Compass Travel Vietnam
Hai Duong has a fish noodle dish that seems normal but it’s not
Referring to vermicelli with perch, people often think of Thai Binh or Ninh Binh fish noodles. But recently, Hai Duong fish noodle soup has been proposed to become a national brand dish.
What’s special about vermicelli with perch in Hai Duong?
Vermicelli with perch is a familiar dish you can meet in many places, especially in the Northern Delta region. Appears in many provinces such as: Thai Binh, Ninh Binh, Hai Duong… Each province has its own unique characteristics.
Not as famous as fish vermicelli in other provinces, but Hai Duong Dong perch vermicelli is on the list of “10 Vietnamese specialties with Asian culinary value – 2013”.
Hai Duong fish vermicelli is in the top 10 Vietnamese specialties with Asian culinary value – 2013.
If Hanoi pho has the elegance of Trang An people, Hue beef noodle soup has a rustic beauty like the charm of the ancient capital, then vermicelli with perch has the simple and somewhat generous beauty of the Eastern people. Hai Duong) by simple and familiar ingredients.
Mentioning here, many people also wonder if vermicelli with perch is different here compared to other places? The most noticeable thing is that Hai Duong’s bowl of fish noodles is very quality: full of fillings with many types of fillings. Which is fried fish, rimmed fish, then chestnut ribs, pork belly, and even meat.
The types of fillings included include: fried fish, rimmed fish, chestnut ribs, spring rolls (spring rolls) and meat.
The bowl of fish noodles is hot, the broth is sweet and rich, the firmer the perch, the more delicious it is, accompanied by celery or vegetables. All create a combination of flavors that are very mouth-watering, easy to eat, and approachable.
Enjoying a bowl of fish noodles in Hai Duong, you will see the meticulousness, ingenuity and effort of the seller for the dish. The owner of Nha Nhat fish noodle shop (Hai Duong) said: “To make a bowl of fish noodle soup is very sophisticated and difficult. First, the fish must be fresh, delicious, and sharp. Then, boil the meat and bones. Separately. When removing, be careful to keep the fish meat intact, not crushed. The broth is used entirely with fish broth. The fish bones are pounded, filtered, and then put water into the broth. To increase the sweetness. , the pot of broth is also added to the bone broth and simmered carefully. Each place has its own recipe to make the broth delicious, sweet and fragrant to create its own taste for the bowl of vermicelli. In general, talking about how to make it is very simple. But you have to do it yourself to know.”
The process of making a bowl of fish noodles takes a lot of work.
The way of doing business takes the word “family” as the root
About Hai Duong, going to fish noodle shops, you also find an interesting point in the way of doing business. If in big cities, most of their business is owned and hired, then in Hai Duong, fish noodle shops run a family-style business model that opens with each other, maybe it’s Ms. children or spouses.
The fish noodle shops are mainly made by family members.
Visiting two famous fish noodle shops in Hai Duong, both are opened by sisters in the house. At Nha Nhat fish noodle shop (Pham Hong Thai, Hai Duong), when asked, it was known that 3 sisters in the family also opened it, thought of the recipe and sold it for 23 years now. Visiting this fish noodle shop, you will see 3 sisters about the same age, each with a task, one person takes customer orders and counts money, one person stands at the counter to make dishes, one person carries and cleans.
The seller is always dedicated to his dishes.
After observing for a while, we asked who was the eldest sister and who was the younger sister. The eldest sister is always busy taking orders and always counting money, seems the most difficult, always urges the two younger sisters. And the two sisters, every time their sister scolds them for being negligent, they laugh, making the atmosphere here always cheerful and bustling.
Going to a Bac Son fish vermicelli restaurant normally just stopped in to eat, also because of curiosity at the previous shop, it was convenient to ask, but the two sisters opened it together. The two of them continued to work alternately, she shared: “The two sisters have been opening together for 20 years, they have not learned anyone’s recipe, before the traditional family cooks dinner, then no longer cooks. opening a homemade fish vermicelli restaurant is delicious, so let’s open a restaurant!”
