Bun treo Như Ý: Saigon has always been like that, loving each other through every meal and bowl of noodles.

In the middle of the bustling city, there is a small noodle shop nestled in Binh Dong ward (old district 8, Ho Chi Minh City), no fancy sign, only the words "hanging noodles" prominently displayed. It sounds strange but very familiar.

A hot, fragrant bowl of vermicelli soup at Nhu Y Restaurant - Photo: LAN HUONG

Located on Pham The Hien street, from 6am onwards, Nhu Y restaurant is bustling with people coming and going. On its simple signboard, the restaurant introduces three typical noodle dishes: crab noodle soup, meatball noodle soup and... "hanging" noodle soup.

Bun rieu and bun moc are familiar dishes of Saigon people, but bun "trèo" is so strange that everyone has to ask curiously and then nod when they know that bun "trèo" is not only a dish but also a way for Ms. Hong - the owner - to share love with everyone.

My mother has a talent for cooking any dish.

Sharing with Tuoi Tre Online , Ms. Truong Tran Nhu Y (28 years old) - Ms. Hong's daughter - said that up to now, Nhu Y restaurant has been in business for nearly 20 years. At that time, Ms. Hong tried selling many dishes, from beef stew, pho to broken rice... but in the end stopped at bun moc and bun rieu.

"At the time of selling broken rice, because there were many customers, my mother was so busy selling that she accidentally burned her right arm. From then on, the family absolutely refused to let her sell rice anymore. She missed her job and wanted to sell, so she switched to selling vermicelli - a dish that required the least use of the kitchen possible" - Ms. Nhu Y recalled.

Clear broth, lots of toppings - Photo: LAN HUONG

Although it is just a small restaurant, Ms. Hong is always busy from early morning to late night. Not knowing how to ride a motorbike, every day at 4am she has to catch a bus to the market to choose the freshest ingredients for the broth and other ingredients.

Each bowl of vermicelli with crab and vermicelli with meatballs at Nhu Y restaurant costs only 25,000 VND but is "full", an adult can eat until full.

Bun rieu has a clear but very rich broth. The sweet broth from fresh field crabs blends with the mild sourness of tomatoes and the strong aroma of shrimp paste to create a very unique flavor that anyone who eats it once will remember forever.

A 25,000 VND portion of vermicelli with crab soup has crab soup, pork roll, crab cake... - Video : LAN HUONG

As for bun moc, the broth is sweet from stewed bones, each homemade meatball is meticulously shaped, chewy, rich in meat flavor, creating a wonderful harmony for the dish.

The special thing hidden behind each attractive and delicious bowl of noodles at Nhu Y restaurant is the recipe that Ms. Hong researched and summarized through decades of experience.

According to Ms. Nhu Y, that is her mother's special talent: "My mother has a strange thing, wherever she eats a delicious dish, she can come home and recreate it exactly the same.

When I travel and eat delicious food that I haven't seen sold anywhere else, I often bring it home for my mother to try and then we research it together.

Bun rieu and bun moc are the same. Mom likes to eat bun, but no one around sells them so she started to explore and opened a shop. But everyone who eats them loves them."

Making "hanging" noodles, receiving joy is happiness!

A year ago, while surfing social networks, Ms. Hong accidentally saw a "hanging" pho model in Hanoi .

As if touching something warm in her heart, she cherished this idea for her own noodle shop. After being explained and encouraged by her daughter, Ms. Hong began applying the "hanging" noodle model to the restaurant Nhu Y.

Ms. Hong (right) cherished the plan to make "hanging" vermicelli after consulting this model on social networks - Photo: Facebook Bun Treo 1829

The "hanging" noodle model will be applied from September 9, 2024. At first, the number of noodles hung will be up to 70 - 80 bowls per day, but then gradually decrease, maintaining 15 - 20 bowls per day.

Sometimes when the "hanging" noodles run out, the restaurant will spend money to give away to everyone. If the "hanging" noodles run out, Ms. Hong will hang up steamed buns, sticky rice, bread... so that whoever comes will not have to go home empty-handed.

In addition to hanging noodles directly, many people from far away who are interested in this model will choose to hang noodles online for Ms. Hong. To provide transparent information, Ms. Nhu Y has created a Facebook page Bun Treo 1829, posting a clear statement of all donations from benefactors every month.

"You can leave a portion of food to share with those in difficult circumstances in the community while still supporting the local restaurant" - Photo: LAN HUONG

Recalling the memories of nearly a year of making "hanging" noodles, Ms. Nhu Y recalled: "The time that my mother and I remember most was a disabled lottery ticket seller who came to the shop and hung 200,000 VND, or 8 bowls of noodles. He said that because he sold a lot, he wanted to share with people in need.

Another time, he came to receive the noodles instead of hanging them. At that moment, I realized that sometimes the person who gives is not the one who is too rich, but simply because they have more that day and they want to give love.

In early 2025, Ms. Hong's "hanging" noodle shop was honored at the WeChoice Awards 2024. Ms. Nhu Y proudly called this "a lifelong dream" and an achievement that both mother and daughter could never forget.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bun-treo-nhu-y-sai-gon-xua-nay-la-vay-day-thuong-nhau-qua-tung-bua-com-to-bun-20250706132857425.htm