Southern beef noodle soup in Hanoi: Invented by Northerners or Southerners?

Southern beef noodle soup is loved by both Vietnamese and Westerners.

Besides some people saying "the dish originated from Hanoi ", there are also people who say "the name is Nam Bo beef noodle soup so it must have originated from the South".

Southern beef noodle soup was once recommended by CNN as one of the 10 street foods to try when coming to Vietnam, along with bun cha, banh mi, goi cuon, cao lau...

Summer is here, let's have some Southern beef noodle soup

Along with cold snail noodles, shrimp and pork spring rolls, bean and eggplant porridge, etc., Southern beef noodles are one of the favorite summer dishes in Hanoi.

In the South, the dish also has other names such as mixed vermicelli, stir-fried meat vermicelli...

This dish is not difficult to make, but to make it delicious… depends on the skill. The best beef is the tenderloin, flank, rump… then thinly sliced, marinated with spices and garlic.

To keep the meat from being tough, still ensuring sweetness and not being dry, pay attention to stir-frying until just cooked over high heat. If you like onions, you can add them at this time, stir a few times and then remove from heat.

Arrange lettuce, chopped herbs, bean sprouts and vermicelli in a bowl. Housewives tell each other not to forget the Vietnamese mint. Then, scoop the meat and spread it on top with the sauce, roasted peanuts and fried onions.

Drizzle in diluted sweet and sour fish sauce, mix well and enjoy.

Compared to the North, which is quite "loyal" to the stir-fried beef recipe, in the South, this dish is more diversely varied. Also using the same vegetable ingredients and broth, in addition to beef, it can be combined with grilled spring rolls, spring rolls...

Regarding the origin of Southern beef noodle soup, there is still no satisfactory answer. What people cite for debate are just folk tales, there is not enough data to confirm with certainty.

The secret to delicious Southern beef noodle soup is stir-fried beef until just cooked.

Street legend

There is information that the first restaurant selling this noodle dish was located on the sidewalk of Dong Loi Hotel on Nam Bo Street (now Le Duan Street - Hanoi), opened in the 80s of the last century.

This dish was originally called mixed beef noodle soup, but over time, customers got used to calling it Nam Bo beef noodle soup or Nam Bo beef noodle soup.

Another person added, "The owner of the Southern beef noodle shop named Can on Le Duan street used to be a person from the South who moved to the capital to live. Her way of making things is also from the South."

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien - author of many books about Hanoi - said that an acquaintance's house was near Dong Loi Hotel. According to the story, at that time there were no Southern beef noodle shops.

According to the writer, the North does not have this mixed dish. If Saigon does, then the name Southern beef noodle soup originating from the South is quite reasonable.

Nguyen Ngoc Tien leans towards the hypothesis: There was a period when people from the South gathered in Hanoi and made this dish, so it was called that.

Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung - author of the book "Ha Thanh Huong Xua Vi Cu" (two volumes) - said about the origin of Southern beef noodle soup, she only heard about it but did not know exactly. "It's only been a few decades but it's already vague," she said.

Harmonious flavor of Southern Vietnamese beef noodle soup

Tuoi Tre Online met Mr. Hieu - owner of Bach Phuong Nam Bo beef noodle shop on Hang Dieu street. This is one of the early restaurants selling Nam Bo beef noodle in Hanoi.

Mr. Hieu said that this restaurant was opened in 1986 by his grandparents, Nguyen Dinh Bach and Nguyen Thi Phuong.

At that time, the restaurant was only 30 square meters wide and had a 20 square meter attic. There was only one waiter; the old couple both sold and cooked. The customers were mainly people from around the old quarter. Today, the restaurant has been upgraded to be much more spacious.

"At that time, were there many Southern beef noodle shops in Hanoi?", "What is the origin of this dish?". Mr. Hieu said his grandparents did not tell him anything, he only remembered "it was very quiet back then", "the recipe for the dish at the shop was thought up by his grandparents to suit the taste of Hanoians".

According to Mr. Hieu, the most important thing about this dish is the "harmony of flavors".

The Southern Vietnamese beef noodle dish has existed and been present throughout the history of the lands as a "legendary" dish of the streets, urging people to find answers to its origins.

Unlike Hue beef noodle soup with its "sure" origin in the Central strip of land, Southern beef noodle soup is "vague" and interesting in its own cultural history.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bun-bo-nam-bo-o-ha-noi-nguoi-bac-hay-nguoi-nam-che-ra-20240618161622497.htm