While pho bo might be the king of Hanoian street food and bun cha the cult hero, for less carnivorous types this simple yet vastly popular hit is one of the city’s unsung favorites. For the uninitiated, the popularity of the dish might be slightly surprising. Its components include fried tofu, vermicelli noodles, a few herbs and—most contentiously—mam tom dipping sauce, a stinky purple paste made from fermented shrimp. The various strands are combined to make a lunchtime dish that is particularly popular for its relative lightness.
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Hanoi's Most Pungent Street Food Treat
While pho bo might be the king of Hanoian street food and bun cha the cult hero, for less carnivorous types this simple yet vastly popular hit is one of the city’s unsung favorites. For the uninitiated, the popularity of the dish might be slightly surprising. Its components include fried tofu, vermicelli noodles, a few herbs and—most contentiously—mam tom dipping sauce, a stinky purple paste made from fermented shrimp. The various strands are combined to make a lunchtime dish that is particularly popular for its relative lightness.