Embarking on a culinary journey at Buffet Sứ to master the art of crafting timeless vạn thắn noodles.

A piece of tender vạn thắn, with a silky smooth texture, resilient and translucent like a polished gemstone, enveloping layers of flavor within the filling, soaked in a fragrant, sweet broth, rich and captivating.

First taste of Hanoi-style vạn thắn noodles.

Visiting the upscale Buffet Sứ, known for its extravagant spread of luxurious delicacies like oven-baked lobsters, nourishing herbal soups, grilled hedgehogs, crispy frog legs, blood cockles, crabs, mantis shrimp, sea cucumbers, salmon, lamb shanks, American beef,... and yet, amidst the opulent array, the most cherished flavor of that evening was found in a small bowl of delicate vạn thắn noodles.

Heading to Sứ Buffet for these delights...

Arriving at Sứ Buffet that day, I discovered that Hanoi has had its own special type of vermicelli for a long time. It's steaming hot, closely tied to Hanoi's windy seasons. The broth in the bowl is rich, with each wave of steam carrying the sweet, intense flavor of simmered bones and vegetables, fragrant and heartwarmingly hot! In the bowl, there are strands of chewy, firm vermicelli, golden brown slices of honey-glazed char siu pork intertwined with fresh green onions, sweet cabbage leaves, and a perfectly fried egg.

But in the end, I fell in love with Hanoi's vermicelli!

The best part is when you delicately use a porcelain spoon to scoop up a piece of vermicelli swimming in the broth and examine it closely. The vermicelli is tender, the outer layer smooth, chewy, and crystal-clear like a polished gem, encasing the rich flavors of the filling, soaked in fragrant, rich, intoxicating broth. The moment the first bite hasn't even left your mouth, you're already eager for the second!

The delicious taste of my bowl of noodles comes from the rich sweetness of fresh shrimp paste, the smoothness of boiled vermicelli, the crispy fried vermicelli, the flavorful char siu pork, and the sweet broth embracing the tantalizingly chewy egg noodles...

If you ever get the chance, I recommend you try the Hanoi vermicelli at Sứ Buffet among nearly 200 European and Asian dishes, all sorts of delicacies from near and far, to experience the exquisite, intricate flavor that is both familiar and exotic, encapsulating the essence of a legendary, thousand-year-old city! I'm also sharing with you the recipe for making this vermicelli, a specialty of Sứ Buffet, so you can gather your family around to enjoy it together, warmly embracing each other on windy mornings...

Recipe for Hanoi vermicelli (serves 4)

Ingredients:

+ 200g fresh shrimp, 100g minced meat, 100g pork liver, 50g dried shrimp, 1kg pork bones

+ 1 packet of egg noodles, 200g dumpling wrappers (or you can make your own vermicelli wrappers by kneading flour and eggs, letting the dough rest for about 30 minutes)

+ 1 onion, 1 turnip, 1 carrot, 2 eggs, wood ear mushrooms, scallions, bok choy, spices (dried shallots, salt, pepper, seasoning powder)

+ Ingredients for char siu pork: 500g pork butt, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, 3-4 cloves minced garlic, 1.5 tablespoons oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon ground pepper (Or if you prefer not to make char siu pork from scratch, you can buy pre-cooked char siu or substitute with other cooked meats like braised, steamed, or fried, but it won't be as delicious)

First, wash the meat thoroughly, pat dry, mix all the ingredients for char siu pork (except the meat) in a pot, stir well to form a thick mixture, let it cool before marinating the meat, and leave it for a few hours to absorb. Grill the meat in an oven at 220 degrees Celsius until cooked through, then slice thinly.

Ingredients for a pot of authentic Hanoi vermicelli

Blanch the bones in boiling water, then rinse well, simmer with carrots, turnips cut into pieces, finely chopped onions, and dried shrimp for about 2 hours, remember to keep the heat low and skim off the foam several times. Season with salt and seasoning powder to taste.

Soak wood ear mushrooms and dried mushrooms until soft, then finely slice. Finely chop dried shallots. Peel and devein the shrimp, then dice. Mix all ingredients together with minced meat evenly to make the filling. Take a small amount of filling, place it in the center of a dumpling wrapper. When boiling vermicelli, round them up, and when frying vermicelli, fold the edges, shaping them into triangles.

Place the vermicelli in a pot of boiling broth to cook. When the vermicelli floats, it's done. Remove from the pot. If not, you can fry them in hot oil until golden and crispy.

Divide the vermicelli into half for frying and half for boiling

Now, boil the eggs, cut them in half or quarters. Steam the fresh shrimp until cooked, peel and devein. Cut the bok choy into chunks, blanch in boiling water. Boil the pork liver until cooked, then slice thinly. Cook the egg noodles until done, remove and rinse with cold water. The scallions can be cut into short pieces or finely chopped, depending on your preference.

Arrange the noodles, bok choy, a few pieces of boiled and fried vermicelli, steamed shrimp, boiled eggs, and sliced pork liver in a large bowl, sprinkle with scallions. Pour the broth over the top, add char siu pork, and serve hot!

Preparation and Presentation

You see, to create a small bowl of noodles with such effort, achieving the true taste is not easy. However, once it's made, just tasting a bit of its rich and flavorful broth is enough, without even needing to bite into the tender, smooth vermicelli, still retaining its chewiness, richness, and aroma. Each silky smooth bite slipping down your throat is satisfying enough!

If you're too busy to make a delicious bowl of authentic vermicelli yourself, you can always visit Sứ Buffet with your family to enjoy not only vermicelli but also hundreds of other delicious European and Asian dishes!

>>> Check out Sứ Buffet's detailed promotion program

Address of Sứ Buffet: 64 Nguyễn Du, Hoàn Kiếm District.

Mai Du.

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