Best Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City in Quan Mam

Flavors of Vietnam:  A must try in Ho Chi Minh City

Travelers usually taste local delicacies not only to feed their hunger, but to further learn about the culture of the country they are visiting. It might not be a surprise to you anymore that some of the world’s local cuisines are quite bizarre both in taste and appearance.Thinking about this, I suddenly had flashbacks of my curry experience in Sri Lanka and India. They may not look the nicest, but the flavors are there. In fact, it was phenomenal.

 

Going back to Vietnam,  One of the Best restaurants in  Ho Chi Minh City that serves local food, right at  the heart of the backpacker district, which does not only attract customers for its flavors, but also for its presentation. Its highlights are the authentic local cuisines served from the three regions of Vietnam: North Central and South. The restaurant is called Quan Mam (also known as Mam or Mam 148) located at 148 De Tham, District 1.

 

It serves the Food of the Regions of Vietnam all in one Place

The theme of Quan Mam is to present the food of the three regions particularly the specialties of Hanoi from the North, Da Nang from the Center, and Mien Nam from South Vietnam. This may mean convenient opportunities for travelers to taste local food without actually stopping by at every region. But for most, tourists visit Quan Mam simply because it’s a good food.

HANOI – Northern Vietnam Menu

Quan Mam serves four (4) authentic cuisines from Hanoi.

• Fried Tofu and rice noodle (Bún đậu)

Price: 20,000 VND (0.86 USD)

This healthy meal is commonly seen in the streets and markets of Hanoi but is served in Quan Mam, too. The dish is made up of a golden fried tofu, and white vermicelli noodles. It comes with a sauce (you can choose from either shrimp paste or fish sauce) and is usually served with chili. It has quite the resemblance of the Philippine fried pork tofu, but is still different in some levels. To bring out the flavor, make sure to combine them all and dip in the sauce mixture (with some little lime and chili if you prefer).

• Full set of Fried tofu noodle (Bún đậu đầy đủ/Bún đậu, chả cốm, thịt)

Price: 55,000 VND (2.37 USD)

Bun dau day du is a Vietnamese fiesta on a plate. It is served with tofu, fresh herbs and veggies, rice noodles, boiled pork, meat pie ball (pork or chicken pie ball). The tofu and the meat pie ball of your choice is fatty and oily, so a fish sauce or shrimp paste is perfect to balance the meal. On the other hand, the boiled pork is thinly sliced which makes it easier to adopt the flavors of the delicious sauce. Herbs are fresh and the assorted, colorful vegetables as a side makes it even more inviting to dig in. It is served in a winnowing basket (nigo) which kind of give you a Vietnamese fiesta vibe.

This meal is perfect for every occasion, and is the best meal to eat after a full day exploring Hi Chi Minh.

If you want more portion of the ingredients that make up bun dau day du, you can just order for an add-on using this guide:

 

Extra noodles (Bún them)	5,000 VND (0.22 USD)
Extra fried tofu (Đậu them)	15,000 VND (0.65 USD)
Extra steamed pork (Thịt them)	30,000 VND (1.29 USD)
Extra Young rice pork pie ball (Chả cốm them)	30,000 VND (1.29 USD)
Extra Chicken pie ball (Chả sụn gà them)	30,000 VND (1.29 USD)
Extra vegetable (Rau them)	10,000 VND (0.43 USD)
Extra sauces (Mắm them)	3,000 VND (0.13 USD)

 

• Barbecue pork served with salad and noodle (Bún Chả Hà Nội)

Price: 45,000 VND (1.94 USD)

Another noodle dish is Bun Cha Ha Noi. Food is laid in a winnowing basket (nigo in Filipino) with banana leaves as its bed. It comes with a white noodle made from gelatinous rice. It is served with a salad which is a combination of herbs, bean sprouts and sliced cucumber. Now here’s what made our appetite excited: the grilled pork is bathing in a special sauce they call nước chấm. It’s a Hanoi a staple of Vietnamese flavor and is both sweet and sour.

 

This meal is served in a minimal amount, but you can order for an extra pork, noodles, or vegetables.

 

Extra noodles (Bún them)	5,000 VND (0.22 USD)
Extra vegetable (Rau them)	10,000 VND (0.43 USD)
Extra pork sauces (Mắm them)	3,000 VND (0.13 USD)

• Spring roll served with salad and rice noodle (Bún nem)

Price: 45,000 VND (1.94 USD)

Spring rolls are common street food in Asian countries. Even in Vietnam, there are a variety of spring rolls served in restaurant menus. The bun nem of Hanoi is made of mixed ingredients that has protein and vegetables (everything here in Quan Mam is served with vegetables). It includes grinded meat, egg, spices, carrots, taro, and bean sprouts. It is wrapped in a rice paper wrapper and deep fried. The ones they serve has a light brown color. You can have an extra spring rolls for 30,000 VND (1.94 USD).

