Australian visitors impressed with 'world of spices' of vermicelli soup

Australian food writer commented that the vermicelli soup is rich, containing "a whole world of flavors and ingredients" in one bowl.

Australian editor Ben Groundwater wrote an article in late March praising the popular Vietnamese dish Bun Rieu. Groundwater is a writer and journalist with 20 years of experience, currently the main travel columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald.

In the first lines of the dish's introduction, Ben described the crab noodle soup as having a rich, slightly spicy flavor, combined with square pieces of blood. He was "surprised" that the crab noodle soup contained all kinds of flavors but fit in one bowl.

Hanoi-style crab vermicelli soup with pork fat. Photo: bachuaviahe — Hanoi -style crab vermicelli soup with pork fat. Photo: *bachuaviahe*

The dish has broth from simmered pork bones, tomatoes and crab paste. The noodles are thin, with a variety of toppings such as tomatoes, crab cakes, blood, pig's feet, and tofu. The dish cannot lack vegetables including shredded water spinach, chopped banana flowers, bean sprouts, perilla, and basil. Ben said that some local diners often add spices such as vinegar, shrimp paste, lemon, and chili. This dish can be eaten at any meal of the day, from breakfast, to lunch or dinner, providing enough energy and nutrients.

The food writer also researched the origins of Bun Rieu. Most of the locals he interviewed said the dish originated in the Red River Delta provinces in the North, then spread to many places and each place had its own variation.

When learning about Vietnamese cuisine, Ben found that Northern-style vermicelli soup often has simple ingredients including rieu cua dong (crab soup), tofu, cartilage ribs, and snails. Some Northern localities also have vermicelli soup with crab served with grilled pork and lolot leaves. Southern-style vermicelli soup has a variety of toppings, including pork, pig's feet, blood, crab cakes, and rieu tom kho (dried shrimp soup).

Ben Groundwater says there are also a number of Vietnamese-owned bun rieu restaurants in Australia. The writer suggests that diners can try this dish at Pho Song Huong in Bankstown, Sydney. In Melbourne, the recommended restaurant is Bun Cha Co Dao in Footscray.

Ben said he had enjoyed the southern version of Bun Rieu in Ho Chi Minh City. He suggested that visitors visit the restaurant on Nguyen Canh Chan Street, Cau Kho Ward, District 1.

Vietnamese vermicelli soup with crab has won the hearts of international diners many times. In July 2023, American food blogger Max McFarlin, whose YouTube channel has nearly 700,000 followers, posted a video expressing his surprise at the taste of vermicelli soup with shrimp in Saigon. Max commented that the bowl of vermicelli soup had a clear broth and a light taste, different from the vermicelli soup he tried when he came to Hanoi. The vermicelli bowl had a fragrant smell of dried shrimp.

Bich Phuong (According to Sydney Morning Herald )

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