On the transient days when Hanoi’s weather morphs from winter to summer, the monsoon winds carry with them the drizzles of an in-between time. This cool climate evokes within me a yearning for some warm steam from boiling vats of soup stock, so on a rare chilly morning, I wandered around and stopped by Triệu Việt Vương Street for a distinctly morning treat in Hanoi.

Triệu Việt Vương is home to a diverse range of eateries and coffee shops, thanks to its position as a central thoroughfare of Hai Bà Trưng District. Amid the door-to-door rows of shops is a 25-year-old bún riêu store that has remained popular despite the cities’ changing times. The crowds of patrons that constantly head in and out of its doors are the best stamp of approval of its enduring liveliness in Hanoi.

The own of Bún riêu ốc bò Bình Huyền is cô Huyền, who started her noodle business in 1998 with just a mobile soup station. On one side of the bamboo yoke was a big pot of simmering soup broth and the other side housed a basket of fresh rice noodles and other toppings. Just like that, Huyền took her family flavors all over town to hungry Hanoians. After 15 years, she finally settled down at a tiny ngõ so narrow that eaters sat along all the length of the wall and even poured out into nearby coffee places.

Today, however, visitors to Triệu Việt Vương won’t be able to find that streetside bún riêu alley anymore, as Huyền has upgraded her operation to an indoor location for the past four years. Though the dining space might be more spacious with proper tables and chairs, long-term regulars will still recognize the nimble movements of Huyền beside her pots, arranging beef slices, sprinkling on snails, and ladling hot broth.

Bún Bình Huyền opens at 7am every day, the prime time when Hanoians take their kids to school and head to the workplace, and find a filling breakfast to fuel up for a busy work day. The aroma of bún riêu seeps into the nearby streets, enthralling unsuspecting pedestrians to stop by for a bowl. During peak periods like breakfast and lunch times, the narrow dining space of 10 tables is always filled with slurping diners. “Many of my customers are from the south, and for the past dozens of years, have visited every single time they’re in Hanoi without fail,” Huyền told me as she quickly filled several bowls with broth.

Even though the restaurant was packed, I didn’t have to wait for too long for my turn to enjoy this bodacious bún riêu. I order a special portion with every available topping. It landed before me like a colorful present that appealed to all the senses: fried tofu pieces hide in between chunks of snails, beef, and spring onion. The seemingly contrasting textures fit together surprisingly harmoniously. Strands of white noodles appear to sparkle beneath the broth and the room’s lighting. I slurped up a spoonful of warm and subtly sour broth. The steam coated my face and the remaining sleepiness vanished.

Cô Huyền’s place manages to attract a loyal following not just thanks to its strategic location on a central street, but also its consistency in delivering flavorful food after years of operation. Each snail, slab of beef, and cube of tofu is prepared with care by the owner. Regulars keep coming back here because they miss the hot broth, elastic noodles, chewy snails, distinctive carb paste, mắm tôm, sweet and sour stock, tender beef, and crispy tofu.

The menu hasn’t changed the entire time the place has been around: bún riêu is the only dish. Depending on craving and interest at any given moment, eaters can opt for different combinations of toppings from fried tofu, snail, pork sausage, beef slices, and more. There are around 10 different choices. To ensure eaters from all walks of life can enjoy her food, Huyền starts her price at VND25,000 for a bowl with just noodles and crab paste. The most expensive option can go up to VND80,000 with an assortment of toppings and a significant amount of beef. This price point might be deemed quite expensive for a bowl of bún riêu, but many patrons still pick it to eat to their heart’s content.

Over two decades in the trade, cô Huyền is very well aware that only the freshest ingredients can produce the highest quality of noodles to make sure eaters come back. Every day, she does the shopping herself, picking every slab of beef and cleaning the snails before preparing them for customers.

The prep work begins at 4am to get ready for a full day of bún. During the hours when the sun still hasn’t risen, a team of six people would start slicing herbs, frying tofu, blanching snails, making the master stock, etc.

Of course, bún is the heart of bún riêu. Here, the bún is soft and white, moderately thin and chewy, so it won’t easily disintegrate in the water. The accompanying greens include lettuce and other aromatic herbs. The meat and crab roe is fried with shallots until the proteins are cooked and fragrant. Fried tofu is also a must-have topping, which is fried until the outer layer is crispy enough while the interior is fluffy.

The most expensive topping on the menu is beef, 20 kilograms of which is consumed every day at Bình Huyền, including cuts like shank, top blade, and tenderloin. The meat is cleaned and trimmed carefully before being sliced into thin slices. The eatery doesn’t process all the meat in the morning, but slice and blanch depending on customer demand to ensure it stays fresh in the bowl.

Ốc, or snail, is another key ingredient in the bún riêu experience. The shop makes sure to pick those with shiny shells and feel heavy. The snail innards should come out cleanly after being cooked. Just like how the beef must be sliced as thin as paper, several kilograms of ốc are processed patiently before being served to customers.

Apart from a diverse range of toppings, cô Huyền’s broth also rounds out the bún riêu. It’s mostly translucent, made from bones, tomatoes and rice vinegar into a golden liquid. This tangy taste balances out the heavy richness of the toppings.

Every portion of bún riêu is served with a plate of fresh herbs, and those with a penchant for spiciness can garnish their bowl with some chili oil. Most importantly, there’s another polarizing condiment that, in my personal view, can’t be left out of bún riêu: mắm tôm. The funky shrimp paste pairs exceptionally well with the seafood in the bowl. This bowl of bún riêu, eaten on the cusp of a new season, will render its eater speechless.

To sum up

• Opening time: 6am–9pm
• Parking: In front of the restaurant (bike only)
• Contact: 0947401995
• Average cost per person: $ (Under VND100,000)
• Payment: Cash, Transfer
• Delivery App: ShopeeFood