Saigon noodle soup with a tasty tentacle twist
Chewy noodles with firm calamari make the perfect partners at this hole-in-the-wall eatery.
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| This squid noodle soup (hu tieu muc) eatery at the corner of Phan Xich Long and Hoa Phuong in Phu Nhuan District has been open for nearly 10 years, and is possibly one of the best places to try the dish in Saigon. |
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| The restaurant serves hu tieu, a kind of rice-based noodles that are tough and translucent, with squid, meat balls, quail eggs, shrimp and extra chivas and fried onions. A bowl costs VND57,000 (US$2.5). |
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| The squid are served whole. The broth is prepared with dried squids which give it a special taste unlike the usual bone broth. “It smells great!” said a loyal customer named Tinh Tam, who often stops by for dinner. |
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| The squid are supposed be dunked in this green pepper and salt sauce. The restaurant won’t tell you this, but besides enhancing the taste, the spiciness reduces the risk of food poisoning. |
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| A side bowl of squid costs VND32,000, while an extra bowl of meat balls, eggs or noodles costs VND15,000. |
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| Quail eggs are cracked directly into the broth to keep the flavor. |
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| The restaurant opens from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. until midnight, serving both early birds and night owls. |
