Traditional vermicelli soup stall sells 700 bowls every night

Hanoi Located on Nguyen Thiep Street, Mrs. Diec's vermicelli soup stall is a famous late-night eatery in the capital, selling 700 bowls every night.

Every day, from 6pm, anyone passing by the area at the beginning of Nguyen Thiep Street (opposite Dong Xuan Market) will see a vermicelli soup stall starting to set up shop. The shop’s premises are on a wide sidewalk, stretching across four house numbers (from 68 to 74 and the opposite area) and can accommodate about 30 sets of plastic tables and chairs.

Ms. Giang Thi Hoa (53 years old, Hanoi) said that she used to sell with her mother-in-law at 46 Duong Thanh, maintaining it for about 30 years. Her mother-in-law passed away, Ms. Hoa took over the business and has been selling for 8 years now. The old area was built so she moved to Nguyen Thiep 3 years ago.

The noodle stall is located on the sidewalk of Nguyen Thiep street. — A noodle stall on the sidewalk of Nguyen Thiep Street. Photo: *Quynh Mai*

Regarding the name of the restaurant, Ms. Hoa said that when the restaurant first opened on Nguyen Thiep, she could not hear well in her right ear. Many times she made the wrong orders for customers, so customers often called her "Deaf Lady". Over time, she got used to it and used that name for her noodle stall. Currently, Ms. Hoa uses a hearing aid, so customers are served according to their orders and no longer complain about being served the wrong dishes.

In addition to the usual vermicelli soup, the stall's menu also includes toppings such as cartilage, pig's ear, beef, snails, and mantis shrimp. Of which, vermicelli soup with cartilage is the most popular dish. The price of each bowl ranges from 20,000 to 30,000 VND. Some additional dishes include pork rinds for 10,000 VND a pack, duck eggs for 8,000 VND each, and fried bread sticks for 10,000 VND a plate. In particular, a full bowl of vermicelli soup costs 60,000 VND, including beef and mantis shrimp.

Every day, Ms. Hoa's vermicelli stall sells until 4 a.m. The busiest time is from about 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. On weekend nights, the shop can serve nearly 100 people at a time. Ms. Hoa sells an average of about 700 bowls a night, consuming about a quintal of vermicelli. She said that the special thing that attracts customers is the broth, which is simmered from pork bones and pure crab fat with a secret family recipe that has been passed down through three generations. Therefore, vermicelli with crab soup is considered "a priceless asset" of her family.

Although it is a small stall, it has a large number of customers all year round. Including Ms. Hoa, the stall has 10 people serving. Starting at 11am every day, everyone starts preparing the ingredients. The preparation stage includes cooking the broth, making toppings, and raw vegetables. Cooking the broth is the most important as the pork bones need to be simmered for at least 12 hours.

When customers order, Ms. Hoa blanches the vermicelli into the boiling broth to heat it up, then adds the side dishes according to the customer's request, chopped green onions, shallots, spices, and then pours the broth almost to the brim of the bowl. When served, the vermicelli soup is still steaming, with the characteristic aroma of the crab broth and the fatty smell of scallion oil. When eating, customers can squeeze in more lemon, chili sauce, and garlic vinegar depending on their taste.

The noodles are cooked just right so they don't get mushy. The broth is rich and not salty. "A bowl of vermicelli with crab soup full of toppings, reasonable price, just looking at it is enough to fill you up. When you eat it, it feels like homemade vermicelli with crab soup", Vu Thi Quynh Chi (28 years old, Hai Phong ) shared her feelings when enjoying Mrs. Diec's vermicelli with crab soup.

Bun rieu oc dish at the restaurant. Photo: *Quynh Mai*

Famous for a long time, reasonable prices, clean food and seating, and a friendly owner, Ms. Hoa's noodle stall is a famous late-night eatery that is sought out by both diners from far away and foreigners. Ms. Hoa said that in the evening at Dong Xuan market, many Westerners go out at night, after enjoying the crab noodle soup, they give a thumbs up and say "Good". There are customers from Ho Chi Minh City who come to her shop every time they come to Hanoi, and have been doing so for 2-3 years now.

If you come to the restaurant around 6:30 or 9:30 p.m., you will have a chance to see the Hanoi - Hai Duong - Hai Phong train running on Long Bien Bridge. The downside of the restaurant is that it is crowded and you have to wait during rush hour. In addition, customers will have to pay a parking fee of 5,000 VND per motorbike.

Quynh Mai

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