Perhaps, because the business is in the “family-based” way, the quality of the food will be better. Because they take out their own credibility to ensure, take the family’s taste to create and reduce, it is also the dish they eat when they are hungry, when they rest their hands after receiving each long wave of guests. Therefore, the same is Hai Duong fish noodle soup, but when you eat it from one restaurant to another, you will see a certain difference in taste!
I thought it was small but every day sold out a ton of fish
In Hai Duong, people have the habit of having breakfast very early, even on weekends. At around 7am, the shops are crowded with people, especially the perch vermicelli noodle shops. If invited to breakfast by Hai Duong people, it will definitely be vermicelli with perch.
Stop by the theater vermicelli shop in the morning, the atmosphere is busier than ever, motorbikes, cars … turn out at 7 am to 9 am to cool down a bit. Accompanying that is the not-so-strong aroma of the fish broth that is always hot, the sound of the owner and the customers ordering overlapping dishes, the sound of clinking and clattering dishes. I really wonder, how can they remember each customer clearly, when some people order vermicelli noodles, some people rim, some people don’t have vegetables, some people don’t have vermicelli… no mistake, even remember. Who can get in first, who comes in later for convenience. When asked, she said: “Do a lot and get used to it”.
Every day, they sell from 70-80kg of fish, at the weekend, even a kilo of fish.
The owner shared, the day before the epidemic, her house sold 2 quintals of fish a day. It’s worse now, only about 70 – 80kg of fish, on weekends it’s up to 1 quintal, I don’t know how many bowls, but they also joked with us that: “The money you earn can also buy land. of the whole Theater next door.” In the afternoon, prepare fish to sell tomorrow. One day can go on and on. And especially the cheerful atmosphere here makes people feel joyful.
Asking the owner why her restaurant was so crowded, she frankly shared: “I don’t know this either, customers feel it for themselves, they can only come back if they eat it. But the most important thing is the most important thing. I have to clean it up.” And this is quickly proven when the stainless steel tables and chairs here are lined up in a clean, straight line. Even the type of plastic table is easy to stick to grease and is quite difficult to touch, but when touched, it is not sticky or greasy at all. At Bac Son fish noodle shop, too, the two girls also put two clean words on their heads.
The “divine” dipping sauce creates a unique flavor for fish noodles.
And one thing is for sure, not all fish noodle shops in Hai Duong are the same. In the two shops that we stopped at, there was a clear difference and each restaurant also had its own customer file. If at Nha Nhat fish noodle soup, it has a bit of a traditional flavor, then Bac Son fish noodle soup combines many flavors that stimulate the taste buds, especially younger people, with a homemade “divine” dipping sauce.
Fish vermicelli is not only a favorite dish of Hai Duong people but also of many neighboring provinces
It is a solid breakfast gift that is familiar in Hai Duong. Although I have also tried many different types of fish noodles, for Hai Duong people, vermicelli with perch is still sincere. Ms. Huyen (Quang Trung, Hai Duong) said: “I’ve been eating fish noodles since I was 10 years old, it’s been 20 years now, no matter how busy I am, I have to eat 2-3 mornings of fish noodles a week, I don’t feel like I’m lacking in food.”
Hai Duong fish noodle bowl is always very full but the price is only about 30-35k / bowl.
Not only Hai Duong people, many other provincial people also love this rustic dish, not afraid to come here from Hanoi and Hai Phong to eat a bowl of vermicelli with perch. Even, there are many people who open vermicelli shops in other provinces, but to enjoy the most, you should go to Hai Duong, enjoy a bowl of fish noodles and enjoy the fun and hospitality of the locals. people here.
Therefore, recently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed the Vietnam Culture and Culinary Association to consider, vote and recognize vermicelli with perch as a national brand. This is a very “justifiable” reason to go eat Hai Duong fish noodle soup right away!
Photo: Internet (vinlove.net)
Hai Duong has a fish noodle dish that seems normal but it’s not
vinlove.
Source: vinlove
