Vietnamese National Dishes

Bún quậy Phú Quốc — stirred seafood rice-noodle soup

Name: Bún quậy Phú Quốc — stirred seafood rice-noodle soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 80 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 600 g fresh thin rice vermicelli, or 300 g dried rice vermicelli; 1.5 litres light seafood stock or unsalted fish stock; 1 large lemongrass stalk, bruised and halved; 15 ml fish sauce; 4 g fine sugar; 3 g fine salt, adjusted to the stock; 0.5 g white pepper; 200 g cleaned squid, cut into 5 mm rings; 20 g spring onions, finely sliced; 200 g raw peeled shrimp, patted dry; 200 g firm white fish fillet, pin-boned and patted dry; 5 ml fish sauce; 3 g fine sugar; 0.5 g ground white pepper; 45 ml calamansi juice, or lime juice; 30 ml fish sauce; 20 g fine sugar; 1 small fresh red chili, finely minced, or to taste; 20 ml warm water; 0.5 g MSG, optional; 100 g bean sprouts, optional; 20 g fresh Vietnamese herbs or cilantro, optional

Bún quậy brings together rice vermicelli, seafood paste, squid and hot broth, with a small citrus-chili sauce mixed to taste at the table. In the well-known Phú Quốc serving style, cooks spread shrimp or fish paste inside the bowl and pour broth over it; the name is often understood as “stirred noodles.” Shops vary in their seafood, broth and dipping sauce. This home version keeps the interactive bowl and fresh, briny balance while using packaged rice vermicelli in place of a restaurant noodle press.

Vietnamese National Dishes

Wide view of Phú Quốc bún quậy, a seafood rice-noodle soup with cooked shrimp paste, squid and dipping sauce by the sea. — Bún quậy served with an individual citrus-chili dip.

Yield 4 bowls

Cook time 35 minutes

Passive time 20 minutes, including chilling the seafood paste

Total time About 1 hour 20 minutes

Calories About 390 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bún quậy Phú Quốc — stirred seafood rice-noodle soup

Practical

Tips for successKeep the seafood cold while you prepare the broth and sauce. Mince the shrimp and fish until tacky so a thin layer adheres to the warm bowl. Use unsalted stock if possible; fish sauce already brings considerable salt. Make the citrus-chili dip separately and let everyone season their bowl. Check the thickest seafood paste and squid pieces with a thermometer; the serving-bowl step is not a substitute for reaching 63°C / 145°F.

Ingredients

Soup and noodles

600 g fresh thin rice vermicelli, or 300 g dried rice vermicelli
1.5 litres light seafood stock or unsalted fish stock
1 large lemongrass stalk, bruised and halved
15 ml fish sauce
4 g fine sugar
3 g fine salt, adjusted to the stock
0.5 g white pepper
200 g cleaned squid, cut into 5 mm rings
20 g spring onions, finely sliced

Seafood paste

200 g raw peeled shrimp, patted dry
200 g firm white fish fillet, pin-boned and patted dry
5 ml fish sauce
3 g fine sugar
0.5 g ground white pepper

Individual citrus-chili dipping sauce

45 ml calamansi juice, or lime juice
30 ml fish sauce
20 g fine sugar
1 small fresh red chili, finely minced, or to taste
20 ml warm water
0.5 g MSG, optional

