4 Essential Vietnamese Noodle Soups to Know – Lose yourself in the best of Vietnam's Cuisine

Phở is so iconic it was named the country's national dish, which should say enough about its popularity. The origin of the word has been shrouded in mystery with some saying it has origins in the French word feu while some say the phrase was started by the Chinese. What is even more confusing is the sheer number of variations the dish has. In the north of the country, the Phở dishes you find will not be seasoned much in order to bring out the taste of the pure broth. The broth is usually made from beef but it is also served with chicken, seafood or in a vegetarian format. Towards the south of the country, you can expect to find dishes with more flavouring and add-ons such as sauce and a variety of vegetables and other herbs. As mentioned above, Phở is very popular and one can easily find it in most resorts in Mui Ne with examples such as Anantara Mui Ne Resort.

The latter part of the name translates to ladder, which does not make much sense given the item at hand, leading historians to assume it is a rough translation of 'tang' which is Chinese for soup. Bún Thang is most popular in the north of the country and is a dish that embodies the 5 elements. The dish's broth is primarily made of chicken and pork while seafood such as shrimp is added for a better flavour. On the side of toppings, usually eggs, ham or chicken is made use of. A rare variety of Bún Thang is available where the dish is sprinkled with cà cuống, which is the pheromone of a waterbug.

This is widely considered as one of the most underrated dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. Although the crown dish of the ancient city of Huế, it does not garner the attention it should. The broth is prepared using beef bones, which is then boiled with lemon grass, sugar and shrimp. Chilies are also made use of and this intricate set of ingredients present a dish that is spicy and sour yet salty and sweet at the same time. The noodles used for the dish are much larger and thicker than the usual noodles and this comes with its own benefits as it makes it easy to consume the dish with the meat.

This is a dish that has roots in the central province of Quang Nam. The broth for this disk makes use of bones, sauce and a number of exotic spices while the meat used differs between seafood like shrimp to pork or beef. The type of noodles used is a wide rice-based variety that has traces of turmeric, which gives a yellow tint to the dish. Other additions to the dish include rice crackers, onions and a number of vegetables.