Noodles with Ngan Nhan

Have you ever heard of swans? The geese are bred in many regions of the North, with the two most popular species being the Sen geese, which have white feathers and black spots, and the Re geese, which have only white feathers. Compared to ducks and chickens, geese are usually larger, have thinner skin, less fat, and leaner meat. Goose meat is one of the foods that are loved by many people, but there are also a few who think that it is too fatty. The meat has a strong, deep taste and a strong musky smell, which may be considered unpleasant for some people. That's why when prepping swans, it's important to rub both the inside and the outside with a little salt, ginger, and white wine to remove its characteristic odor.

Compared with the South and the Central, the Northern region, especially Hanoi, has many specialties made from swan. Recently, sautéed garlic is a new dish, making many people, especially garlic lovers, fascinated. This spice is a very good source of additional flavorings for the rich flavor of the swan, making the dish more appealing.

Although there are many dishes from B ngan in Hanoi, the most popular dish that you will see people eating all the time is vermicelli noodles. And one of the best places to enjoy this dish is Bun Ngan Nhan, also known as Bun Ngan Ong Nhan. Bun Ngan here has an extremely rich and naturally sweet broth that is simmered from the meat and bones of the geese for many hours. The owner, after cutting the meat and removing the bones for each serving, always drops the bones into the pot of boiling broth. Imagine the broth becomes richer as it is continuously simmered with bones and meat! No doubt, the broth is the highlight of the dish here, because many diners have to say that they have never tried a flavorful broth like Bun Ngan Nhan.

Bun Ngan Nhan is cooked with dried bamboo shoots, just the right amount of mutton meat is placed on top of the vermicelli bowl, adding swan's blood, coriander and green onions to make the bowl of vermicelli very attractive. Dried bamboo shoots are soft, evenly soaked in rich broth, small pellets are made from pork, minced wood ear and ground pork, seasoned to fit and fragrant, swan meat is firm but still tender. These are the highlights that make diners always want to come back to enjoy this noodle dish. A bowl of vermicelli here has so much meat that you won't be able to eat it all. Blood swan is also a great side dish, but if you're tired of eating it, you can order a bowl without blood.

Noodles Ngan Nhan also sells vermicelli. Basically everything is the same, but instead of rice vermicelli, you will be served with thin and chewy vermicelli. A normal bowl of vermicelli noodles costs 40,000 VND, but you can order a larger bowl with more meat for 50,000 VND. Some locals also prefer to call the bones with less meat because they find that the meat that is still attached to the bones is extremely tender and full of flavor. You can choose to sit inside the restaurant or outside in the courtyard. But if you decide to sit inside, you'll have to order a drink, and the outside won't.

Also, be prepared to have a unique experience when dining at this restaurant! Bun Ngan Nhan is known locally as Bun Ngan cursed. Ms. Nhan, the owner of the restaurant is quite sensitive and uncompromising even when customers order incorrectly or delay customers. Regular customers of the restaurant are not usually surprised to hear curses while standing in long queues waiting for their turn. However, despite all the curses of the owner, this place is always full of people no matter what time of day. The shop has also been in operation for over 10 years, and its popularity doesn't seem to be waning anytime soon. Locals love the filling cuts, the rich and delicious broth, as well as the flavorful geese and sprouts. So, try this dish if you happen to be in Hanoi.