Bún bò - The breakfast soup of champions

About 60 miles North of Danang, in the city of Huế, a dish was long ago created, called Bún bò. Some would argue that this is the national dish of Vietnam, often more popular than Phở.







At her single-dish restaurant on Nguyễn Văn Thoại street, close to my home, Ms. Suong brews a batch of soup every morning, and the restaurant is open until the soup is gone.

The soup is comprised of a lemongrass-infused beef (bò) broth served over vermicelli rice noodles, and is filled with thinly sliced beef, and in the case, savory beef meatballs. Fresh vegetables (different than those served with Phở), chilis, pickled onions/carrots and lime. 

In this author's mind, the soup is much more complex than Phở, though it can be different from one day to the next. The best bowl comes from the bottom of the pot right before the soup runs out. A bowl of Ms. Suong's soup will set you back d25,000 about $1.15 cents.