Bun Dau Mam Tom: Hanoi's Tofu, Noodles and Shrimp Paste Explained

You will usually hear bún đậu mắm tôm before you taste it: tofu crackling in hot fat at a stall tucked into a lane. Then comes the smell of the shrimp paste, which many first-time visitors find hard to get used to. This guide explains what bun dau mam tom is, what little is known about where it came from, and how to eat it.

What bun dau mam tom is

The name lists the three essentials: bún (rice noodles), đậu (tofu) and mắm tôm (fermented shrimp paste).

• The noodles. Hanoi stalls use bún lá, thin rice noodles pressed into flat pieces, which are cut into bite-size blocks. The Hanoi Department of Tourism describes the noodles as coming from Phú Đô, a noodle-making village.
• The tofu. Fried until the outside turns golden and puffs up while the inside stays soft. Tofu from Mơ village, today’s Mai Động area, was the traditional choice. Some cooks fry the block whole and cut it only after frying, to keep the inside tender.
• The shrimp paste. A small bowl of mắm tôm, beaten with sugar until it foams. Many stalls then pour over a spoonful of hot fat from the tofu pan and add slices of fresh chilli.

Everything is arranged on a round bamboo tray called a mẹt, often lined with banana leaf, with a pile of herbs and sliced cucumber. Kinh giới (Vietnamese balm) is the usual partner, along with Láng basil, coriander and perilla.

How it began

Nobody knows exactly where bún đậu mắm tôm came from. VOV, the national broadcaster, describes it as a dish whose origins are unknown, and Tuổi Trẻ calls it a northern dish that has since spread to the south.

What reporters agree on is its humble start. A vendor interviewed by VOV, who has sold it for decades, recalls that it was once among the cheapest meals around, eaten mostly by people with little money. In those days a plate held only noodles, tofu and shrimp paste. As incomes rose, stalls added extras, and today you can order green rice pork patties (chả cốm), boiled pork, fried blood sausage, pork offal or spring rolls on the same tray.

VnExpress describes the pairing as a balance: cool, mild tofu against pungent shrimp paste and warming kinh giới.

How to eat bun dau mam tom

• Prepare the dip yourself. If the shrimp paste arrives plain, add sugar and squeeze in lime or kumquat, then stir hard until it turns frothy. Add chilli to taste.
• Dip a little at a time. Pick up a block of noodles, a piece of tofu or a slice of pork, dip it into the paste and eat it with a few herbs. The pressed noodles hold together, so they do not drip as much as loose ones.

Stalls are busiest around midday, and many locals treat it as a quick lunch.

Where to try it

Bún đậu mắm tôm is sold in small lanes and side streets all over Hanoi, often from a few low tables and stools. The Hanoi Department of Tourism’s food series points to lanes around Hoàn Kiếm, such as Phất Lộc, Tràng Tiền and Hàng Khay.

Local tip If a small basket of kumquats and a pot of sugar arrive with your tray, they are for the dip. Squeeze and stir them into the shrimp paste before you start.

We do not rank stalls we have not reviewed ourselves.

Good to know before you order

• Shellfish. Mắm tôm is made from shrimp. If you have a shellfish allergy, ask for fish sauce or soy sauce instead, and ask what is in any spring rolls.
• Pork. The extras are mostly pork, including blood sausage and offal. A basic plate of noodles and tofu avoids them, but tell the vendor what you want when you order.
• Raw herbs. The herbs and cucumber are served raw.