The most important bun mam restaurant in the market in the West: The owner... has her own entrance

Bun mam restaurant over 40 years old in the West

Without knowing the exact address, diners can easily pass by, because this bun mam restaurant is "hidden" in alley 57 Dien Bien Phu street, inside An Lac iron market (Ninh Kieu ward, Can Tho city).

This is considered the "heaviest" market in the West, because it specializes in selling hardware, spare parts, and machinery. Passing dozens of stalls that "can't sell food" is the only way to reach the bun mam restaurant that has existed for over 40 years.

Quán bún mắm núp hẻm trong chợ ‘nặng ký’ miền Tây: Đắt khách nhưng không bán nhiều - Ảnh 1. — The Bun Mam restaurant is located in An Lac iron market, also known as the "heaviest" market in the West.

The restaurant has no signboard so it has many different names, such as "Sat Market Noodle Soup", "57 Noodle Soup". Many acquaintances give it the very rustic name "Short Noodle Soup", because Ms. Chung Thi Thao (59 years old, owner) has a rather small stature. Interestingly, every time she serves noodles, she has to bring out a wooden chair about 10cm high. Only when standing like that can she comfortably use her hands and confidently make noodles for customers.

If you want to enjoy Bun Mam Co Dwarf, you have to be patient and wait a little. The restaurant only starts welcoming customers at 12 noon, selling out a pot of broth (equivalent to 7-8 kg of noodles - PV) and then closing. Normally, after 2 pm, the restaurant is sold out, some days it only takes about 1 hour. Late customers have to... make an appointment for the next day, the owner does not sell more.

Quán bún mắm núp hẻm trong chợ ‘nặng ký’ miền Tây: Đắt khách nhưng không bán nhiều - Ảnh 2. — Many people call this restaurant "Bun Mam Co Dwarf", because the owner, Ms. Chung Thi Thao, has a rather petite figure.

Quán bún mắm núp hẻm trong chợ ‘nặng ký’ miền Tây: Đắt khách nhưng không bán nhiều - Ảnh 3. — Because of her small stature, Mrs. Thao can confidently sell noodles standing on a wooden chair.

The space of the noodle shop is not very spacious, only able to accommodate about 5 tables. The shop is small but needs 3 more people to help, because the customers come to eat in large numbers and order by phone regularly. Even though they have to stand in the sun to eat, and sometimes even have to wait for a table, many customers are still happy because they think it is worth it.

Why is it popular but not selling much?

A normal bowl of vermicelli with fish sauce costs 38,000 VND, including shrimp, snakehead fish meat, fish cakes mixed with minced meat, roast pork; along with straw mushrooms, water spinach, banana blossoms, and Vietnamese coriander to create an eye-catching dish. In addition, diners can order additional toppings such as blood, balut, and snakehead fish head. The bowl of vermicelli is notable for the flavor of the broth made from the fish sauce that Mrs. Thao has bought from a familiar place for decades. The purchased fish sauce is filtered, cooked, and seasoned according to her own recipe.

Quán bún mắm núp hẻm trong chợ ‘nặng ký’ miền Tây: Đắt khách nhưng không bán nhiều - Ảnh 4. — A bowl of vermicelli with fish sauce evokes memories

Talking about selling out a pot of broth and then quitting, Mrs. Thao said that many people wondered why and felt sorry for her for giving up the opportunity to get rich. But for her, selling that much was enough, because if she sold more, it would be difficult for her to take care of the dish that her mother had passed down.

Mrs. Thao confided: "Until now, I still keep the way my mother did in the past. In the morning, I go to the market to buy fresh food, pick my own water spinach, make my own fish, peel my own shrimp... Doing so takes a lot of time to prepare, and I don't sell much, but I don't want anyone else to do it for me. Because the more care and love is put into the dish, the more flavorful it will be, and the more people will accept it. This is a great lesson my mother taught me, the most important secret to keeping customers from then until now."

Quán bún mắm núp hẻm trong chợ ‘nặng ký’ miền Tây: Đắt khách nhưng không bán nhiều - Ảnh 5. — Small restaurant "hidden in the alley" but crowded

Quán bún mắm núp hẻm trong chợ ‘nặng ký’ miền Tây: Đắt khách nhưng không bán nhiều - Ảnh 6. — The restaurant only sells one pot of broth per day, and it usually sells out within 1-2 hours, so many diners try to go early.

Mrs. Thao said her family is of Chinese origin, living for many years in the An Lac iron market. Before, her mother sold banh tam, bun rieu, chao long, and bun mam. But in the end, only banh tam and bun mam were most popular with customers.

When her mother was old and weak, Mrs. Thao was taught the seasoning recipe by her mother and entrusted with keeping the fire burning for this noodle shop. During the 26 years that Mrs. Thao was the owner, the shop had moved to many locations in the iron market, but was still supported by customers.

Quán bún mắm núp hẻm trong chợ ‘nặng ký’ miền Tây: Đắt khách nhưng không bán nhiều - Ảnh 7. — Although popular, Mrs. Thao does not sell much.

Sharing about the noodle shop, Mr. Nguyen Tuong Duy (34 years old, living in Ninh Kieu ward, Can Tho city) gave many compliments: "After eating the noodle soup with fish sauce, the smell lingers on my mind. I have come here many times, sometimes I tried to go before 12 o'clock to avoid waiting, but unexpectedly there were many people who came early like me. People often say that business has its ups and downs, but with this noodle shop, I always see it crowded."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/quan-bun-mam-trong-cho-nang-ky-nhat-mien-tay-ba-chu-co-loi-di-rieng-185250917140912292.htm