A trip to Tra Vinh province in Mekong Delta region of Vietnam could not be complete if traveler misses Ben Co soup cake – a specialty of the province. Ben Co restaurant in Ben Co hamlet, Nguyet Hoa commune, Chau Thanh district, Tra Vinh province is always crowded with customers. In the 1980s, a woman who has 6 children started a business with a shoulder pole which served soup cake to make money. More and more customers come to the shoulder pole to eat the most delicious soup cake in Tra Vinh. In recent day, her family has opened a spacious restaurant to serve a large number of customers.
A portion of Ben Co soup cake consists of rice noodles, the rich broth covering the noodles, toppings including pork guts, pork stomach, pork heart, a chunk of pork leg, coriander and ground black pepper. Lime wedges and chili pepper slices are served with the bowl of soup cake so that dinner can add sourness and hotness to the dish at his wish.
The rice noodles of soup cake are shorter and thicker than rice noodles of other Vietnamese rice noodle soups. The white, tender, sticky, slippery, a little chewy rice noodles of soup cake are hand-made by the owner with a secret recipe. The broth is rich and clear. All of the ingredients are fresh and prepared carefully is one of the reasons why Ben co soup cake is delicious.
Every day, Ben Co restaurant serves about 500-900 portions. If you have a chance to visit Tra Vinh, do not miss tasting a flavorful bowl of soup cake at Ben Co restaurant. It will fill and warm your empty stomach. Using a spoon to eat the noodles, toppings and sip the broth, you will feel all of them melt in your mouth.
Read more about other specialty foods of Tra Vinh