To serve

100 g bean sprouts, optional
20 g fresh Vietnamese herbs or cilantro, optional

Method

Keep the seafood refrigerated while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Finely mince or pulse shrimp and fish with 5 ml fish sauce, 3 g sugar and 0.5 g white pepper until tacky but not completely smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Stir the calamansi or lime juice with 30 ml fish sauce, 20 g sugar, warm water, chili and optional MSG until the sugar dissolves. Divide among four small bowls; each diner can adjust the heat.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook fresh or dried rice vermicelli following its package directions, drain and divide among four warmed, heatproof serving bowls. Set out the optional sprouts and herbs.
In a clean saucepan, bring stock, bruised lemongrass, 15 ml fish sauce, 4 g sugar, salt and white pepper to a gentle boil. Simmer for 8 minutes, remove the lemongrass and keep the broth at a steady simmer.
Spread one quarter of the seafood paste (about 100 g) in a thin layer around the inside wall of one bowl, leaving noodles below. Ladle simmering broth over the paste; wait 2 minutes, then return the broth, noodles and paste to the saucepan. Stir and simmer until the paste is fully opaque and reaches 63°C / 145°F at its thickest point. Repeat with the other bowls. If any paste is below 63°C / 145°F, simmer it longer in the saucepan before serving.
Add squid to the simmering broth and cook for 1–2 minutes until opaque and firm; check the thickest pieces reach 63°C / 145°F. Avoid prolonged cooking, which makes squid tough. Return the cooked noodles and paste briefly to the broth to heat through.
Divide noodles, seafood paste, squid and broth among the bowls. Add spring onions and optional sprouts or herbs. Serve immediately with the individual citrus-chili sauce; diners may stir a little into the soup or dip each bite.

Practical

Practical guidance

Make ahead: Mix the seafood paste and dipping sauce up to 4 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate separately. Cook noodles and seafood just before serving. Storage: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F) in shallow covered containers at or below 4°C / 40°F. Use within 2 days. Store noodles separately if possible. Reheating: Reheat broth and seafood until steaming hot throughout. Add fresh herbs after reheating. Substitutions: Lime works for calamansi. A mild white fish such as cod or pollock works for the fish paste. Do not substitute wheat noodles if avoiding gluten without checking labels and cross-contact.

Troubleshooting

Paste slips off the bowl: Pat the seafood dry, mince until tacky and spread a thinner layer on a dry bowl. The paste is undercooked: Return it with broth to the saucepan and simmer until the thickest part reaches 63°C / 145°F. Broth tastes too salty: Add hot water or unsalted stock a little at a time; avoid adding more fish sauce. Squid is chewy: Cook only until opaque and firm, then remove it promptly. Dip is too sharp: Stir in a little warm water or sugar; add chili gradually.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the noodles from scratch? Restaurant noodles are freshly pressed from rice flour. That takes specialist equipment and practice, so this version uses fresh or dried rice vermicelli; cook either according to its package. What does “quậy” mean here? The word is commonly associated with stirring, reflecting the bowl and self-mixed sauce experience. Do I need MSG? No. It appears in some versions of the dipping seasoning, but it is optional here. Can I use frozen seafood? Yes. Thaw it in the refrigerator, or in a sealed bag under cold water immediately before cooking, then pat dry.

Nutrition per serving

Estimate assumes dried rice vermicelli and unsalted stock. Fish sauce brand, stock, noodle form and how much dip is used can substantially change sodium and calories.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 bowl plus about one quarter of the dipping sauce
CaloriesAbout 390 kcal
CarbohydrateAbout 59 g
ProteinAbout 25 g
FatAbout 5 g
FibreAbout 2 g
SodiumAbout 1,450 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish, shrimp (crustacean shellfish), squid (mollusc) and fish sauce. Check stock, noodle and sauce labels for additional allergens or cross-contact. Keep raw seafood at or below 4°C / 40°F and separate from ready-to-eat food. Cook the mixed seafood paste and squid to 63°C / 145°F, checking with a clean instant-read thermometer. If the bowl method does not reach that temperature, finish cooking in the saucepan. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F, and use within 2 days.

Enjoy

Serve the bowls piping hot with the sauce on the side so everyone can find their own citrus, salt and chili balance.
Put extra herbs and sprouts on the table and stir the noodles just before eating.

Bún quậy Phú Quốc — stirred seafood rice-noodle soup

Practical

Ingredients

Soup and noodles

Seafood paste

Individual citrus-chili dipping sauce

To serve

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Enjoy

Vietnamese National Dishes

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