A bowl of hot rice noodles, covered with chives, served with crushed fish and fish cakes, makes diners have to eat two bowls to satisfy their cravings.
Chive rice noodles have long been an irresistible popular specialty for tourists to Phu Yen. The most outstanding feature of Phu Yen chive rice noodles is the thick layer of chives covering the bowl, giving many people a bit of "goosebumps" when they first see it.
Tuyet Loan, owner of the famous Nguyen Hue chive rice noodles restaurant next to Tuy Hoa market, said that her uncle was one of the first people to sell this dish about 15 years ago. The reason the bowl of noodles is covered with chives, not onions or any other vegetables, is because the locals love chives, which are often used in soups. In addition, chives also reduce the fishy smell of seafood.
A full bowl of chives noodle soup includes fish cakes, fish paste, quail eggs, priced at 20,000-25,000 VND. Noodle soup can be made from rice flour or tapioca flour, but at Mrs. Loan's restaurant, tapioca flour is used, long strands, and feels quite chewy when eaten. The simple way to make it is to blanch the noodles, remove all the ingredients, and add lemon and chili peppers to suit the taste of Phu Yen people.
The secret that helps Mrs. Loan's restaurant sell until midnight and still attract customers is the broth made from fish bones. When making fish cakes, she takes the meat, removes the bones to simmer the water. Some other restaurants may use pork bones, which still taste sweet but the broth is a bit fattier.
There is no fixed type of fish cake to use. Most restaurants in Phu Yen adapt according to the season to ensure there is always a source of goods to serve customers. Fish cakes are made from many types such as sailfish, anchovies, and barracuda. After pounding the fish meat, the seller adds some spices such as pepper, then divides it into small pieces and fries it.
However, Ms. Loan believes that to have a delicious bowl of noodle soup, the fish must be fresh, imported and sold every day, ensuring the sweetness of each piece of meat. Every day, the shop sells more than 70 kg of noodles.
Many locals choose to eat at Ms. Loan's shop. After 7 p.m., the shop is almost always full, but the waiting time is usually only about 5-10 minutes. Hoai Thuong, who lives in Phu Hoa, said that every time she returns to her hometown, she travels nearly 10 km to get to the shop and has to eat two bowls to satisfy her craving.
"It looks simple but has an irresistible appeal," said Chi Anh, a tourist from Hanoi, who said she slurped down every last drop. She affirmed that she would return to Ms. Loan's noodle shop if she had the chance to return to Phu Yen.