Tariq (living in Canada, of Vietnamese and Pakistani descent) recently traveled to Vietnam with the desire to explore and spread his homeland's culinary culture to international friends.

During his time in Hanoi, Tariq and his close friend Leon spent time enjoying many dishes. Among them, there was one dish that impressed him and he praised as “the best in Vietnam”. That dish was crab noodle soup.

Tariq (right) and Leon (left) sit on the sidewalk, enjoying crab noodle soup on Cau Go Street (Hoan Kiem District)

Tariq said he had tried crab noodles in both Vietnam and Canada. As for Leon, this was the first time he had enjoyed this dish. Therefore, Tariq enthusiastically introduced Leon to this familiar and equally famous dish in Northern Vietnam.

“Banh da cua has a distinctive brown noodle. A bowl will have many ingredients such as beef, ham, fried tofu, etc. served with bean sprouts and herbs. As far as I know, this dish originated from Hai Phong ,” Tariq said.

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The young man described rice noodles with crab as “a soul-warming dish that tourists should not miss.”

Besides, he also carefully instructed his friend how to enjoy the crab noodle soup like a local. That is, put some raw vegetables (lettuce, perilla, Vietnamese balm) into the broth until half-cooked, then add a few slices of hot chili and a little lemon juice.

Tariq revealed that it is very difficult to find crab noodle soup in Vancouver (Canada) – where he lives. Therefore, when he returns to Vietnam, he always wants to eat this dish.

“Pho may be the star of Vietnamese cuisine, but rice noodles deserve a spot too. This dish features chewy brown noodles and a rich crab-flavored broth, complemented by a number of other fresh ingredients,” Tariq commented.

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Foreign guests enjoyed the crab noodle dish.

According to this guest, the crab noodle dish is not only attractive in appearance but also impresses with the flavors blended from many different ingredients. This makes him excited and rate the crab noodle dish as “the dish with the best noodles and broth in Vietnam”.

Because he sat on the sidewalk, Tariq could eat while watching the bustling street scene in Hanoi. This made him emotional because he felt the atmosphere and landscape in the capital were different from the last time he came.

“It’s great to be back here. Hanoi is always so bustling,” the Vietnamese-Pakistani man said.

Photo: Viet Paki

Not only does it have a unique appearance, pho made from a common tuber in Quang Nam also helps diners stay full for a long time.