Mien Ga Hanoi | 008 Lo B C/C Ngo Tat To, Binh Thanh District | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
In America, I never heard of or tasted bun mang vit — duck bamboo vermicelli soup. In Vietnam, I crave it on a regular basis. Recommended from a friend whose number one choice of protein is duck, this joint is actually a mien ga and pho joint but serves bun mang vit on odd number days (i.e. Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays), usually sold out by 9am.
Lean cuts of duck breast and thinly sliced bamboo are both to be dipped in a sauce of fish sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, chili, and lime. This perfectly balanced sweet dipping sauce is nicely contrasted with a salted broth made from duck bones. The choice of vermicelli noodles adds a soft and slippery texture, pleasant to slurp after the bites of duck breast and crunch of bamboo. And of course, topped with green onions, various herbs, and chili to your liking. Sounds so simple, but the owner consistently harmonizes the components of this soup so well.
-Noreylee
