VietnaMenu

Bun Ca

Fish Soup

In Vietnam, fish soup comes in many varieties. Usually, it depends on where you are. In Nha Trang, a coastal city, you'll probably get an ocean fish like cá thu (mackerel). In the Mekong Delta, ca loc (snakehead fish) is a popular choice. The fish is either sliced or made into fishcakes, and fried so it's slightly crispy on the outside. Bun noodles are rice noodles with a medium thickness. The broth is usually pretty light with hints of dill. In the north it tends to be a bit tangier with tomatoes and sometimes a chunk of pineapple floating in it. With so many varieties of fish in Vietnam, this dish could surprise you every time you eat it.

Popular Types

• Bún cá basa - catfish
• Bún cá cam - greater amberjack fish
• Bún cá Campuchia - Cambodian style (mostly found in the Mekong Delta), usually with coconut and snakehead fish
• Bún cá Châu Đốc - Châu Đốc is a city in the Mekong Delta, snakehead fish will probably be used
• Bún cá Ha Noi - Hanoi style, tangy with tomatoes and sometimes pineapple
• Bún Cá Hai Phong - Hai Phong style, a coastal city in the north. Fish is usually mackerel, carp, or catfish -- sometimes a combination of the three.
• Bún cá hồi - salmon
• Bún cá lóc - snakehead fish (probably the most popular fish to use)
• Bún cá Nam Dinh - from Nam Dinh, a small town close to Ha Noi -simple recipe with fried up slices of carp
• Bún cá ngừ - tuna
• Bún cá rô đồng - anabas fish
• Bún cá sứa - jellyfish
• Bún cá thu - mackerel (probably the most popular if you are in a coastal city)
• Bún chả cá - fishcake (see our guide to Vietnamese cha for more info)

Where To Find It:

Ho Chi Minh City

Quán Bún Cá Sứa Nha Trang - 399 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, District 3

Hanoi

Bún cá Hải Phòng - 77 Đường Thành, Hoàn Kiếm