu: Vietnamese Pork & Seafood Noodle Soup

  

  Hu Tieu is a southern Vietnamese dish originating from China/Cambodia. The broth is clear and made primarily of pork bones with meat toppings of pork and seafood such as fish balls, squid, shrimp or crab and hard-boiled quail eggs. Different types of noodles can be used such as rice noodle like pho, egg noodle like mi or tapioca noodles which are fat, white and chewy. The latter tends to be the noodle of choice. Vegetable garnishments can be added such lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, can Tau (Chinese celery), green onions, chives, and lime. The result is a sweet tasting Vietnamese noodle soup, that is sometime also eaten dried without the soup.