Located on Cach Mang Thang Tam street, Long Huong ward, Long Huong banh canh is a familiar address for both locals and tourists. Because it's next to Ba Ria City's old gate, the restaurant is also known locally as "gate banh canh."

The current manager, Nguyen Phat, said his parents opened the restaurant in the 1990s. It started as a small family eatery with about 10 plastic tables, serving breakfast to neighbors. The menu included broken rice, hu tieu noodles, and mini wonton soup. The current restaurant was renovated and expanded after 2000, serving three main dishes: banh canh (thick noodle soup), hu tieu, and bun moc (pork and mushroom noodle soup). Banh canh is the most popular.

The restaurant's spacious and cool interior, despite the crowd. Photo: Tam Anh

The restaurant is always crowded, especially on weekends. Photo: Tam Anh

Open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, the restaurant is always busy, especially during weekend lunches. From around 11 a.m., it's almost full. Outside, security often informs customers about long waits or that the restaurant is at capacity. Many have to turn away; only the patient remain. Inside, customers wait about 10 minutes for a table and another 15-20 minutes for their food.

The restaurant covers over 300 m2, with stainless steel tables and chairs. The seating area is clean, and the large staff ensures quick cleaning and table arrangement. The restaurant can serve about 200 customers at once, selling up to a thousand bowls on peak days.

The broth is the most important part of the dish. It is simmered from pork knuckles (the part rich in marrow), trotters, sliced trotters, and chopped lean bones, along with seasonings like sugar, salt, and fish sauce. The pork knuckles are simmered until cooked, with no blood remaining, and the trotters float to the surface. The chef constantly monitors and skims off any foam to keep the broth clear. Seasoning is added twice: during simmering and at the serving counter.

"Previously, preparing a pot of broth took about 7 hours using charcoal briquettes. Now, the simmering time has been reduced thanks to gas burners and solar-powered induction cookers," Phat said.

The banh canh noodles are made from rice flour, using the secret recipe of Long Kien noodle village. They are soft yet chewy, neither mushy nor brittle. Depending on their preference, customers can choose to add lean meat, pork knuckle, trotters, shrimp and pork, cha lua (Vietnamese sausage), cha chien (fried sausage), or cha moc (pork meatballs).

One of the most popular dishes is banh canh with pork knuckle, with sweet, slightly chewy meat from the core of the pig's trotter. According to Phat, pork knuckle is only found in the hind leg of the pig. Its shape after deboning resembles a chicken leg, with a flat, white core bone. The quantity of pork knuckle is limited, and demand is high, so it often sells out quickly. Customers then have to wait for the next batch of broth.

Banh canh with pork knuckle. Photo: Long Huong

Banh canh with marrow bones. Photo: Long Huong

Soft, non-brittle banh canh noodles. Photo: Tam Anh

Those who don't mind richer flavors can order marrow bones, with tender stewed lean meat and fatty skin. "After finishing the meat on the marrow bone, pour a little broth into the hollow bone, then use a straw to suck out the marrow – it's delicious," Phat suggested.

Minh Khoa, a customer from Ho Chi Minh City, said he eats here every time he visits Vung Tau and usually orders the pork knuckle banh canh. He said the dish suits his taste, but he has often had to leave because it was too crowded. Another customer from Hanoi, trying the dish for the first time, commented that the broth was "a bit sweet" compared to northern tastes.

Each table is served with a plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and condiments like lime, pepper, chili, and fish sauce for customers to adjust the flavor to their liking. The restaurant is crowded and doesn't have air conditioning, but numerous fans and good ventilation make it feel less hot. A bowl of banh canh costs from 48,000 VND (small) to 68,000 VND, and youtiao (fried dough sticks) are 8,000 VND. Other beverages include iced tea, coffee, and soft drinks.

It's currently peak tourist season, and many vacationers in Vung Tau stop by for a meal, so the restaurant is always busy. Besides tour groups, Phat said he always tries to accommodate individual diners, children, and the elderly. However, he regrets that some customers can't wait and hopes for their understanding.

Tam Anh