Quan Chu 8 is a familiar address for many diners who want to enjoy the rich flavor of Mekong Delta vermicelli with fish sauce in the heart of Hanoi.
Bún mắm is originally a specialty originating from Cambodia, but when it arrives in Vietnam, the dish has been subtly transformed. Instead of mắm bò hóc (prohok), people in the Mekong Delta use mắm cá linh and cá sặc, two typical fish of the Mekong Delta region to create the soul for the dish.
As soon as you step into the restaurant, diners' senses of smell will be awakened by the characteristic aroma emanating from the hot broth pot. The broth cleverly combines fish sauce, snakehead fish cooked to dissolve the meat, filters out the clear water, and blends with fresh coconut water and pork bone broth.
The restaurant's broth has a clear brown color and a naturally sweet taste thanks to not overusing MSG. To achieve that, the cook is very meticulous in the processing stage, from using lemongrass and garlic to deodorize to taking advantage of shrimp and squid boiling water...
A bowl of vermicelli with fermented fish sauce here makes diners dizzy with the richness of accompanying dishes. Depending on the taste, diners choose from roasted pork, fish cake, fresh fish, shrimp and squid to full or special bowls of vermicelli according to their preferences. All ingredients are neatly arranged, covered with a little herbs and then filled with hot broth.
The dark golden color of the broth, the light sweetness from the stewed bones, blended with crispy fresh shrimp, crispy squid, crispy roasted meat and soft sweet eggplant pieces make diners hard to resist.
The biggest plus point of the restaurant is the accompanying basket of raw vegetables, which determines 50% of the deliciousness of bun mam. The restaurant serves a full range of typical Mekong Delta vegetables such as water lily stems, dien dien flowers, bitter vegetables, chopped banana flowers, split water spinach and bean sprouts. The freshness of the vegetables makes the dish harmonious and not greasy.
Ms. Thu Huyen (35 years old, Thanh Xuan), a regular customer of the restaurant, shared: "The ingredients here are very fresh, so even when there are many customers and I have to wait a little, I still find it completely worthwhile.
The restaurant also has another establishment located on Nguyen Thuong Hien street, open from 7:30 am to 9 pm every day, peak hours at noon and late afternoon. Each bowl of bun mam costs from 50,000 - 100,000 VND depending on the type.
