Cau Doanh's spicy fish noodle soup, located at 151 Ho Sen Street in Hai Phong City's Le Chan District, has become a favorite among locals and tourists alike. Founded in 2021 by Chef Pham Van Dung, this restaurant has been featured on the Hai Phong Department of Tourism's culinary map.
Chef Dung, with 20 years of experience, is also Vice Chairman of The Professional Chefs Society of Hai Phong. He turned his spicy fish noodle soup into a citywide brand once it became so popular.
While traditional Hai Phong fish noodle soup was simple, featuring fish rolls and fried fish, Dung innovated by introducing up to seven toppings, including fish eggs, blood pudding sausage doi, fish stomach, and various fish varieties.
The spicy fish noodle soup features a variety of fish, including mackerel, cowfish, and tilapia, sourced from the brackish lagoons of Quy Kim Village, Do Son District. Notably, the spicy mackerel topping gives the dish its distinctive flavor.
Dung explained the mackerel is sliced, fried until crispy, and seasoned with hot spices.
The broth is crafted from a blend of fish bones and other seafood, with additions like sa sung - peanut worms – lending a subtle sweetness. Dung cleans and preps the bones to minimize any unpleasant odors, and marinates everything with his own spice mix that eliminates any fishy taste.
This preparation makes cooking faster, ensuring a quick dining experience. When customers order, staff blanch the noodles, assemble the toppings, and ladle the broth into bowls.
A full-topping bowl costs VND50,000 ($2), while a regular one is VND30,000. The spicy fish noodle soup comes with chopped vegetables, fresh chili, and Dung's homemade chili oil - sa te.
Dung's fish noodle soup doesn't use lemon or kumquat for its sour flavor; instead, it's flavored with tamarind juice. This gives the broth a mildly sour taste, easily adjustable to diners' preferences.
The fish stomach is crispy, while the fried fish meat is firm and sweet. The doi sausage contains green beans and pork fat, adding richness to the dish.
Dung mentioned that on weekdays, the shop sells around 1,000 bowls a day, but during weekends, it goes up to about 1,500 bowls because of tourists, both local and foreign.
Initially, the shop primarily catered to morning customers, but demand has since surged throughout the day. Currently, the restaurant is busy all day long, especially on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Operating from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the eatery offers both indoor and outdoor seating across a total area of 70 meters square. While the shop maintains eight employees per shift on weekdays, this number increases to nearly 20 on holidays and during the Lunar New Year period.
Despite its capacity to accommodate approximately 100 customers at a time, the restaurant often faces overcrowding issues. Guests may experience wait times for seating arrangements. It is also noted that there isn't much space for parking, especially for cars.
Additionally, during the summer months, diners may find the lack of fans in the outdoor seating area challenging while savoring the dish.
