Name: Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng (Central Vietnamese fish-cake noodle soup)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 125 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 500 g firm white fish fillet, skinless and boneless, cubed and chilled; 22 ml fish sauce; 12 g tapioca starch; 5 g sugar; 1 g ground white pepper; 15 g fresh dill, finely chopped; 20 g scallions, finely chopped; 60 ml neutral oil for shallow-frying half the cakes; 700 g fish frames and heads; 2 L water; 150 g yellow onion, halved and charred; 150 g fresh pineapple, cut into chunks; 300 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges; 200 g pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes; 150 g green cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces; 30 ml fish sauce; 6 g fine salt; 8 g sugar; 320 g dry rice vermicelli (bún); 60 g mixed fresh herbs such as dill, mint and coriander, washed and picked; 2 limes, cut into wedges; 1 red chili, thinly sliced

Two bowls of Da Nang fish-cake noodle soup with rice vermicelli, vegetables, herbs and lime on a serving table. — Da Nang-style fish-cake noodle soup served with fresh herbs and lime.

Yield 4 soup bowls

Cook time 65 minutes

Passive time 20 minutes

Total time 125 minutes

Calories About 620 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng (Central Vietnamese fish-cake noodle soup)

Bún chả cá is a central-coast Vietnamese noodle soup built around two preparations of fish: a clear broth simmered from fish frames and springy fish cakes. Đà Nẵng’s version is associated with a gentle broth that brings together fish bones, pumpkin, pineapple, tomato and cabbage, with fresh herbs, lime and chili at the table. Nha Trang and other coastal communities have their own variations, so this recipe follows the Đà Nẵng ingredient pattern rather than claiming a single definitive regional bowl.

The fish cakes start as cold, finely processed fish paste. Working the paste until it turns glossy and sticky helps it hold together and gives the finished cakes a springy bite. Half are steamed for a tender texture; the rest are shallow-fried until lightly golden. A thermometer check matters because both styles are made from processed raw fish.

The broth should simmer gently, not boil hard. Blanching the frames first and skimming as they simmer keeps the stock cleaner in flavour. Pumpkin, pineapple, cabbage and tomato bring their own sweetness and acidity, so the measured fish sauce, salt and sugar season rather than dominate the pot.

Practical

Keys to successChill the fish until firm at the edges before processing; warm fish paste is harder to bind. Beat the processed paste until tacky, then fold in dill and scallions. Shape 16 cakes evenly and check at least 63°C in the centre of both steamed and fried cakes. Keep the fish-frame stock at a bare simmer and skim the surface; a rolling boil clouds it. Cook the noodles separately so they do not absorb broth while the pot waits.

Ingredients

Fish cakes

500 g firm white fish fillet, skinless and boneless, cubed and chilled
22 ml fish sauce
12 g tapioca starch
5 g sugar
1 g ground white pepper
15 g fresh dill, finely chopped
20 g scallions, finely chopped
60 ml neutral oil for shallow-frying half the cakes

Broth and vegetables

700 g fish frames and heads
2 L water
150 g yellow onion, halved and charred
150 g fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
300 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
200 g pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
150 g green cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces
30 ml fish sauce
6 g fine salt
8 g sugar

Noodles and garnishes

320 g dry rice vermicelli (bún)
60 g mixed fresh herbs such as dill, mint and coriander, washed and picked
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 red chili, thinly sliced

Method

Char the onion halves cut-side down in a dry pan until browned in spots. Inspect the fish frames for loose scales or gill fragments; do not rinse them in the sink. Blanch the frames in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and discard that water.
Put the blanched frames in a clean stockpot with 2 L fresh water, charred onion and pineapple. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim the surface and cook uncovered for 40 minutes without a hard boil. Strain through a fine sieve without pressing the solids; discard the bones and aromatics.
While the stock simmers, spread the cubed fish in one layer and chill in the freezer until firm at the edges but not frozen, about 20 minutes. Process with 22 ml fish sauce, tapioca starch, 5 g sugar and white pepper until glossy and tacky. Beat firmly with a spatula for 1 minute, then fold in dill and scallions. Keep cold.
Divide the paste into 16 equal portions. Shape 8 into flat cakes about 1.5 cm thick and 8 into slightly rounded patties. Set the rounded patties in a steamer basket over simmering water, cover and steam for 10–12 minutes, until their centres reach at least 63°C. Remove with clean tongs.
Heat the measured 60 ml oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Shallow-fry the 8 flat cakes about 3 minutes per side, turning once, until lightly golden and their centres reach at least 63°C. Drain on a rack. Use a clean thermometer and keep cooked cakes separate from raw fish paste.
Return the strained broth to a simmer. Add pumpkin and cook for 8 minutes; add cabbage and tomato and simmer another 8–10 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender but holds its shape. Season with 30 ml fish sauce, 6 g salt and 8 g sugar. Keep hot.
Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package directions, drain and divide among four bowls. Top each with 2 steamed and 2 fried fish cakes. Ladle in hot broth with pumpkin, cabbage and tomato; finish with fresh herbs. Serve lime wedges and sliced chili alongside.
Refrigerate leftover broth, noodles and fish cakes separately within 2 hours in shallow covered containers at or below 4°C. Use within 3 days and reheat once to 74°C throughout.

Practical

Practical tips

If fresh fish frames are unavailable, ask a fishmonger for clean white-fish frames and heads; avoid strongly oily or gilled parts that can make the broth bitter. Prepare the stock and cakes ahead, cool them promptly and refrigerate separately. Cook noodles close to serving so they remain springy. For a lighter bowl, use fewer fried cakes and more steamed cakes while keeping the same 4-cake serving; the calories and fat will be lower than the estimate.

Troubleshooting

The fish cakes crumble: the fish may have warmed up or the paste was not worked until tacky. Chill the paste and process briefly again before shaping. The broth turns cloudy: it likely boiled hard or the bones were pressed while straining. Keep it at a gentle simmer and let gravity do the filtering. The fried cakes brown before the centre is ready: lower the heat and finish gently, checking for 63°C in the centre.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ready-made fish cakes? Yes. Use 500 g ready-made fish cakes and omit the raw-fish cake ingredients and their frying oil. Warm the cakes in the finished broth until steaming hot; the flavour and nutrition will differ from this estimate. Why are some cakes steamed and others fried? The two textures are a common way to serve chả cá: steaming keeps the cakes tender, while pan-frying adds a browned surface. This version makes both from one measured fish paste. Can I make the soup ahead? Yes. Strain and chill the broth, and refrigerate the cooked cakes separately. Reheat broth to a simmer, warm cakes in it, and cook the noodles fresh.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving size1 bowl with rice vermicelli, 4 fish cakes, broth and vegetables
Calories620 kcal
Carbohydrate91 g
Protein34 g
Fat12 g
Fibre5 g
Sodium1,850 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish, including fish sauce. Check packaged rice vermicelli and condiments for soy, wheat and cross-contact. Keep raw fish separate from herbs and other ready-to-eat garnishes, and wash hands, boards and tools after contact. Cook every steamed and fried fish cake to at least 63°C at its centre, measured with a clean instant-read thermometer; colour is not enough. Cool leftover broth, noodles and cakes separately within 2 hours and refrigerate at or below 4°C. Use within 3 days and reheat once to 74°C throughout.

How to serve

Add lime gradually so the broth stays balanced.
Keep extra noodles separate from the broth until serving.

Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng (Central Vietnamese fish-cake noodle soup)

Practical

Ingredients

Fish cakes

Broth and vegetables

Noodles and garnishes

Method

Practical

Practical tips

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

How to serve

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