Nostalgia for rice noodles with fried tofu from Hanoi's Old Quarter

I visited Trung Huong Shop of Phat Loc Lane, Hang Buom Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, one of the well-known places to get bun dau mam tom (rice noodles with fried tofu and shrimp paste) in the Old Quarter.

This restaurant has been serving bun dau for more than 30 years.

To my disappointment, the place was closed. The neighbors told me that the owner had sold his house, moved elsewhere, and stopped selling the dish. A feeling of nostalgia overwhelmed me for a brand associated with the cuisine of Hanoi's Old Quarter.

Quintessence of Hanoi cuisine

On a bamboo tray lined with banana leaves, the pure white pieces of rice noodles, a few golden pieces of fried tofu, the pink slices of pork leg, and the green mint gathered around the bowl of dark purple shrimp paste, creating a harmonious picture of the quintessence of Hanoi cuisine.

A set of bun dau mam tom at Huong shop, 55 Phat Loc Lane, Hanoi. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

For anyone who has tried it, bun dau mam tom is an unforgettable treat, even though it is a common street food that can be found anywhere in Hanoi.

In the 90s, beef noodle soup was probably a luxury dish for many people in the capital, while bun dau mam tom was much more affordable. I still remember that a bowl of bun dau cost only about VND10,000-12,000 (US$0.5), while a bowl of pho was twice as expensive.

Bun dau mam tom, as the name suggests, consisted of rice noodles, tofu, and shrimp paste.

Journalist Vinh Quyen, a connoisseur of Hanoi cuisine, said that bun dau mam tom is the simplest dish among Hanoi's vermicelli dishes, but to have a delicious bun dau meal is not simple. The secret to this dish depends on two things: Tofu and shrimp paste.

Shrimp paste from Thanh Hoa province is very popular and is the soul of the dish. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

In Hanoi today, it is difficult to find a bun dau restaurant that serves only noodles with fried tofu. To please diners, they add all kinds of toppings to the dish, such as fried spring rolls, cha com (sausage with young sticky rice), boiled meat, and others. All are served on a round plastic plate or a bamboo tray lined with banana leaves. The centerpiece is still the bowl of aromatic shrimp paste. For those who cannot eat shrimp paste, the chef will immediately bring out a bowl of fish sauce mixed with sour, spicy, salty and sweet flavors.

Bun dau mam tom reaches out to the world

Over the years, northerners have also migrated to many places, bringing along the lifestyle and dishes of the north. Bun dau mam tom is now offered in the southern provinces and even abroad.

Southerners love bun dau mam tom just as much as northerners love banh trang tron (mixed rice paper, a ubiquitous dish in the south), bun bo hue (beef noodles from Hue in central Vietnam), and crab noodle soup.

A set of bun dau mam tom at a 20-year-old shop on Tran Hung Dao Street in Hoan Kiem District. Aside from fried tofu, bun dau can now be served with a variety of toppings, including pork, spring rolls, and sausage with young sticky rice. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

In each region, the dish will have some variations to suit local tastes. Southern provinces such as Kien Giang, Can Tho, An Giang, and Ho Chi Minh City all have famous bun dau shops.

The delicacy also spreads far and wide, even to the bustling Manhattan area in the heart of the United States.

Founded in September 2020, Mam - a Vietnamese-style bun dau mam tom restaurant from husband-and-wife team Nhung Dao and Jerald Head - has been featured in American media and reviewed by many TikTokers and YouTubers.

Here, customers can enjoy bun dau mam tom on the sidewalk, on green plastic tables and chairs imported from Vietnam, creating a feeling of eating in Vietnam. The ordering way is also in the style of Vietnamese street food, where diners are given a printed menu and choose their own dishes by marking or writing down the quantity.

The couple Nhung Dao-Jerald Head and a tray of bun dau at their restaurant Mam. Photo courtesy of Mam

The soul of the dish is shrimp paste imported from Thanh Hoa province, Nhung Dao's hometown. There are lemons, kumquats, and chili peppers for diners to mix into the sauce themselves, stirring until it bubbles. The dish is served on a bamboo tray lined with banana leaves. Aside from the fact that the check is in dollars, the food and space at Mam have given diners a feeling that could not be more Vietnamese.

According to Nhung Dao, the restaurant was named Mam out of love and nostalgia for her hometown. She hoped the restaurant would be as memorable as her hometown's fish sauce and shrimp paste.

"In addition to bun dau, we serve a variety of other Vietnamese dishes. Who knows, in the future, more and more people will know Mam as well as Vietnamese cuisine, and this place can be called Little Vietnam," she said.