Sidewalk vermicelli soup with crab soup "low class name" in Hanoi, sells hundreds of bowls every night

"My customers are mostly regulars, but many of them don't know my name. In the past, when my mother-in-law was selling, they called it Bun rieu ba mom, but when I came to the restaurant, they called it Bun rieu ba deu. It sounds a bit funny but it's also unique, making it easy for them to remember," said Ms. Hoa, the owner of a sidewalk bun rieu stall on Nguyen Thiep Street (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi), as she meticulously arranged her stall, preparing to welcome customers, and "laughed out loud" about the unique name of her shop.

The crab noodle stall of Ms. Giang Thi Hoa (54 years old) has become a familiar address for many diners for 20 years. Previously, the owner was Ms. Hoa's mother-in-law, and she was an assistant.

Mother and daughter run a business on Duong Thanh Street (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi). For nearly 8 years now, Ms. Hoa has continued her vermicelli soup stall following her mother-in-law's recipe and moved to Nguyen Thiep Street, near her home.

"My mother-in-law cooks vermicelli soup with traditional flavors and until now, I still keep that recipe. My mother's vermicelli stall has raised 10 children, so we are very proud," said Ms. Hoa.

Mrs. Hoa’s noodle making area is a small table, arranged with enough spices and ingredients. Next to it is a pot of simmering broth. On the left is a shoulder pole carrying a basket of noodles and a large bowl. Plastic tables and chairs are placed against the doors of the surrounding houses.

Explaining the name "Bun Rieu Ba Deu", Ms. Hoa said that due to the nerve damage behind her ear, her hearing is quite poor. When selling, customers have to speak loudly and many times for her to hear clearly.

So, for some reason, customers half-jokingly called this restaurant "the deaf lady". Later, she used a hearing aid, so customers were served according to their requests and no longer complained about being served the wrong dish.

"Some people find it sad, but I find this name strange and easy to distinguish from other shops," said Ms. Hoa.

Every day, Ms. Hoa opens for business from 6 p.m. the previous day until about 2 a.m. the following day. If it rains, she will close earlier. The busiest time is between 8 and 10 p.m.

According to her, the most elaborate part of the crab noodle soup is the broth. She simmers the bones for many hours until they are tender, then drains the broth, adding pure crab paste, tomatoes, vinegar and spices according to her family recipe.

"In the broth, I measure each ingredient carefully, every day, to ensure the flavor is guaranteed, not salty, bland, or strong... The bones and crab must be fresh, real ingredients to be delicious," said Ms. Hoa.

According to the owner, the ingredients are imported daily from long-time suppliers. From crabs, beans, raw vegetables, herbs... the family imports them all and then prepares and processes them themselves to sell in the evening. In the summer, when the weather is hot, the preservation process will be more difficult.

"The restaurant is full of regular customers, sometimes they have been eating there since they were in love, until they got married and had children, and they still come back. So if I cook differently, they will notice right away. I do business on the sidewalk, with simple tables and chairs, and limited seating, so I want customers to stick around, so I always try to make the food delicious, cheerful, and friendly to customers," said Ms. Hoa.

The price of the vermicelli soup at the restaurant is quite cheap compared to many other restaurants in the old quarter, ranging from 25,000 - 65,000 VND. Ms. Hoa writes the price very clearly so that customers do not get confused.

A bowl of vermicelli soup with crab soup for 65,000 VND will include mantis shrimp, tofu, cartilage ribs, beef, and pig's ear. The amount of vermicelli and side dishes are plentiful. The restaurant also sells side dishes such as pork rinds for 10,000 VND/bag, duck eggs for 8,000 VND/egg, and fried bread sticks for 10,000 VND/plate. The crispy fried pork rinds are contained in a plastic bag to ensure hygiene.

When a customer orders, Ms. Hoa quickly dips the noodles into a pot of boiling water, arranges the side dishes on top, sprinkles chopped green onions, shallots, a little seasoning, then pours the hot broth almost to the brim of the bowl.

For those who like the taste of shrimp paste, Ms. Hoa will add a small spoonful to enhance the flavor. The bowl of vermicelli soup with crab soup is still steaming, giving off a gentle, fragrant aroma when it reaches the table. This is a delicious dish to warm the stomach at night.

Ms. Hoa said that the restaurant sells hundreds of bowls of crab noodle soup every day. On weekends, she sometimes sells 500 - 600 bowls, equivalent to more than a hundred kilograms of noodles, and mobilizes nearly 10 people to serve. "Making crab noodle soup requires many steps and selling at night is very hard. But every time I see customers coming back and sticking around, I feel happy," she confided.

Ms. Lan Anh (21 years old, Long Bien, Hanoi) has been eating at the restaurant for more than 3 years. The female customer likes the traditional flavor of the broth, harmonious and rich. She has brought many friends to enjoy the restaurant.

Mr. Binh (70 years old, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi) was most impressed with crab vermicelli soup served with pork fat. "The pork fat is crispy, not soaked in oil so it is not greasy, very suitable with the mild sour broth. A normal bowl of crab vermicelli soup is only 25,000 VND so everyone can eat it," he said.

According to customers, although she sells on the sidewalk, Ms. Hoa is a neat person, keeping the space very clean, creating a good impression. If you come on a weekend night, you will have to wait because the restaurant is crowded.

Bun rieu is one of the street foods that attracts tourists when coming to Hanoi. In recent years, Hanoi cuisine has always been highly appreciated by international media and domestic and foreign tourists.

In March, Hanoi won the top spot in the category "World's Best Culinary Destination 2024" within the framework of the "Best of the Best by Traveller's Choice" Awards announced by Tripadvisor.