Bun Mang Ga is a dish that I don’t eat often enough, and I’m reminded of that fact every time I do eat it, because it’s delicious.

Bun Mang Ga

This dish is made from three awesome things: bún (noodles), măng (young bamboo) and gà (chicken). It’s a great breakfast food since it’s so light. Bun mang ga is not necessarily bursting with flavor like other Vietnamese noodle dishes (bún mắm comes to mind). It has more a chicken noodle soup, comfort food feel. It’s also got a great broth. As summer is approaching, it’s seriously important to make sure you’re getting enough fluids so you don’t dry up. You’re gonna sweat a lot, but this dish can help.

This particular bowl comes from a shop on Chi Lang, in the city center, basically across from the old football soccer stadium. There’s a couple reasons why this shop is good: first, it’s open at reasonable hours. I know that seems like a dumb reason, but “breakfast food” means most places stop serving it at 9 am (or earlier); some days, that’s just a touch early for me to be up, dressed and in the city center and finishing my breakfast. This place gives me the chance to enjoy the first meal of the day at a more casual hour. The second reason I like this place is the chicken is good quality. I’m all for head-to-tail cooking, using the whole animal and all that, but I do appreciate them taking the chicken off the bones before they put it in my bowl as opposed to just hacking it into sorta-bite-size bits and tossing it in. Here, you get nice meaty strips with not too much skin. That’s a big plus in my book. Reason number three: it’s CHEAP. This bowl cost me 25,000 VND, just over a buck. That’s a real steal if you ask me.

Check it out Bun Mang Ga Loan at 94 Chi Lang.