This 4.9-Star Vietnamese Eatery Serves Red Rice Crab Noodles You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Bac Viet is a Vietnamese restaurant near Bedok MRT

When it comes to Vietnamese food, Singaporeans are usually familiar with the likes of pho and banh mi. However, I bet you’ve never heard of red rice crab noodles, which you can likely only find in Singapore at Bac Viet, an eatery in Bedok.

Boasting an impressive 4.9-star rating on Google Maps, many praise Bac Viet for their authentic Vietnamese eats and rare finds. We decided to head down to see if this eatery lives up to the high praise.

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Food at Bac Viet

Bac Viet offers Northern-style Vietnamese specialities, where herbs and subtle seasoning produce light, well-balanced flavours.

Their signature dish is Banh Da Cua ($14.90), AKA red rice crab noodles. A unique speciality of the Hai Phong province, our bowl arrived with rice noodles, prawns, tomatoes and more, all steeped in a deep red broth. We also got a platter of fresh herbs and veggies that we could add to our bowl.

Despite the North’s reputation for light broths, one sip of this was an explosion of flavour. The flavours of the sea were most prominent, with the freshwater crab stock rich, deep, and slightly sweet. The tomatoes also imparted a distinct umami punch, creating a rather complex broth. 

The reddish-brown rice noodles are very unique—wide and flat, with a firm, chewy texture and a robust earthiness that adds to the hearty feel of the dish. These noodles are imported straight from Hai Phong, said to make the best of these noodles in all of Vietnam. 

The noodles are topped with jumbo prawns, which were plump and fresh, and four pieces of pork wrapped in la lot leaves. These were juicy and packed with meaty, fatty flavours, with peppery, herbal notes from the la lot leaves as well. There was also a generous smattering of shredded crab meat and fried pork lard. 

Being a one-of-a-kind find in Singapore, this dish is absolutely a winner. If they only had this one item on their menu, I could still see myself coming back.

But of course, Bac Viet serves up a variety of other dishes, too. Bun Cha ($10.90) is a more famous Northern dish, comprising grilled pork meatballs and belly slices soaked in a light fish-sauce-based broth, with rice vermicelli on the side. 

This is probably the best bun cha you can find in Singapore. Trust me, I’ve tried quite a few myself. The meatballs were sizable and juicy; well-grilled with a very enjoyable smoky char. There were also good portions of fat in both the meatballs and the pork belly slices, which added a lot more depth to the flavours. 

The broth was light yet strong in flavours, tangy and sweet without being overpoweringly savoury. This made an amazing dip for the springy, fresh rice noodles. 

We also tried their Chao Canh ($12.90), another uncommon rice noodle dish that features a clear soup, white fish slices, and pork meatballs. While this bowl had clean and fresh flavours stemming from the spring onions and steamed fish, we felt that this dish was too light and bland for our tastes. The meatballs were also too peppery, with their flavours not matching up to that of the bun cha. 

Almost resembling our local shui kueh, Banh Beo ($6.90) is a popular breakfast dish in Vietnam, and serves as a tantalising appetiser here at Bac Viet. 

The sticky, translucent rice cakes form the base of the dish. While flavourless on its own, it made an amazing melding of textures when paired with the intense dried shrimp and fried pork lard. The flavour profile was further magnified by the addition of the house-made fish sauce and chilli. 

The Cha Nem ($7.90), or fried spring rolls, were really light and crispy, with a savoury and meaty filling. There are six pieces per serving, although we would have appreciated a larger size for each piece. Don’t forget the Salted Iced Coffee ($4.90), a uniquely Vietnamese beverage that features the famed Vietnamese iced milk coffee topped with a thick layer of sea salt cream. 

Ambience at Bac Viet

Bac Viet took over what was previously a gelato establishment named Route Sixty-Six, and retains its chic, modern interior. Rows of brick lend a somewhat industrial vibe to the facade, which the owners have livened up with the use of Vietnamese elements such as lanterns and a hand-drawn mural that really reminded me of those along the streets of Saigon. While the seating space in front appears small, there are additional seats further into the restaurant.

Bac Viet is a 15-minute walk from Bedok MRT Station, located underneath a HDB block near Heartbeat @ Bedok. 

Bac Viet – Eatbook Review

My friends all know that I am a huge Vietnamese food aficionado, so believe me when I say that Bac Viet serves up some of the most authentic and tasty Vietnamese fare in the country. While some dishes aren’t up to par in portion sizes or flavour, their signature dish, Banh Da Cua, is absolutely worth coming down for. It’s just a shame that the location is rather concealed, and that Vietnamese food isn’t immensely popular amongst Singaporeans. 

Since you’re nearby, check out our Bedok food guide. If you’re also a fan of Vietnamese food, check out our Nonette coverage, where you can get banh mi from this Parisian pop-up.

Address: 412 Bedok North Avenue 2, #01-122, Singapore 460412
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 11am-10pm
Tel: 6241 4705
Bac Viet is not a Halal-certified eatery. 

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Photos taken by Jordan Ong.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.