In Hai Phong, bun ngam is less famous than banh da cua (crab noodle soup) and bun ca cay (spicy fish noodle soup), but it is also listed among the specialties of the city.

Many diners from far away may have not heard of the name of bun ngam, or soaked vermicelli, but if they have the chance to try this dish, they will never forget the taste. 

As its name shows, the vermicelli of the dish is created from soaked and grilled rice. The soaking in water aims to keep it crispy and reduce the sour smell. The vermicelli used is the type of large-size and crispy one that does not become too soft or mushy after being soaked for a long time.

When diners order bun ngam, chefs will scald vermicelli once again, add toppings to a bowl of vermicelli, and then souse soup on vermicelli.

Soaking rice to make vermicelli is an art. Every locality and chef has his own recipe. They can either soak vermicelli in diluted salt water, or warm water, or apply other formulas.

Nguyen Quynh Duong, the owner of the bun ngam restaurant on Hoang Minh Thao street in Le Chan district, said bun ngam is sometimes called ‘bun tom’ (vermicelli with shrimp), because the major ingredient of the dish is shrimp.

To make shrimp broth, Duong uses small spear shrimp, dries the shrimp in a pan, then grinds and filters shrimp to get an extract. In addition, she simmers animal bones overnight. The simmered bones and shrimp extract are cooked together to create the broth.

“The bones are simmered in an electric pressure cooker for one night, so they become tender the next morning. The shrimp is roasted to remove all the water, then filtered and mixed with the broth from bone, and seasoned with special spices,” Duong said. 

Duong stressed that shrimp is only ground after it is roasted, not when it is fresh, because this allows it to get fragrant and sweet extract, while the fishy smell can be removed.

“Making broth is the most elaborate, time-consuming and dedicated process. To increase the natural sweetness, I add radish, jicama and onion to make the broth rich, fragrant and fatty with strong flavor from shrimp and bones,” she added.

Bun ngam dishes can be differently prepared and seasoned, depending on chefs’ recipes. However, shrimp is an indispensable ingredient.

Bun ngam is an easy-to-eat dish that can be eaten at any time of the day and can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

Thao Trinh