When most people think of Vietnamese noodle soup, Pho is what they picture. But don’t forget that Vietnam is a flavor powerhouse and Pho isn’t your only option. This country knows how to blend and balance flavors in a way I could only aspire to. So make sure you experience every bowl of noodle soup you can put in your belly!
Great people watching and noodle soup on Beer Street
Now let’s talk about bún riêu and see if I can get through it without positively drooling. This noodle soup is a perfect blend of tomato acidity, rich umami crab, fresh herbs, garlic vinegar, and lime to taste. It is honestly life-changing.
We were strolling through Beer Street in Hanoi one evening, enjoying people watching as the night blossomed, when we stumbled upon a little street food stand hidden in the corner of the hubbub. The infectious smile of the woman ladling broth into a bowl caught our eye just as the smell reached us. We approached and decided to sit down for a “Bia” (Beer), which normally costs anywhere from 80k-200k VND on Beer Street, but costs only (20KVND/$.76USD) here. Her location was prime for sitting just out of the craziness, but still close enough to watch the night unfold, which was just what we were looking for. We had just eaten, but after watching and smelling the locals enjoying their soup, we couldn’t help but order a bowl (40k VND/$1.52 USD).
She happily jumped up and started piling vermicelli noodles into a bowl and covering them with steaming broth before offering us our choice of meat. We opted to skip the meat topper, though she had options of beef, pork, and snails. She set down the bowl in front of us and started adding the garlic vinegar, chili paste, and lime. Smiling as she talked in Vietnamese. Next she set down a big basket of fresh herbs and motioned to us to add it to the hot soup. We took our first sip with her eagerly watching, and our mouths exploded with flavor; we instantly regretted having decided to share a bowl.
This little Bún riêu stand quickly became one of our absolute favorite places to eat in Hanoi. As we continued to go, we quickly became friends with the woman whom we affectionately dubbed “Grandma Riêu”. We learned that she’d been at this location making her soup for 50 years, and boy, does she have her flavors down perfectly. She makes her own chili paste, which we ended up buying a jar of to take back home!
Grandma Riêu is open daily from 5pm-2am. Her location is on the street at 36 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Hanoi Old Quarter.
She’s a true gem of a person; she doesn’t speak English, but is happy to converse through Google Translate if you show her your phone (she only has a flip phone). She’s always concerned about us being cold and loves to sit close to you, smiling and people watching together. It’s getting hard out there for the little food stands with the breakdown on street stalls lately, so please, if you’re in Hanoi, go and give Grandma Riêu a visit. Your taste buds will thank you.
