Bun rieu, the crab soup that tastes of tomato
On this page
Bun rieu looks like a tomato soup and tastes like the sea. The colour comes from tomato and annatto; the body comes from paddy crabs pounded shell and all, which is the part nobody guesses from looking at the bowl.
What is in a bowl of bun rieu?
A bowl of bun rieu holds rice vermicelli in a tart orange-red broth, with a raft of crab-and-egg paste floating on top, fried tofu puffs, tomato wedges and spring onion. A plate of herbs and shredded banana blossom comes alongside.
The crab is the point. Small freshwater paddy crabs are pounded whole, strained, and the liquid is used as the base, which gives the broth a savoury depth that tomato alone never reaches.
Extras vary by kitchen: snails, beef slices, pork blood cubes, fried shallots. The noodle soup guide sets it against the other bowls in the family.
| In the bowl | What it is |
|---|---|
| Broth | Tomato, paddy crab, tamarind or vinegar |
| Noodle | Bun, the round rice vermicelli |
| The raft | Crab meat bound with egg, not a crab cake |
| Tofu | Fried puffs that soak up the broth |
| On the side | Banana blossom, herbs, lime, shrimp paste |
Why is it sour?
Tomato carries most of the sourness, and the sourness is the design, with tamarind, vinegar or fermented rice adding the rest depending on the kitchen, and the result is a soup that cuts rather than comforts.
The sourness makes it a hot-weather bowl. Northern kitchens keep it sharper, southern ones sweeten the broth slightly, which is the same north-south split the pho page describes.
Nothing about it is heavy. A bowl of bun rieu after a week of grilled pork is a relief.
What is mam tom, and should you add it?
Mam tom is fermented shrimp paste, and it arrives in a small dish beside the bowl, to be added a little at a time. A quarter teaspoon deepens the soup; a full spoon takes it somewhere most visitors are not ready for.
Add it gradually and taste between additions. The fish sauce guide explains where this sits in the family of Vietnamese fermented seasonings, which is at the strong end.
Skipping it is entirely normal, including among Vietnamese diners. The bowl works without it.
What does a bowl of bun rieu cost?
A street bowl of bun rieu runs 35,000 to 50,000 dong, which is one to two dollars at about 26,000 dong to the US dollar. Market stalls charge the lower end and shopfronts the higher.
Adding snails, beef or blood cubes takes it to about 70,000. Those are ordered by name at the counter rather than chosen from a menu.
The cheap eating guide covers how to read prices at a stall with no board, which is most of them.
When do the stalls trade?
Bun rieu stalls trade in the morning and at midday. Market kitchens start early and stop when the pot is empty, usually in the early afternoon.
Evening versions exist in Hanoi and Saigon and are less common elsewhere. A stall with a queue at eight in the morning is the version to want.
The breakfast guide covers why so much of the good eating in Vietnam happens before ten.
Which kitchens make the best version?
Market stalls and the neighbourhood kitchens around them make it best, in Hanoi especially, where the northern version stays sour and the portions are modest.
Saigon sells a sweeter bowl with more on top, often with snails, and calls the variant bun rieu oc. Both are the same dish with a different accent.
The markets guide explains how the food section of a Vietnamese market is laid out, which is where these stalls sit.
Can you eat it vegetarian?
A chay version exists and is common on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, when vegetarian kitchens are busiest. Tofu, mushrooms and fried gluten replace the crab, and the tomato base carries the bowl.
What it loses is the depth the crab gives, which is most of the character. It is a good soup rather than the same soup.
Ask for bun rieu chay, and check the seasoning, since shrimp paste is the default at a regular stall. The vegetarian guide covers how to ask.
FAQ
What is bun rieu?
A Vietnamese noodle soup built on a tart tomato broth thickened with paddy crab, served with rice vermicelli, fried tofu puffs and a floating raft of crab and egg paste. Herbs, shredded banana blossom and shrimp paste come on the side.
What is the crab in bun rieu?
Small freshwater paddy crabs, pounded shell and all and strained, which is what gives the broth its body and its savoury edge. The soft orange raft floating in the bowl is that crab bound with egg, not a crab cake in the western sense.
What does bun rieu taste like?
Sour and savoury rather than rich. Tomato and tamarind or vinegar give the tartness, the crab gives depth, and a spoonful of shrimp paste at the table takes it somewhere stronger. It is lighter than pho and sharper than almost any other Vietnamese soup.
What does a bowl of bun rieu cost?
About 35,000 to 50,000 dong at a street kitchen, which at roughly 26,000 dong to the US dollar is one to two dollars. Bowls with extra snails, beef or blood cubes cost more, and a market stall sells it cheaper than a shopfront.
Is bun rieu spicy?
Not by default. The broth is sour rather than hot, and the chilli comes as a jar of paste or fresh slices at the table. Adding the shrimp paste, mam tom, changes the flavour far more than the chilli does.
When do people eat bun rieu?
Breakfast and lunch, mostly, from market stalls and neighbourhood kitchens. Many places sell it only until the pot runs out in the early afternoon, and the evening version is harder to find outside the bigger cities.