Authentic home cooking from Vietnam, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Vietnam as Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng

Da Nang Fish Cake Noodle Soup (Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng)

Name: Da Nang Fish Cake Noodle Soup (Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng)
Total time: 1800 s
Yield: Serves 4 servings
Ingredients: 14 oz mackerel fillet (400 g); 1.8 oz pork fatback (50 g); 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (about 8 g); 5-6 large pieces of pumpkin, about 1.5x2 inches each (4x5 cm); 1 piece cabbage, about the size of half your hand; 2 tomatoes; 1/4 ripe pineapple; 2 pieces dried bamboo shoots or 1 stalk fresh bamboo shoot; 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste; Green onions and cilantro, shallots

Hoàng Ngọc @hoangngoc374

TPHCM

Bún chả cá is a famous dish found in Nha Trang and Quy Nhon, but the Da Nang version is unique, mainly because of its broth. While the broth in Nha Trang and Quy Nhon is made only from fish bones, the Da Nang version uses a variety of vegetables, giving it a more fragrant and naturally sweet flavor. Making the fish cakes takes some time, but if you have good quality fish cakes ready, you just need to make the broth, which is very simple.

Fish cakes can be made from different types of fish such as mackerel, featherback, or lizardfish. In Da Nang, fish cakes are usually made from a mix of local fish, often mackerel or lizardfish. Here’s my way of making fish cakes—since I’m in Ho Chi Minh City, featherback and basa fish are common in supermarkets and convenient to use. You can do the same, or substitute with mackerel.

Hoàng Ngọc @hoangngoc374

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Ingredients

30 minutes

Serves 4 servings

14 ozmackerel fillet (400 g)
1.8 ozpork fatback (50 g)
1 tablespoonall-purpose flour (about 8 g)
5-6large pieces of pumpkin, about 1.5x2 inches each (4x5 cm)
1 piececabbage, about the size of half your hand
2tomatoes
1/4ripe pineapple
2 piecesdried bamboo shoots or 1 stalk fresh bamboo shoot
1 teaspoonfermented shrimp paste
Green onions and cilantro, shallots

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Steps

30 minutes

1

In Da Nang, noodle soups like this are often served with pickled shallots. To make pickled shallots: - Peel the shallots and slice them in half lengthwise; if they’re large, cut into quarters. - Mix 3 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Soak the shallots in this mixture for 1-2 hours before serving.
2

To make the fish cakes: Cut the mackerel fillet into small pieces, then pound or process until very fine. Dice the pork fatback into tiny cubes. Mix the fish, fatback, and flour with: 1 teaspoon annatto oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1 finely minced shallot. Use a food processor or mortar and pestle to blend everything until smooth, then transfer the mixture to a plastic bag and knead and slap it until the fish paste is very elastic. The more you knead, the smoother and chewier the fish cakes will be.
3

Rub a little oil on your hands and shape the fish paste into pieces. You can make them in different shapes: 1. small flat rounds; 2. small balls; 3. large thick pieces to cut into chunks after frying; 4. large thin pieces to slice thinly after frying. In the photo, I made all four shapes. If you didn’t knead the paste thoroughly, shape it into large thin pieces (option 4); after frying and slicing, the cakes will be chewier and less crumbly.
4

Deep-fry the fish cakes in oil over medium heat until they turn a deep golden color. For a richer color, add a little annatto oil to the frying oil. Remove and drain, then cut the cakes as desired.
5

Prepare the vegetables: After peeling and washing the pumpkin, cut into pieces about 1.5x2 inches (4x5 cm). Don’t peel the pumpkin skin, as it helps keep the pieces from falling apart when simmered. Cut the cabbage into pieces about the size of half your hand. Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Slice the pineapple thinly. If using dried bamboo shoots, shred and soak them overnight in water (best in rice-washing water) to soften. If short on time, use fresh bamboo shoots, shredded. Boil the bamboo shoots with a little salt, leaving the pot uncovered to let any toxins evaporate.
If you have mackerel heads or bones, you can briefly boil them, then place in a cloth bag and simmer with the vegetables for extra flavor.
6

Put all the prepared vegetables into a pot with 8 1/2 cups cold water (2 liters) or fish bone broth. Season with 4 tablespoons good fish sauce, 1-2 tablespoons seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 tablespoon rock sugar. Dissolve 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste in half a cup of cold water, let it settle, then pour the clear liquid into the broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour to let the vegetables release their sweetness. If using a thermal cooker, bring to a boil, then cover and let sit for 2 hours. Adjust seasoning to taste.
7

When ready to serve, add all the fried fish cakes to the broth and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then add a little annatto oil and chopped green onions for color.
8

Unlike in Nha Trang, where shredded cabbage is served as a side, Da Nang-style fish cake noodle soup is served with shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, and mint.
9

At home, we rarely buy fresh rice vermicelli, but use dried rice vermicelli instead. Before serving, boil the noodles, drain, rinse with cold water, and let them sit for 30 minutes to get fresh, tasty noodles. See instructions for boiling noodles in the Bún ghẹ recipe.
10

To serve, put noodles in a bowl, arrange fish cakes and mackerel/tuna on top, then ladle the broth and vegetables over everything. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve with fresh herbs, minced garlic and chili, fermented shrimp paste, pickled shallots, and a wedge of lime. Enjoy this famous Da Nang fish cake noodle soup!
11

For a vegetarian version, omit the fish sauce and use vegetarian fish cakes or fried tofu instead.

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Hoàng Ngọc @hoangngoc374

Published in the US on May 06, 2026 13:46

TPHCM

Mình là người Đà Nẵng sống ở Sài Gòn, 1 chồng 2 con, thích ăn nên hay nấu 😄Sóc Nhím hỏi "mẹ ghi lại làm gì dzạ?", mình nói "biết đâu có người muốn nấu món này mà hông biết cách, thì họ có thể xem, hoặc sau này 2 đứa đi học xa nhà, cần nấu ăn thì xem" 😋