Bun Thang Hanoi, Hanoi Chicken Noodle Soup
Bun thang is Hanoi's most delicate noodle soup: a clear, gently sweet broth simmered from chicken, dried shrimp and shiitake mushrooms, poured over soft rice vermicelli and topped with neat bundles of shredded chicken, golden egg ribbons, sliced cha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage), shrimp floss and fresh herbs. One serving is about 736 g.
Bun thang is a Hanoi specialty traditionally made after Tet, the Lunar New Year, when families turned leftover festive foods — boiled chicken, cha lua, eggs and pickled bulbs — into one elegant soup instead of eating them separately. Its name is often explained as rice vermicelli in broth, with 'thang' linked to a Chinese word for a medicinal-style soup of many ingredients, which fits a bowl built from more than a dozen components. Once a special-occasion dish because of its fiddly preparation, it is now served in Hanoi restaurants all year round.
Pairs well with: Fresh herbs, lime wedges and mam tom (fermented shrimp paste) on the side
Provenance
Vietnam
Hanoi Heritage
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
2h 10m
40m prep • 90m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
600 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 736 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Intermediate (Many Toppings)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Hanoi Heritage
Photo: Nguyễn Thanh Quang, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)
A true Hanoi bun thang is judged by its broth: clear, fragrant and balanced — never cloudy or overly salty — and by its toppings, cut fine and laid out in neat, separate bundles.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Soak, Shred & Slice
40 Mins • Knife Work
Soak the dried shiitake and dried shrimp in warm water while the chicken poaches. Slice the cha lua and pickled daikon into fine strips, chop the herbs, and beat the eggs for the crepes. Everything is cut small and arranged in separate piles — the neat, colourful topping layout is the signature of bun thang.
Maestro Tip: Cut every topping to a similar fine size so each spoonful holds a little of everything.
90 Mins • Gentle Simmer Bare simmer, ~95°C (203°F); chicken to 74°C (165°F)
Put the whole chicken in a large pot with 2.5 litres of cold water and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam. Add the charred onion and ginger, 25 g of the soaked dried shrimp and the soaked shiitake slices. Lower the heat to a bare simmer and cook for about 60 minutes, until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part of the thigh and the meat pulls easily from the bone. Lift the chicken out, let it cool, then shred the meat into fine strips and set aside. Keep simmering the broth for 30 minutes more so the shrimp and mushrooms deepen the flavour.
Never let the broth boil hard — a bare simmer keeps it crystal clear, which is the point of bun thang.
Done when: Broth is clear, golden and fragrant; chicken meat shreds easily and is no longer pink.
10 Mins • Pounding Dry pan, medium heat, ~160°C (320°F)
Take the reserved 15 g of soaked dried shrimp and pound it in a mortar, or pulse it in a small food processor, until it turns into fine, fluffy fibres. Toast the floss in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until dry and fragrant. Set aside in a small bowl.
Stop as soon as it smells nutty — the floss burns quickly and turns bitter.
Done when: The floss is dry, fluffy and golden-orange.
10 Mins • Thin Crepes Low heat, ~140°C (285°F)
Brush a wide non-stick pan very lightly with oil and warm it over low heat. Pour in a thin layer of the beaten egg, swirling to coat the pan, and cook for 1–2 minutes until just set. Slide out, roll up and slice into fine ribbons. Repeat until all the egg is used — you should get 3–4 pale golden crepes.
Keep the heat low: the crepes should stay pale gold, never browned, so the ribbons stay bright in the bowl.
Done when: Crepes are fully set, pale gold and flexible enough to roll.
5 Mins • Rolling Boil Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Cook the soaked rice vermicelli in a separate pot of boiling water for 2–3 minutes until just tender, then drain well and rinse briefly with hot water. Never cook the noodles in the broth itself, or the broth will turn cloudy and starchy.
Drain thoroughly so no water dilutes the broth in the bowl.
Done when: Noodles are silky and springy, not mushy.
