The most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten, thus far, was during my travels in Vietnam. My sister and I were recommended a place with no name, just an address. We were told to get there early (she’s only open for a few hours starting at around 7 AM) and look for a woman who was cooking out of a large pot, with small, colorful stools set up on a sidewalk around her. A few wrong turns and about an hour later, we found her. And boy was it worth the trip half way across the world.
Now, I don’t speak Vietnamese and this women definitely didn’t speak English but all that was needed was a simple nod of the head and she brought us two piping hot bowls of heaven, Bún riêu cua. Bún riêu cua is a sand crab, rice vermicelli soup with a tomato based broth. The sand crabs are usually found in rice paddies around Vietnam and are delicious little creatures. It’s served with noodles and beef, a variety of fresh herbs and spices, and topped with fried and pickled garlic. The incredibly rich broth has a spicy punch to it that pairs seamlessly with the acid in the pickled garlic. I noticed some other patrons had what I could only describe as a black egg but I couldn’t seem to communicate that I wanted one. I am quite the fan of slow cooked, boiled, fried and any way cooked eggs, so I will definitely brush up on my Vietnamese before returning. And I will return.
Sitting in that cool, crisp morning with a hot bowl of beautifully made soup, nothing in the world mattered but that moment. If you ever find yourself in Hanoi, Vietnam, you best find this woman. I might even go so far as to say an entire trip to Vietnam is worth just this soup. All hail this wonderful, bún riêu cua genius.
40 P Hang Tre, Hanoi, Vietnam
The Wandering Noodle 