Rice vermicelli bowls with grilled pork at Bun Thit Nuong Chi Thong in Saigon
This is my pops’s favorite place for bun thit nuong cha gio in Saigon. For those of you who are not familiar:
- bun = rice vermicelli
- thit = meat, usually refers to pork when used without a modifier
- nuong = grilled
- cha gio = fried spring rolls
You may not know it by its Vietnamese name, but you may have had the dried noodle bowl before, as it’s a pretty popular Vietnamese dish and one new converts to the cuisine tend to taste first with their virgin tongues (the other ones being pho and banh mi thit).More than half the time I ask my pops what he wants to eat that weekend, he will say Bun Thit Nuong Chi Thong. Chi Thong translates as “Miss Thong.” (While we’re on a roll with the Vietnamese lessons here, you should note “chi” can also mean “older sister” or a term of respect you use to address a woman who is a little older or in a position of higher rank than you.) But enough about that—this blog isn’t called The Blind Linguist after all.So the restaurant is named after Miss Thong, as many Asian restaurants tend to be eponymous. Whether Miss Thong is actually in the back frying up the spring rolls or grilling up the pork is yet to be determined.But the bowls are solid. This is pretty much all they sell, which I believe is indicative of a superior dish. I would, for example, only go to a pho restaurant for pho. I like it when a place has a very short menu because that most likely means turnover is quick, which means ingredients are fresh, not to mention they probably know what they’re doing if they’re still going strong.A bowl here will run you about $45.000 VND ($2 USD and some change). The spring rolls are flavorful and perfectly crisp, the meat just charred and plentiful. Lots of fresh veggies go into the dish, and I like all of them except for fish mint which, if you taste it, you’ll know which one I’m talking about. It’s very strong and (duh) has a fishy taste. My family loves this herb, though—I hear it’s a southern thing.The restaurant is usually packed with both locals and the occasional foreigner, but I’ve never had to wait for a table. Who makes your favorite bun thit nuong cha gio?Bun Thit Nuong Chi Thong195 Co Giang St.District 1Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamPhone: +84 90 853-8079