A southern style dish that you're missing out on: My Tho noodle soup

Along with Sa Dec and Nam Vang noodle soups, Hu Tieu My Tho - My Tho noodle soup - is a well-known noodle dish in the south. The dish is known for its thin, chewy texture and savory, sweet broth.

Diners can have Hu Tieu My Tho with broth on the side, and with sliced meat, liver, pho, shrimp, and a quail egg added. Photo by VnExpress/Khanh Thien

Tu, who is a long-time noodle seller, said that My Tho noodle soup appeared in the 1960s. The My Tho noodle soup has gained popularity over time and is a favorite among visitors to Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta.

One distinguishing feature of this cuisine is the thin, chewy, and slightly sour noodles prepared from rice in My Phong Commune, My Tho Town. After mixing rice flour into water, the mixture is cooked, dried, and cut into noodles.

The sweet, fragrant, and rich broth as well as the tasty noodles astound diners. Tu explained that pork bones, dried squid, dried shrimp, and white radish are the key ingredients in the broth. Shrimp, pork liver, pork intestine, ground pork, and sliced pork are all essential toppings for this dish. My Tho noodle soup is served with a side dish of raw bean sprouts, lettuce, celery, fried onion, lemon, chili, pepper and satay.

My Tho noodles are thin and chewy. Photo by VnExpress/Khanh Thien

The cook will briefly blanch the noodles in boiling water after customers place their orders. The noodles will become soft and mushy, and taste bad if they are cooked for too long. The vendor will then put the noodles in a bowl, top with soy sauce, fried onions, and some pork fat, and mix thoroughly. This contributes to the noodles' sparkling, appealing appearance.

A bowl of My Tho noodle soup usually has a lot of ground pork in it. After mixing the noodles, the vendor continues to add the stir-fried ground pork. If diners choose to eat the noodles in the form of soup the seller will add the toppings, and then pour the broth in. Finally, some scallions, fried pork fat and fried shallots are added for extra flavor.

Some guests like to eat their My Tho noodle soup with broth on the side. The seller will pour the broth into a separate bowl with the other toppings. The freshly cooked noodles will be mixed with a little soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. The flavor is perfectly seasoned so that the noodles will complement the soup.

A small cup of dipping sauce with soy sauce, a little lemon, sugar, and fresh chili or satay is highly recommended if you love a rich flavor. All these condiments are placed on the dining table for diners to choose based on their liking.

Pork liver, pork intestine, pork heart, sliced pork, shrimp, and quail eggs are toppings with a bowl of My Tho noodle soup. Photo by VnExpress/Khanh Thien

My Tho noodle soup has become a popular dish among many Saigonese. In Ho Chi Minh City, on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street (Tan Binh District), Hung Vuong Street (District 5), Le Van Tho Street (Go Vap District) and Hoa Mai Street (Phu Nhuan District), there are numerous eateries that serve My Tho noodle soup. A bowl costs around VND35,000 (US$1.48).