a love letter to bún
I grew up in Houston, a city with the third largest Vietnamese population in the United States. Vietnamese food and flavors are deeply ingrained in the (vast) food culture of my hometown, but I didn’t realize just how much until I moved away. I was so lucky! I could speak for literal hours, probably, extolling the virtues of banh mi, pho, fresh and fried spring rolls and banh xeo crepes bigger than your face, etc etc but my greatest and truest love is bún.
Bún, Vietnamese vermicelli noodle salad, is the best way to show someone you love them - especially if that someone is you. It’s the ultimate cold noodle salad (well, more like room temperature noodles but you get what I mean), fresh and versatile. It’s a great way to use what you’ve got on hand or showcase fancier proteins or both.
“Bún, Vietnamese vermicelli noodle salad, is the best way to show someone you love them - especially if that someone is you.”
It’s an opportunity for grilling, which means it’s an opportunity for having people over (assuming you aren’t living in some sort of global pandemic), but aside from the protein and noodles most of the ingredients are raw and can be prepped inside ahead of time. If you’ve got people around, you can outsource some of the chopping to get everyone involved. All of these are “can’s” and “could’s” of course because this can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like. All you really need are some cooked and cooled rice vermicelli noodles, something grilled (or even some chopped fried spring rolls), and something fresh.
I’ve learned a lot about building my perfect bún by eating it, but I’ve learned just as much (if not more) by asking questions. My nuoc cham (fish sauce dressing) improved drastically when I started asking questions at my favorite Houston restaurants. Engage with the people who make the food you love! When I make bún at home, I like to follow a few guidelines to make sure it feels special and exciting every time:
Use the best produce available, even if it isn’t traditional I recently found the most beautiful bibb lettuce I had ever seen (I audibly gasped beneath my face mask) and I immediately knew it would be going in some bún that weekend. If the lettuce at the store looks like trash, pivot to shredded cabbage. Use those cute little Persian cucumbers and the prettiest radish varieties you see. If the bean sprouts don’t look good, don’t use them. I like a produce-heavy bowl, so I’d rather showcase the best options available to me than have tunnel-vision for vegetables that just aren’t meant to be that day.
Build-your-own makes a perfect bowl every time That sweet, sweet freedom to construct your dish as you wish! People tend to build the exact meal they want to eat and still give you all the credit. Plus, the platter of vegetables is pretty aesthetically pleasing. Try to include a good variety of textures - crunchy, leafy, delicate fresh herbs, roasty nuts or sesame seeds, and maybe some fried shallots or garlic chips if you’re feeling it.
Traditional dressing, but make it seasonal Nuoc cham, dressing made from fish sauce doctored up with lime, garlic, chilis and sugar, is lip-smacking and addictive. Try to use a high quality fish sauce (Red Boat is one of the best). You can use sambal oelek chili paste, or minced or sliced chilis; I like Thai, serrano, fresno and jalapeno peppers depending on my mood. My favorite way to make at-home bún feel special is by making the nuoc cham with seasonal fruit. Whether it’s fresh juice, a puree or syrup, here are a few (but not all) of my favorites by season:
spring: hibiscus rhubarb, tart cherry, blackberry
summer: peach, red plum, watermelon, strawberry
fall: concord grape, green grape, persimmon
winter: grapefruit, cara cara orange, meyer lemon
Something(s) grilled to top it off I’ve seared thick, cross-cut dry-brined short ribs, grilled gigantic tiger prawns, lobster and lemograss chicken thighs. But it doesn’t just have to be meat. Whether you’re vegetarian or just want to add some variety to the bowl, grilled mushrooms and marinated tofu are delicious options, too. Maybe add some vegetables or scallions to the grill for variety. If you don’t have access to a grill, try searing something on high heat indoors (preferably on a cast iron skillet). It might not have that same smoky quality, but it will still be delicious.