10 Mins • Boiling Broth Broth at a rolling boil, 100°C (212°F); reheat to 74°C (165°F)
Strain the broth, return it to the pot and bring it back to a rolling boil. Season with the fish sauce and rock sugar, tasting as you go: it should be savoury first, faintly sweet, with a gentle shrimp-and-mushroom depth. Divide the vermicelli between four warmed bowls. Arrange the toppings in neat separate bundles on top: shredded chicken, egg ribbons, cha lua strips, shiitake slices, pickled daikon and a pinch of shrimp floss. Ladle over the boiling broth and scatter the herbs on top. Serve at once with lime wedges, sliced chilli and a small dish of mam tom on the side for those who want it.
The broth must be boiling when it hits the bowl — that final heat wakes up the herbs and warms every topping.
Done when: Every topping is hot through and the broth is steaming when served.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve with lime wedges, sliced chilli and a small side dish of mam tom. Stir the mam tom in only if you like its strong, salty flavour — the soup is complete and delicious without it.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
600
kcal / serving
Protein
53g
Complete AA
Carbs
58g
Complex
Fats
17g
Healthy
| Energy | 600 kcal |
| Protein | 53 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Fibre | 2.7 g |
| Sugar | 5.4 g |
| Sodium | 1394 mg |
| Energy | 82 kcal |
| Protein | 7.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.9 g |
| Fat | 2.2 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Sugar | 0.7 g |
| Sodium | 189 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A and B12 (egg, chicken), niacin and B6 (chicken), iron and zinc (chicken, dried shrimp), vitamin C (lime, herbs), vitamin D and copper (shiitake mushrooms).
High in Protein
About 53 g of protein per serving from chicken, egg, cha lua and dried shrimp supports muscle maintenance and keeps you full for hours.
Steady, Light Energy
Rice vermicelli and lean chicken deliver filling energy in a clear, low-fat broth, without the heaviness of a creamy or fried meal.
Gentle and Hydrating
A warm, clear broth with fresh herbs is easy on the stomach and helps replace fluids, making it a comforting choice on cold or tired days.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Vegetables
Fresh Herbs and Lime
Cilantro, rau ram and scallions add fragrance and crunch, while lime juice brightens the broth and its vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron from the chicken.
Pickled Garlic and Chilli
A small dish of pickled garlic adds a sharp, tangy contrast that cuts through the mild broth and wakes up the palate.
Sides
Quay (Fried Dough Sticks)
Crisp, airy dough sticks are the classic Hanoi companion for dipping into the hot broth, adding a satisfying crunch to the soft noodles.
Drinks
Hot Green Tea
Unsweetened hot tea cleanses the palate between spoonfuls and its warmth matches the gentle, clear character of the soup.
Complete menu
Serve the bun thang as the main bowl with a plate of fresh herbs, lime wedges and chilli on the side and a small dish of mam tom for those who want it; start with quay for dipping and finish with hot green tea.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Mam Tom With a Sensitive Stomach
Mam tom is intensely salty and fermented; people with a sensitive stomach or high blood pressure often find even a small spoonful uncomfortable. It is served on the side precisely so each person can skip it — this is general information, not medical advice.
Very Sweet Drinks With the Meal
Sugary soft drinks can overwhelm the delicate broth and add a lot of sugar to an otherwise light meal; unsweetened tea or water is a better match. This is general information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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Comfort & Sustained Energy
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WARNING: This dish is made from raw duck blood and eating it is NOT recommended. Raw blood can carry Streptococcus suis (which causes meningitis and sepsis — people in Vietnam have died after eating pig-blood tiet canh), avian influenza from duck blood, salmonella and other dangerous germs. Vietnam's Ministry of Health advises against eating tiet canh, and no preparation method — not even blood from a fresh or trusted source — makes raw blood fully safe. This page describes the traditional Hanoi preparation, tiết canh vịt, for cultural knowledge only. One serving is about 241 g: a small bowl of fresh duck blood mixed with fish sauce, poured over finely chopped cooked duck meat and left to set into a soft, trembling jelly, then finished with crushed roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, lime and chili, and served cold.
Cultural Discovery
A traditional northern Vietnamese snack of raw duck blood set into a soft jelly with cooked duck meat, herbs and peanuts — described here for cultural knowledge, with a serious safety warning.
