No name for fame at this Chau Doc fish noodle stall

By Vi Yen May 28, 2021 | 02:45 am PT

With no shiny billboard, a bun ca (fish noodle soup) stall near Chau Doc Market in Mekong Delta province An Giang, has been going strong for over 20 years.

On a tour of Chau Doc, a Mekong Delta town bordering Cambodia and is home to spiritual sites in southern Vietnam, dont forget to visit Ms.Les fish noodle soup stall near Chau Doc Market, well-known for salted, dried seafood and fish sauce which are Mekong Delta specialties.The shop is located at a street corner and not many tourists know about it, but it has been popular with locals for decades.

On a tour of Chau Doc, a Mekong Delta town bordering Cambodia and home to many spiritual sites in southern Vietnam, don't forget to visit Ms. Le's fish noodle soup stall near Chau Doc Market, well-known for its salted, dried seafood and fish sauce, all Mekong Delta specialties.
The local favorite stands on a street corner and is largely unknown among tourists.

At first, Le sold this dish on her shoulder pole. After that, she found a fixed place near Chau Doc market and has just been selling this only dish for more than 20 years. Every day she opens her shop at 6 a.m. and only sellis for a few hours. With only a sketchy signboard hung in front of her shop and a few plastic table and chairs, her shop is always crowded with customers severy morning, mainly locals.

Le used to sell the dish from her shoulder pole. Later, she found a location near Chau Doc Market and has been operating for more than 20 years.
Every day she opens her shop at 6 a.m. for a few hours only. With only a sketchy signboard hung in front of her shop and a few plastic tables and chairs, her shop is crowded with local customers each morning.

Bun ca Chau Doc, or Chau Doc fish noodle soup, originated in Cambodia before people in the Mekong Delta tweaked it to fit their taste. Now it can be found almost everywhere in Chau Doc Town, 250 kilometers west of Ho Chi Minh City.
The main ingredients are snakehead fish, broth and noodles. After cleaning and boiling the fish, Le fillets it, marinates it with spices and fries it briefly on a pan with turmeric to give it a golden color and nice aroma.

The success of the dish lies in the sweet broth that is made from fermented carp, shrimp paste, livestock bones and other ingredients such as auttum crosscus and crushed turmeric. Dont forget to enjoy the dish with some vegetables such as water spinach, banana flower, bean sprouts, dien dien or sesban leaves, accopanied with a cup of tamarind sauce. A bolw of fish noodle soup at Ms.Les stall costs VND15,000 ($0.65).

The success of the dish lies in its sweet broth made from fermented carp, shrimp paste, livestock bones and other ingredients like auttum crosscus and crushed turmeric. Don't forget to enjoy the dish with vegetables like water spinach, banana flower, bean sprouts, dien dien or sesban flowers, accompanied with a bowl of tamarind sauce.
A bowl of fish noodle soup at Ms. Le's costs only VND15,000 ($0.65).

In Chau Doc, the dish is served with a plate of roasted pork (heo quay).

Quang Thien, a customer, said though eating this dish in many different places, he still finds Chau Doc fish noodle soup at Le's stall the most special.
Le's stall lies on Thu Khoa Nghia Street in Chau Doc Town, next to the Hung Cuong bus station.

Photos by Quang Thien