Missing Hanoi in Saigon: bún chả and bún đậu mắm tôm places worth a visit

Far from Hanoi, I still hunt for the taste of home in Saigon. In this piece I share with you the Northern Vietnamese places that Hanoians living far from home like to tell each other about, from a bowl of bún chả fragrant with charcoal smoke to a generous tray of bún đậu mắm tôm.

One thing I often think about: Northern food in Saigon easily gets adapted to Southern taste. The dipping sauce turns a little sweeter, the basket of herbs loses a few kinds, the pork is grilled over gas instead of charcoal.

Bún chả: pork that still smells of charcoal smoke

Is the bún chả good? I only want to eat bún chả that is true to its standard and its flavor, judged by smell, taste, ingredients and method. It is true that nobody can know how a place cooks until they have stepped into its kitchen. But as someone who has stood at the stove for many years, one bite is enough for me to feel the method, the care taken with the ingredients, and how the flavors blend into something very much its own. I feel all that through smell, through taste, through the instinct of someone who works with food.

The places below are the names people mention most when you ask about bún chả in Saigon. Come explore them with me, and do leave a comment to tell me what you think of each one.

Bún chả 145 at 145 Bùi Viện, District 1, sits right in the noisy backpacker area and still serves a bowl of bún chả with crab spring rolls (nem cua bể). If you have had enough of strolling Bùi Viện, step in: the space is roomy and clean.

Bún chả Hà Nội 26 at 8A/9C2 Thái Văn Lung, District 1, serves crisp bánh tôm (shrimp fritters) and fried spring rolls beside the bún chả. Some compare the place to a small corner of Hanoi in the middle of Saigon, and just hearing that makes you want to go.

Bún chả Phố Cổ at 225 Phan Xích Long, Phú Nhuận, has one detail that makes me homesick: the dipping sauce comes out still piping hot, with papaya and carrot floating in it. It is a small place serving bún chả, fried spring rolls and pork patties.

Bún chả Vân Anh at 36 Hồng Hà, Tân Bình, has two best-ordered dishes: bún chả and bún with crab spring rolls. Afterwards there is a cold glass of corn milk or aloe vera, just right for a hot lunch.

Bún chả Hồ Gươm at 29 Trương Định, District 3, has many branches, so anyone far from the center can find one near home.

Bún chả Ánh Hồng on Lý Chính Thắng street, District 3, sells bún chả, crab spring rolls and bánh tôm. I hear the owner is from Hanoi, and the basket of herbs here is praised as a plus.

Bún chả 1986 at 30 Cửu Long, District 10, has fried spring rolls with a shrimp filling that is a little unusual. I also hear the owner is from Hanoi and remembers the regulars.

Ô Bún Chả at 45 Phan Khiêm Ích, District 7, is known for its basket of every kind of fresh herb, perfect for anyone in the south of Saigon craving bún chả.

Bún đậu mắm tôm: a meal shared from one tray

Bún đậu mắm tôm is the dish Hanoians love to share. A bamboo tray holds blocks of pressed rice noodles, fried tofu, chả cốm and a basket of herbs, with a bowl of shrimp paste in the middle for the whole table to dip into. First-timers are usually careful with the shrimp paste. By the second time they mix their own bowl, because that sharp smell, whipped up with lime, sugar and a little hot oil, suddenly becomes something very appealing. Northern shrimp paste is also thicker than the Southern kind, so a look at the bowl tells you whether a place is doing it right.

Bún đậu mắm tôm Cô Khàn is tucked in alley 102 Cống Quỳnh, District 1, and its tray is lined with banana leaf. Besides bún đậu there is bún ốc chuối đậu and bún giả cầy, all Northern dishes whose names alone make you fond of them.

Hẻm Đậu at 140E Lý Chính Thắng, District 3, has a mixed tray with tofu, chả cốm, dồi trường (stuffed pork sausage), boiled shin pork and phèo (pig's large intestine) for anyone who wants to try everything.

Đậu Homemade at 1 Nguyễn Văn Tráng, District 1, besides bún đậu has snail patties wrapped in lá lốt leaf, crab spring rolls and lemongrass-and-salt chicken feet to nibble on.

Tiến Hải Quán at 804 Sư Vạn Hạnh, District 10, serves bún đậu with grilled blood sausage. A Chảnh has many branches across the city, so check the map for the nearest one.

How to eat bún đậu mắm tôm properly

1. Put one or two spoonfuls of shrimp paste in a small bowl, add sugar and squeeze in lime or kumquat.
2. Whisk the paste until it foams, then add a little hot oil. The paste fluffs up, loses some of its sharpness and turns smoother.
3. Add sliced chili. If you are not used to it, start with a little paste and plenty of lime.
4. Pick up a piece of noodle, a piece of still-hot tofu and a few leaves, dip in the paste and eat them together. Eat the tofu as soon as it is fried, because cold tofu loses its crisp skin.

If you cannot eat shrimp paste, just ask the place for a fish sauce mix to dip into instead. It will taste a little different but is still good.

Nem cua bể, Phở Gà and bún thang

Bún chả and bún đậu often come with fried spring rolls or crab spring rolls (nem cua bể). If you want round-rolled nem cua bể with crab and shrimp filling and a crisp skin, our kitchen cooks it in batches and takes advance orders. And when you miss Phở Gà (chicken pho) and bún thang, come to Bếp Kinh Kỳ at 63/5 Pasteur, open 7:00 - 14:00, Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday.

See the Nem Cua Bể dish page

Going out to eat without wasting the trip

• Bún chả is a lunch dish, and good places are usually busy from around 11:00 to 13:00. Go slightly outside the rush and the pork has just come off the grill and the herbs are fresh.
• If you are in a hurry, some places let you order 15 to 20 minutes ahead so you do not wait for the grilling.
• Call to check that a place is open and still at that address before you go, because Northern places in Saigon move fairly often. District and ward names have also changed a lot, so check the map to be sure.

Cover photo: quang-nguyen-vinh, via Pexels.