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Vietnamese Garlic Butter Noodles with Shrimp

Vietnamese Garlic Butter Noodles with Shrimp reads umami 8.2, salinity 6.5 and citrus 6.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese main, about 13 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 10.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 0.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.2 · Salinity 6.5 · Citrus 6.0 · Marine & Briny 5.8 · Sourness 5.7 · Funk & Ferment 5.6 · Richness 5.2 · Allium 3.4 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Sweetness 2.4 · Heat 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Floral 0.7 · Bitterness 0.6 · Earthy 0.6 · Fruity 0.5

What's in it (14)

• dried chinese plain noodles — 227 g
• shrimp — 454 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• oil — 27 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• garlic — 24 g
• fish sauce — 30 g
• light-brown sugar — 13 g
• lime juice — 15 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• scallions — 400 g
• cilantro — 15 g
• lime — 65 g

Time & effort: about 13 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 109.8 kcal, 5.8 g protein, 7.2 g fat, 16.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the glass noodles and cook until just tender and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; set aside.
3. Pat the shrimp dry and season all over with the salt and pepper.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sear until the edges are golden and the shrimp are opaque and curled into a C shape, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter, the remaining tablespoon of oil, and the garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant and just turning golden at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Whisk in the fish sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes; simmer until glossy and slightly syrupy, about 1 minute.
7. Add the drained noodles and toss with tongs to coat evenly in the garlic butter sauce, about 2 minutes, until glossy and heated through.
8. Return the shrimp to the skillet along with the lime juice and the scallion whites and greens; toss to combine and warm through, about 1 minute.
9. Remove from the heat, fold in the cilantro, and season to taste with more salt and lime juice. Divide among bowls and serve with lime wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Crispy Chile-Garlic Chicken Wings — Thai
• Shrimp Pad Thai — Thai
• Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Chops — Vietnamese
• Thai Basil Shrimp Fried Rice — Thai
• Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken — Vietnamese

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.