A renowned rice noodle soup stall, serving for over 60 years near the bustling market in Saigon.

Compared to wheat flour, tapioca flour, or cassava flour, the noodles made from rice flour are softer, chewier, fresher, and never soggy.

A renowned rice noodle soup stall, serving for over 60 years near the bustling market in Saigon.

Tran Khac Chan Street (near Tan Dinh market, District 1) has always been a hub of numerous eateries in the city center. Here stands a sidewalk rice noodle soup stall constantly emitting fragrant smoke in the morning. The gleaming kitchen utensils and tables and chairs make many mistake it for a newly opened establishment, but in reality, this culinary spot has been around for over 60 years.

The proprietor, Mrs. Thanh (48 years old), is the third generation in her family to sell rice noodle soup. “Initially, my grandmother sold not only rice noodle soup but also pork porridge and fish for over 20 years. Then my mother-in-law sold pork rice noodle soup for 30 years, and I've been managing it for 13 years,” she said.

After years of replacing cooking utensils and cleaning the tables and chairs meticulously, the stall no longer retains the old, worn-out look like many long-standing eateries in Saigon. The dish here might seem somewhat plain at first glance, with only white noodles, a few pieces of pork, clear broth, a handful of green onions, and dried shallots. However, the stall still attracts customers with the deliciousness of the noodles and broth.

Pork includes various parts such as sliced pork belly, pork leg, pork bones, and pork skin. Diners can choose to have each type separately or mixed together in the rice noodle soup or served separately. The bones or trotters are large and meaty, while the pork skin is clean-shaven, offering a soft, chewy, and fatty texture.

According to Mrs. Thanh, the rice noodle strands are made purely from rice flour, resulting in a soft, chewy texture and the fragrant aroma of rice (some other stalls opt for noodles made from wheat or tapioca flour). Despite being cooked in hot water, rice flour noodle strands remain intact and do not break apart. The stall owner recalls that in the past, her grandmother and mother used to make rice noodle strands from scratch. “Currently, the rice noodles are sourced from a long-established noodle factory in Saigon,” she said.

The broth appears clear but has a sweet and savory flavor from the pork bones. Every bowl of rice flour noodle soup is always served with a small dish of fish sauce and pepper for dipping the meat. Unlike other stalls, this establishment does not serve bean sprouts on the side. “To prevent diluting the flavor of the noodle soup because the normal serving is already perfectly seasoned,” a diner remarked.

Previously, the stall only operated in one location, which was also the family's residence for decades. “In the past, our house was surrounded by vegetable fields, but now it has become a densely populated residential area. Over the past decade, the stall has moved outside onto the sidewalk to accommodate more customers because the house is nestled in a narrow alley,” the stall owner shared.

Each serving of rice flour noodle soup here costs from 30,000 VND. Customers can choose a mixed portion or select various types of meat. The stall only opens in the morning from 6 am to around 10 am or until sold out. Diners sit on tall chairs neatly arranged by the owner.

According to Tâm Linh/Vnexpress

Information not available

Reference: Travel guide by Mytour