Western fish noodle soup ‘best in Saigon’
HO CHI MINH CITY – The fish noodle soup at Cong Doan restaurant has snakehead fish that is just cooked to
Fish noodle soup is not the first name mentioned when talking about the cuisine of Nam Thanh, but it is the most sold thing during Tet.
Starting from the afternoon of the 1st of the Lunar New Year, many fish noodle stalls begin to spring up “like mushrooms” at local markets, or empty sidewalks of the streets. That’s also when, people began to “get tired” of delicious but greasy dishes such as Banh Chung, boiled chicken, bamboo shoots… And fish noodle shops began to be crowded with diners.
Nam Dinh fish vermicelli is cooked simply, not fussy with bone broth, white vermicelli glistens behind pieces of golden fried fish with herbs, green onions and blanched celery. The broth has a light, sweet taste and is served with a small basket of raw vegetables. That much alone will make diners who are people from far away from home returning, visitors to Tran temple pilgrimage or locals eating delicious and excited in the cold weather.
Price per bowl of vermicelli from 40,000 VND. Initially, fish noodle soup consisted of thinly sliced, marinated, deep-fried floating fish, which could chew on the bones and did not become mushy or mushy even though it was submerged in the broth for a long time. But later, to please diners, the shops began to sell other “toppings” such as meatballs, sprouts, or cartilage ribs.
In fact, fish vermicelli is not the first specialty mentioned in the list of famous Nam Dinh cuisine. But it is a definite must-try during the first days of the new year if you visit the city. The appearance of this dish does not have a special meaning or is associated with an ancient legend or classic. It is simply considered an anti-sickness dish for Tet, and this tradition of eating fish noodles has been around for more than 20 years.
On weekdays, fish noodles are usually only sold in markets. Only on the Tet holiday, the streets are filled with spontaneous stalls that spring up to sell this dish. After the full moon day of the first month, these spontaneous stalls will gradually decrease, and then completely disappear. If you want to enjoy the atmosphere of “home and people” eating fish noodles again, diners have to wait until next year’s New Year.