Bun nem also comes with a salad and rice noodle, a typical Hanoi dish. It is also served with their special sauce and is perfect for late afternoon snacks after visiting the streets of the city.

DA NANG – Center of Vietnam

Visit Central Vietnam through its four most famous dishes served in Quan Mam.

• Sliced steamed pork and vegetable rolled with rice paper (Bánh Tráng cuốn thịt heo)

Price: 70,000 VND (3.02 USD)

Though born in the province of Da Nang, Banh Trang Cuon Thit Heo has gained a universal reputation. Its steamed meat has a balanced softness and fatty texture and taste. It is also thinly sliced to absorb the special sauce.

It comes with fibrous vegetables, too, which is freshly prepared to keep its nutrition. But what really caught my attention is the rice paper served in a plate, which is almost identical to Philippines lumpia wrapper (wrapper made from flour) but is glistening because of its wet texture.

To enjoy Da Nang, you should try rolling the meat with either the rice paper or the fresh vegetables and dip it in the rich special sauce. You can also roll them altogether to create a fresh spring roll.

You can ask for an additional noodle, vegetable, pork and sauce for an extra Vietnamese dong.

 

Extra noodles (Bún them)	5,000 VND (0.22 USD)
Extra vegetable (Rau them)	10,000 VND (0.43 USD)
Extra pork (Thịt them)	30,000 VND (1.29 USD)
Extra pork sauces (Mắm them)	3,000 VND (0.13 USD)

 

• Steamed pork mixed with salad and rice noodle (Bún mắm nêm thịt luộc)

Price: 45,000 VND (1.94 USD)

 

Ingredients might almost be similar to other dishes, but the taste of Bun Mam Nem Thit Luoc will definitely awaken a different side of your palate. Just like what its name suggests, this dish is made from steamed pork (thit luoc), rice noodle (bun), and sauce (mam nem). And since Vietnamese are really health conscious, they also serve it with a salad of fresh herbs.

• Roasted pork mixed with salad and rice noodle (Bún mắm nêm thịt quay)

Price: 55,000 VND (2.37 USD)

If you wanted pork cooked in a different way, then try their bun mam nem thit quay. In this dish, pork is roasted which makes the meat rich in flavor. You can try mixing it with the noodles and vegetables to bring out more texture and flavors. And of course, do not forget to add some of their anchovy sauce to achieve that Vietnamese taste.

• Lemongrass chicken soup from Da Nang (Mỳ Quảng Gà)

Price: 45,000 VND (1.94 USD)

Embrace Quan Mam’s lemongrass chicken soup (my quang ga), in your Christmas vacation in Ho Chi Minh. The dish is specifically a noodle soup which can be compared to saimin of Hawaii, mee goreng of Singapore, and Pad Thai of Thailand. Although not as famous as pho, it has become one of the most sought after noodle soup by tourists visiting Quan Mam. The secret of its taste is from the broth which has earthy flavors from the lemongrass, and the acidity of their sauce.

Noodles are thick, and is yellow due to turmeric. The broth, on the other hand is thin and little. The whole soup is garnished with the chicken and some Vietnamese toppings. It is served with a black sesame rice crackers and a bowl of fresh vegetables to balance the flavors.

MIEN NAM – Southern Vietnam

 

Create your own noodle salad with this Southern Vietnam’s dish.

• Lemongrass sliced beef served with salad and noodle (Bún bò xào Nam Bộ)

Price: 55,000 VND (2.37 USD)

 

The dish is a typical Mien Nam noodle salad. It is a mixture of freshly picked herbs, cooked beef, white rice noodle, some bean sprouts, carrots, garlic, and other spices. It is seasoned with Quan Mam’s special sauce taste. Because of its fresh ingredients, this noodle salad is perfect for every mean and weather in the city. Even with a noodle, bun bo xao nam bo is light in the tummy so it is perfect even for those who are on a diet.

The Food and Vietnamese People

Tasting the food in Quan Mam totally made us experience Vietnam in a new level. Trying all the food is definitely worth it. Through flavors and presentation, I was able to get to know that Vietnamese people really has a heart to both good food and health. The balance between meal components—from meat, carbs, and vegetables—both in flavors and colors, depicts their religious aspects as well (it is said that the ingredients in Vietnamese dishes are balanced based on yin yang beliefs). It’s true, their food shouts out how rich the people and place is in culture and tradition.

 

Overall Experience in Quan Mam

Quan Mam sits at the right at the heart of the backpackers district but it’s ambiance is great. You can tell that it is very clean and well lit. They serve the best street food in Vietnam but with the comforts of proper seating as well as good hygiene. The price is very reasonable. This is a must try when you visit Vietnam.

Details:

Quan Mam Restaurant

Address: 148 Đề Thám Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000 Việt Nam ( or click here for maps)

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Mamrestaurant148/