When mentioning famous and delicious food places in Nam Dinh, you cannot miss Nam Thanh Bun Cha restaurant (also known as Bun Cha Nha Tho), in Hai Ba Trung alley, Nam Dinh city.
The Bun Cha restaurant is an old house, stained by time, owned by the family of Mrs. Tran Thi Chin (94 years old). Mrs. Chin said: “The restaurant was opened by my great-grandfather more than a century ago. Previously, the restaurant was located on Vai Man Street (now Hai Ba Trung Street, Nam Dinh City). In 1991, it was moved to its current location. Now, it is the 6th generation of my family managing and selling Bun Cha according to the family recipe.”
Unlike other bun cha restaurants, the 6 generation bun cha restaurant in Nam Dinh impresses with its grilled meat dish.
With her hands quickly flipping each sausage stick, Mrs. Tran Thi Yen (64 years old), the granddaughter of Mr. Chin who is gradually taking over the restaurant, shared: “To make delicious sausage, my family will choose pork shoulder with fat to process. Instead of slicing the meat, I use a knife to slice the meat very thinly, so that when marinated, the spices will be absorbed evenly. In addition to the separate spices, the meat is marinated with eggs to soften and give it a fragrant smell.”
Not only is the meat processing special, for over a century now, the restaurant has kept the old way of sandwiching meat, using bamboo sticks and fresh banana leaves. The grilling process must be kept on an even heat, and the meat must be turned constantly, so that the meatloaf will not dry out, and the natural sweetness and fattiness of the shoulder meat will be retained.
According to the restaurant owner, bamboo sticks not only help control the fire well, cook the meat evenly, lose less water, and make it more tender and juicy, but also bring out the natural aroma of old bamboo and banana leaves.
Bun cha here costs 40,000 VND/serving including: a plate of vermicelli, a bowl of grilled meat sprinkled with thinly sliced onions, a bowl of sweet and sour dipping sauce, pickles and raw vegetables served with it.
The restaurant opens from 11am to 7pm, with 7 people working tirelessly, always busy serving customers. During peak hours from 11am to 1pm and on weekends, many people are willing to wait half an hour to enjoy bun cha.
Ms. Hong Ngoc, a diner in Hanoi, commented: “Every time I go back to my hometown, I stop by to enjoy Bun Cha Nha Tho. Every time I come to the restaurant, I have to wait a while, but the delicious bowl of noodles is worth the wait. My friends and I rate this as the best Bun Cha restaurant in Nam Dinh City, from the delicious dipping sauce to the sweet meaty patties.”
