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A year of yearning. That's how long my taste buds have been pining for a proper bowl of Bun Cha and a plate of Com Tam. My Vietnamese food adventure, unlike many, didn't revolve around Pho. It was the perfectly grilled pork, the refreshing crunch of herbs, and the comforting simplicity of broken rice that had me completely smitten. Add the iconic Cau Lau I was slurping sitting on a low plastic stool in Hoi An’s ancient town to that. I happily buried my face in that bowl and called it a day. It has haunted my palate ever since. I was expecting all of that to be on the menu here.
Because, honestly, finding a bowl of Pho in Mumbai is not a challenge. Good or bad, most Asian restaurants are slinging the national dish of Vietnam along with the rice paper rolls. So, while everyone's slurping up that ubiquitous Vietnamese noodle soup like it's the elixir of life, I'm over here dreaming of a menu that goes beyond the basics. It’s 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, a perfect excuse for a lazy afternoon indoors. I hadn’t expected a crowd. Instead of the anticipated lull, the restaurant is packed and there’s barely a table unoccupied. There’s a cacophony of chatter, paired with the clatter of plates and forks that only served to heighten my anticipation for the meal to come. So, as I get seated, the first thing I ask is whether they have Com Tam on the menu. The waiter shakes his head. And no Cau Lau either. Won’t lie, my Vietnamese food cravings took a serious hit. But then, I spotted it – Bun Cha. My heart did a little happy dance but I had to exercise patience until the main course.
To kick things off, there’s shrimp mousse wrapped around sugarcane skewers. These grilled morsels were marinated and served with a tangy nuoc cham dipping sauce. The shrimp, marinated to perfection, clung tightly to the sweet, caramelised sugarcane sticks. It was a flavour bomb on its own and the dip, usually a must-have, almost seemed superfluous. There’s something about the allure of a classic that keeps drawing you in, a hope that this version will be the one to stand out. I felt the same for the summer rolls, a familiar face in the crowd of appetisers. That said, I knew what to expect, a refreshing roll filled with crisp vegetables and some protein. I tried the Charcoal Asparagus roll and another filled with vegetables, vermicelli noodles, and native herbs served with peanut sauce.
The salmon avocado cream cheese tobiko and herbs roll didn’t disappoint either. There's also tender marinated succulent slices of Belgium pork belly rolled in rice paper served with mango chilli dressing. I mean, pork belly is always a winner, right? But this one was tender, juicy, and had a nice marinade that gave it a little kick. However, the mango chilli dressing was a bit too sweet for my taste. It kind of masked the flavour of the pork belly. Would've preferred a more balanced dressing. The crispy river sole, though accompanied by interesting elements like basil seeds, mango strips, and tobiko, was pleasant enough, but not one that will leave a lasting impression. The prawn cracker base provided a crunchy texture, but that’s all about it.
Up next was that bowl of Pho. There's no other word for it except 'cosy.' Especially when it's pouring outside, it's like a rainy-day cuddle. That’s when those tiny flaws in your pho become invisible and the broth is just pure and simple. Featuring delicate rice noodles, succulent pork belly, and a fragrant broth infused with anise, cardamom, ginger, onion, cinnamon, fresh herbs and bean sprouts, it was a decent bowl, nothing extraordinary, but certainly not bad. Actually better than most places I've tried in Mumbai.
Now, the Bun Cha has been served and it’s screaming to be devoured. What you read in the description is exactly what you get. It has home-style char-grilled pork patties placed on steamed rice noodles and served with sweet and sour sauce. It was like stepping back into a Hanoi street food stall. The flavours of the broth and all the condiments were spot on – a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and umami. It was the closest it could get to replicating that authentic Bun Cha experience outside of Vietnam. I mean, the broth was like liquid gold. It was so good that I ditched the spoon and started slurping it straight from the massive soup ladle. No shame! It was that addictive. The pork patties were juicy and were meant to be bathed in that Bun Cha soup. This is the bowl you must resist sharing.
Okay, they have egg coffee too. But don’t get too excited like I did. Consider this a caution. While I understand it’s hard to replicate Cafe Giang’s egg coffee, the iconic joint in the old quarters of Hanoi where egg coffee originated, a hint of coffee would be nice, you know? Topping it with a thick layer of meringue doesn’t do the trick. But then, even cafés in Hanoi have failed to emulate it. So let’s just leave it at that. My hopes for a better Vietnamese coffee were quickly dashed too. I hope they start taking coffee a bit more seriously. For a sweet ending, the panna cotta was polished off in seconds. Who knew a non-Vietnamese dessert could steal the show like that?
Address: Shakun Ganga Jamna Sangam Building, Ground Floor and Unit-1, A Wing, Shree, Facing, Rd Number 24, adjacent to Starbucks, West, Khar West, Mumbai
Meal for two: INR 4,000