In Saigon, you can enjoy this specialty dish from Trà Vinh province at the bún suông restaurant at 130 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Street – District 3, or at the bún suông stall inside Bến Thành Market (sold in the morning).

If you want to try bún suông at a long-standing restaurant in Saigon, head to the bún suông stall of Cô Mai inside Bến Thành Market. The stall with the affectionate name “Cô Mai” in Bến Thành Market has been passed down through three generations. It’s also a favorite spot for many discerning food lovers.

You can also enjoy this Trà Vinh specialty at the bún suông restaurant at 130 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu – District 3. Just note that this stall only operates in the morning.

The flavor of bún suông here has been “Saigon-ized” to suit a wider range of tastes—for example, the broth is less salty and sweeter, and they add larger shrimp.

The broth for bún suông is made from pork bones and young coconut water, while the unique “suông” is innovatively made by grinding shrimp finely with a bit of snakehead fish paste to create a chewier texture than the original version. Many people believe “suông” is a mispronunciation or variation of “đuông” because this shrimp paste is shaped to resemble a coconut palm weevil larva.

A bowl of bún suông at Bến Thành Market typically includes just two suông pieces and one shrimp. It looks simple, but once you eat it, you realize how special it is—especially since the suông is dipped in an incredibly delicious sauce, not to mention the abundant variety of fresh herbs and vegetables served alongside.

Though bún suông isn’t very common in Saigon, it’s incredibly unique, representing one distinctive feature among the countless interesting things that Bến Thành Market has offered—and continues to offer—to generations of diners.