Shiori, a Japanese content creator with nearly 370,000 YouTube followers, made her first trip to Vietnam in early 2024. After a day cruising in Ha Long Bay, she traveled to Hanoi and set out to explore the local cuisine.

Due to her late dining schedule, Shiori opted for eateries near her hotel for convenience. She stumbled upon a street-side food stall at the entrance of a small alley on Hang Voi Street in Hoan Kiem District and decided to try bun ngan.

“A warm bowl of soup like this not only tastes delicious but also lifted both my body and spirit after a long, rainy day in Ha Long Bay,” Shiori shared. 

Shiori ordered a portion of bun ngan for 40,000 VND, which included duck meat, bamboo shoots, congealed blood, and a tangy-sweet dipping sauce served alongside fragrant herbs such as Vietnamese balm (hung cho) and sawtooth coriander (mui tau).

Although unfamiliar with the dish, she was impressed by the light and comforting flavor of the broth, which she described as “gently soaking into the body,” and the unique texture of the herbs.

She found the dish even more enjoyable after seasoning it and adding more herbs. “It became even more flavorful,” she noted, while continuously savoring the soup.

To her surprise, Shiori felt a remarkable improvement in her energy and mood as she ate. “I never thought I’d find a dish that could miraculously lift my fatigue like this,” she said. She described feeling relaxed, revitalized, and energized after the meal.

Unable to stop eating because of the dish’s irresistible flavor, Shiori used a translation app to express her delight to the stall owner, calling bun ngan “the best dish in the world.”

During her time in Hanoi, Shiori also sampled other local specialties, including cassava dessert (che san), banh mi, old-quarter fried doughnuts (banh ran), Vietnamese pancakes (banh xeo), and coconut coffee (ca phe cot dua).