Brian Jeffrey
A Culinary Landmark in Nam Dinh: Hien’s Vermicelli Soup Stall
At the bustling corner of Dien Hong market in Nam Dinh city, Hien’s vermicelli soup stall has been a cherished stop for local diners for nearly four decades.
The stall buzzes with activity throughout the day, particularly peaking around lunchtime and in the evening hours.
Duong Thi Hien, the 67-year-old proprietor, shared that her culinary journey began early on as she learned the art of making the dish from her mother. After her marriage in 1985, Hien launched her own shop. Initially, she specialized in bun rieu cua but later diversified her offerings to include cracklings and salted sliced figs, adding a unique twist that captivated a growing crowd of patrons.
Today, her signature dish is popularly known as ‘bun sung’ (vermicelli with fig) or ‘bun top mo’ (vermicelli with cracklings). Hien’s time-honored recipe has successfully retained a loyal customer base for 40 years.
According to Hien, the essence of bun sung lies in its broth, crafted solely from field crabs, which lends it a subtly sweet flavor. This broth, when paired with a touch of sour vinegar, creates a beautifully balanced taste. On average, she prepares around 20 kilograms of field crabs daily to concoct the broth.
Hien’s stall operates from 6 am to 8 pm, necessitating early mornings for her. She begins her day around 3 am to process crabs for the broth, while other essential ingredients like spices and herbs are prepped the night prior.
“Daily, I utilize about 50 kilograms of figs and 100 kilograms of vermicelli. On weekends, I scale up to 200 kilograms of vermicelli to accommodate the influx of customers,” Hien noted.
She explained the process of preparing figs: after washing, they are thinly sliced and soaked in diluted saltwater to mitigate bitterness and prevent discoloration. Diners can customize their dishes with seasonings according to their preferences.
Every bowl of bun sung features fresh vermicelli, bean sprouts briefly blanched in hot water, crispy cracklings dusted with spices, and a steaming broth poured over the top.
Each dish is affordably priced at just VND10,000. If patrons opt for extra toppings such as grilled fish, fried fish, pork mushroom balls, or grilled meat wrapped in betel leaves, the cost ranges from VND15,000 to VND30,000.
Hien also introduced new toppings six years ago, allowing for a broader selection, with approximately 70 percent of diners opting for these embellishments while the remaining 30 percent enjoy the traditional presentation.
