Discover authentic vietnamese cuisine with our vermicelli bowls

Vermicelli Bowls: A Taste of Saigon, Served in Edmonton

Ever found yourself wondering: Is it vermicelli? Vermecelli? Vermacci? Vermicelli bolw? Wrong! It’s vermicelli (ver-mih-CHELL-ee). Spelling aside, what really matters is how delicious this dish is!

At Grain of Rice, we’re more than just a restaurant – we are a family-run business bringing the flavours of Vietnam to Edmonton. Inspired by the bustling streets of Saigon, our authentic Vietnamese vermicelli bowls are crafted to be fresh and flavourful.

If you’ve ever travelled and eaten in Saigon, you know there’s nothing quite like the street food scene. And if you haven’t? Let us take you there, one bowl at a time. No plane ticket needed – just come to Grain of Rice.

What Is a Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowl?

A Vietnamese vermicelli bowl, or bún, is a beloved dish from southern Vietnam, especially popular in Saigon’s street markets and family-run kitchens. It’s a refreshing, all-in-one meal that combines rice vermicelli noodles, lemongrass-marinated proteins, crisp vegetables, and nước chấm—a tangy, slightly sweet dipping sauce.

Whether eaten on a busy sidewalk or around a dinner table, vermicelli bowls are light yet filling, zesty yet savoury, and perfect for warm days or quick meals

What’s in Our Authentic Vietnamese Lemongrass Vermicelli Bowl?

Our bowls are built to balance texture and taste—a harmony of crunchy, tender, savoury, and refreshing:

• Rice vermicelli noodles –Long, thin noodles made from rice flour, naturally gluten-free.

• Lemongrass proteins – Choose from pork (grilled for that charred, smoky taste), or chicken, beef, and tofu (wok-tossed in our house-made lemongrass sauce). We recommend sticking to two proteins max—any more, and the flavours start to clash.

• Fresh vegetables – Crisp lettuce, cool cucumber, and pickled carrots.

• Crushed roasted peanuts – Add crunch and nuttiness (please inform us if you have any allergies).

• Crispy chicken spring rolls – Psst… if you’re gluten-free, order the pork vermicelli bowl without the spring rolls.

• Nước chấm (fish sauce dressing) – A classic Vietnamese sauce made from nước mắm (fish sauce), sugar, water, garlic, and lime.

Did you know?
In Vietnamese, nước mắm refers to pure fish sauce. But what we typically eat in restaurants is nước chấm, a dressed-up dipping sauce that includes nước mắm along with sugar, water, lime juice, and garlic. Growing up in Canada, many of us called it nước mắm without knowing the difference—but now you do!

To keep our bowls clean and streamlined, we don’t include fresh herbs or bean sprouts, but they’re traditionally part of the experience.

Gluten-Free? We’ve Got You.

One of the best things about Vietnamese cuisine is how many dishes are naturally gluten-free. That’s because rice—not wheat—is the staple grain in Vietnam. Our vermicelli noodles are rice-based, and our broths and marinades are made without gluten-containing ingredients.

✅ Our pork, chicken, beef, and tofu vermicelli bowls are all gluten-free-friendly when ordered without spring rolls.
❌ Please note: Our crispy chicken spring rolls contain gluten.

So, if you're gluten-sensitive but still craving something vibrant and satisfying, be sure to order a pork vermicelli bowl without spring rolls at Grain of Rice.

Why We Do It Differently at Grain of Rice

In southern Vietnam, vermicelli bowls (bún) are more than just a meal—they’re a way of life. Whether you’re wandering through the bustling streets of Saigon, grabbing a quick bite from a street vendor, or sitting down for a family meal, bún thịt nướng (grilled pork vermicelli) is a go-to dish. It’s fresh, flavorful, and incredibly convenient, making it a favorite for families looking for a quick and satisfying meal.

At Grain of Rice, our signature wok-tossed lemongrass vermicelli bowl was born out of a need for something just as flavorful, but more practical for our customers. Back at our first restaurant, Treasury Restaurant, we noticed that office workers loved coming in for a quick, refreshing vermicelli bowl. The only problem? Fish sauce. As delicious as nước chấm is, it wasn’t exactly office-friendly, and many customers hesitated to order it before heading back to work.

That challenge led us to reinvent the vermicelli bowl. We created a wok-tossed lemongrass protein that’s just as saucy and flavorful—without the fish sauce. It became a hit, and we’ve been perfecting it ever since.

We took inspiration from our time spent in Vietnam and combined it with our creativity in the kitchen to bring you a dish that is convenient, fresh, and made with love.

Ready to Dig In?

Maybe you’ve never been to Vietnam. Maybe you miss Saigon. Or maybe you just want a great lunch. Whatever the reason, our Vietnamese vermicelli bowls at Grain of Rice are here to bring you that same taste of street-side Saigon comfort—right here in Edmonton.

Order now and experience a bowl that’s uniquely ours.