‘Bun thit nuong’ (vermicelli noodles with grilled pork) is a popular speciality for both locals and visitors to Da Nang thanks to its moreish flavour, and easy-to-find and easy-to-prepare ingredients.

‘Bun thit nuong’ is a popular speciality for both locals and visitors to Da Nang

In order to prepare this delicious dish, belly pork will be washed, and cut into thin slices. Knife handle or small hammer will be used to make tough meat tender. The thinly-sliced meat will be then marinated with fish sauce, ground pepper, salt, sugar, minced garlic and lemongrass, and vegetable oil.

After that, the marinated meat will be grilled on charcoal by using a grilling basket or skew, or grilled in a pre-heated oven. It should be turned every few minutes until it smells pleasant. If the meat gets too dry, you can brush some vegetable oil on top.

Vegetables comprise chopped salads, herbs, and basils

Normally, this dish is served in a bowl. You put a layer of fresh vegetables at the bottom of the bowl. Then, you top this layer with the rice vermicelli, adding the grilled pork, some pickled carrots and green papaya, thinly-sliced cucumbers, and the dressing.

A bowl of ‘bun thit nuong’

A bowl of ‘bun thit nuong’ with roasted peanuts, fried shallot and sweet chili sauce on top

The delicious dish is served with pickled carrots and green papaya

In order to make the dish more mouthwatering, you can sprinkle some roasted peanuts, fried shallot, and sweet chili sauce on top.

The quality of the dish depends a lot on the sauce and grilled pork. The pork must be tender and perfectly cooked. Meanwhile, whether the sauce is good or not depends on the delicacy of the cook’s taste.

‘bun thit nuong’ is a harmonious and healthy combination of rice vermicelli, grilled pork, and fresh herbs

‘Bun thit nuong’ is a well-known local food in Da Nang, so you can find the dish at popular restaurants anywhere in the city.

Some of the most popular ‘bun thit nuong’ restaurants in the city are the Xuan Restaurant at 469 Hai Phong, Ba Trai Restaurant at 194 Dong Da, Ba Ngoc Hue Restaurant at 228 Dong Da, Kim Anh Restaurant at 63 Huynh Thuc Khang, and Phu Hong Restaurant at 19 Yen Bai.

The delicious dish is being sold at the prices ranging between 15,000VND and 30,000VND each bowl.