Quang's bun tom xao: 100 Favorite Dishes, No. 71

Danielle Lenz

Summon spring with Quang's refreshing vermicelli noodle salad.

​We love winter, but truthfully, we're more than a little tired by now of this year's relentless snowstorms, inconvenient parking restrictions, and depressingly gray days. If you, like us, yearn for warmer weather and brighter, greener days, find respite from the cold with Quang's summery bun tom xao, a Vietnamese shrimp and vermicelli noodle salad laced with fresh herbs and vegetables. This healthy, light, and simple dish is substantial enough to fill you up and guaranteed to brighten your mood no matter how low the temperature may be.

Quang layers a generous heap of room-temperature rice noodles over a bed of crisp lettuce and tops them with warm sauteed shrimp, onions, and bean sprouts. The large shrimp are firm and smoky, while the onions and sprouts are caramelized and sweet. Nestled alongside the warm ingredients are a refreshing assortment of crunchy, cold vegetables and herbs, including julienned cuts of vibrantly orange carrots and delicate green cucumbers, bright mint, and fresh cilantro. A sprinkling of chopped peanuts adds a dry, nutty crunch that complements the snap of the vegetables. An accompanying cup of nước chấm, a salty-sweet fish sauce dressing, permeates the individual ingredients and pulls the dish together, creating a delicious harmony of contrasting tastes, textures, and temperatures. Spring may not be here quite yet, but this lovely bowl of freshness is nothing short of sweet anticipation.

Danielle Lenz

Quang's bun tom xao: it'll fill you up without weighing you down.

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QUANG
2719 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis
612.870.4739; Quang website

Hungry for more? The dishes in our countdown thus far are linked below:

No. 72: YoYo Donuts' maple bacon doughnut
No. 73: Cupcake's mini cupcakes
No. 74: Willy D's ribs
No. 75: Salsa a la Salsa's Fried Chocolate Truffles
No. 76: Anodyne's Artichoke Melt
No. 77: Origami's steamed duck
No. 78: B.T. McElrath's Salty Dog bar
No. 79: Mozza Mia's house-made limoncello
No. 80: Salty Tart Bakery's pastry cream-filled brioche
No. 81: Little Szechuan's bamboo tips with chili sauce
No. 82: Oceanaire's Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
No. 83: Aperitif's Nonni's Meatballs
No. 84: Christos's Saganaki
No. 85: Seven Stars' Sesame Bagel
No. 86: Hell's Kitchen Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes
No. 87: Blackbird banh mi
No. 88: Tank Goodness chocolate chip cookies
No. 89: Sole Cafe's gal bee
No. 90: Porter & Frye's El Pelon
No. 91: Coffee News' fish and chips
No. 92: Bread & Chocolate's Fabulous Fudge Bar
No. 93: People's Organic Panna Cotta
No. 94: Sea Salt Eatery Crawdad Po' Boy
No. 95: Fuji Ya's Tofu Don
No. 96: Ike's Food and Cocktails The Weekender Bloody Mary
No. 97: Punch's Toto pizza
No. 98: Stockholm Pie Company's peanut butter fudge cream pie
No. 99: Dogwood Coffee Co.'s macchiato
No. 100: Al's Breakfast buttermilk pancakes