My favorite vermicelli brands
I have tested many vermicelli noodle brands over the years, and there are 2 that are my favorite – Three Ladies Brand and Bamboo Tree (pictured above). Three Ladies Brand has a ton of noodle products, and they’re a staple in many Vietnamese kitchens for a reason. They’re really the best when it comes to noodles. Their vermicelli noodles are a tad thicker than my other favorite brand Bamboo Tree, so they have a little bit more of a chewier consistency.
However, I have to say my hands down #1 favorite is the vermicelli from Bamboo Tree. This brand is a recent discovery, and I have never tasted such delicate vermicelli until I discovered this brand. They have the perfect balance between delicate and chewy. I sometimes drive almost an hour to get these noodles. Highly highly recommend it if you can find it.
What can you eat with vermicelli noodles?
Vermicelli noodles can be a great substitute for rice. Vermicelli is used in a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes, such as noodle soups, spring rolls, and vermicelli bowls. Vietnamese chicken curry, Vietnamese spring rolls, bun thit nuong, bun rieu, and bun thang are some of my favorite dishes made with vermicelli.
6. Don’t crowd the pan
Although packing the pan full of food is never a good idea, when it comes to noodles, this is probably the most frequent cause of soggy, mushy noodles. The noodles get overcooked because of the moisture that is trapped by crowding, which steams and boils the noodles. Overcooked noodles are too soft. too soft noodles break into bits.
This is the reason I emphasize so much that the freshest noodles should be cooked one portion at a time and that you should only make pad thai in batches of two servings. Street vendors cook them one order at a time for a reason!
Speaking of which, when stir-frying noodles, you should always use high heat to maximize liquid evaporation and avoid having too much moisture in the pan.
