Among the hundreds of customers who go in and out of the popular ‘Mi quang’ (Quang -style flat rice noodles) shop on Ly Thai Tong Street, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang, every day, no one thinks that shop owner Tran Thi Dong has reached the level of Quang noodle artist. This woman dressed simply like many noodle sellers is the runner-up of the 2022 Quang Noodle Food Festival held in Quang Nam Province.

Tran Thi Dong trains restaurant and hotel chefs in Da Nang on how to cook Quang noodles. Photo: HA THU

More than 20 years with Phu Chiem noodles

After a few hours of packing, the load of more than 40 kilograms of noodles was consumed when the clock just passed 9:00am. Ms. Dong boasted that her shop has operated for about 3 years and it has already attracted many regular customers, some of whom stop by for breakfast every day.

Being trusted by customers is a blessing for the noodle cook, but the shop’s fame today is largely attributed to ceaseless effort exerted by Ms Dong. In a city of millions of people, finding a Quang noodle shop that suits your taste is not easy.

For customers who are addicted to noodles, the bowl of noodles cooked by herself brought out looks similar to other noodle eateries with white mixed with yellow turmeric noodles, a few slices of pork, a couple of quail eggs and bright red braised shrimp, broth served with raw vegetables including thinly sliced baby bananas and green chili peppers, but the noodle taste is delicious and unique, you can't get tired of eating it over and over again.

Arranging a few sets of plastic tables and chairs in a corner, Ms. Dong smiled gently and jokingly said that, before running a Quang noodle shop in Da Nang, she sold this food at Hoi An Market in Quang Nam Province, serving hundreds of Vietnamese and foreign visitors for 17 years.

Ms. Dong's shop now sells 40-50 kilograms of noodles every day. Although she serves hundreds of customers, she is still fully aware of the eating habits of each as who doesn't eat green onions, who likes to eat peanuts, who is allergic to shrimp, and who doesn't like quail eggs are all kept in her mind. Customers just need to take seats and wait for service with no further instructions needed.

Bringing the flavours of Quang region to a 5-star restaurant

The Quang noodle artisan confided that she came to this career very fortunately. Not born in Thanh Chiem village, she only learned about this noodle dish when she became a daughter-in-law in the village and was taught the profession by her mother-in-law. Thanks to her eagerness to learn, be creative to add variations, Ms. Dong’s bowl of noodles becomes special, with a more outstanding flavour than many others of its kind in the area.

According to Ms. Dong, the ingredients for making Phu Chiem noodles are basically the same, but when cooked and mixed into a bowl of noodles, the flavour is different from place to place. That depends on the experience and secrets of the noodle maker and the use and seasoning of spices according to personal taste. Because of that, even though the same mother teaches the noodles, the noodles cooked by the siblings in the family still taste slightly different, and that little difference can bring a different when served to diners.

Since becoming the runner-up of the Quang noodle cooking competition, Ms. Dong has been sought after by many culinary industry organisations and associations to  share her experience in cooking delicious Quang dishes.

At the end of 2023, she was invited by the Da Nang Department of Tourism to train how to cook Quang noodles for restaurant and hotel chefs in the city. In front of dozens of famous chefs from 5-star restaurants and resorts wearing white shirts and hats, she was so nervous that he couldn’t say anything.

“After a few minutes to regain my composure, I instructed the chefs on how to choose ingredients, and cooked this dish on the spot so everyone can see and follow”, she said.

After a training session, the chefs also cooked their own bowl of Quang noodles. The decoration looked similar to the original, but when they gave diners a taste, the taste of the noodles was still not the same. Ms. Dong said that it is the difference of skills and many years of experience, which is difficult to learn in a short time. However, bringing Phu Chiem noodles to restaurants, hotels, and serving tourists is an indescribable joy and pride for her.

“I have no ambition to keep my own secret, but I hope that the flavour of Phu Chiem noodle bowl will spread further and it will be reknown to many diners all over the world!”, said Ms.  Dong

Reporting by TRAN THANG - Translating by A.THU