Ho Chi Minh City eatery evokes hometown memories with bowls of 'bun ca Nha Trang'

The place, called Nho Nha Trang (Nostalgia for Nha Trang), tucked at 937 Hoang Sa Street, offers bowls of fish noodle soup with clear, light broth infused with the aroma of fish.

The name has sparked curiosity, drawing more and more diners who often return multiple times out of nostalgia.

“After the pandemic, most orders come through apps, but among those who visit my place, seven out of ten are from Nha Trang,” said owner Nguyen Nho who was born in Nha Trang.

Bun ca Nha Trang, a staple in Nha Trang which is now part of new Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam, is a clear and light fish noodle soup made from simmered fish bones, served with a variety of toppings including fresh fish pieces, fish cakes, and jellyfish.

The taste of hometown

Nho’s restaurant opened in 2018 when he was just in his early twenties.

The man had no family recipes and no one in his family had sold this dish before.

It all began with a decision to start a business 'through the taste of hometown' just after university.

“When I first opened, I couldn’t get the flavor right,” Nho recalled. 

“Many customers came and left disappointed.

“It took me two or three years to master the recipe. 

"Now I can cook almost without tasting it, everything is set.”

To ensure the authentic flavor, most ingredients are transported directly from Nha Trang, including fish cakes, jellyfish, fresh fish, noodle strands, and especially the fish sauce – the soul of the dish.

At Nho Nha Trang, the broth is simmered from fish bones, giving it a unique, lingering sweetness.

Meanwhile, the fish cakes are fragrant with pepper, golden-browned, and pleasantly chewy and the accompanying fish sauce is exactly like the one in Nha Trang.

The type of fish used in the dish varies with supply and price, with each fish giving a different broth.

“Some even create slight tanginess, so if you don’t season carefully, the flavor is off,” Nho said.

Amid bustling Ho Chi Minh City, Nho Nha Trang draws customers back with the owner’s patient effort to recreate the taste of his hometown, a sincerity that especially resonates with people from Nha Trang, who find their memories returning with each familiar coastal scent.