In Saigon, Hủ Tiếu With a Side of Crab

"No rushing!" the younger male member of the family running this more than 30-year-old shop in Saigon's District 1 barked at our friend My when she gently inquired as to the whereabouts of our meal.

We'd been waiting more than 15 minutes for two orders of hủ tiếu cá -- rice noodle soup with fish -- and customers who'd arrived after us had already been served. "I don't think they have a very good system for keeping track of orders," My observed.

Let's just say that customer service is not Nam Loi's forte. Mrs. Crabby, a stone-faced matron sitting behind the front desk, would probably pull a muscle if she smiled; Mr. Crabby Sr., dishing up noodles at the front of the shop, rags on the male Crabby Jr. almost as much as the latter snaps at his customers.

I should note that Nam Loi is a democratic establishment. We were not singled out for abuse; many Vietnamese customers also got a dose of the Crabby family's ire.

But it's worth enduring the 'tude for a taste of Nam Loi's hủ tiếu. My, Dave and I were there on the recommendation of another friend, a Saigon native who's been eating at the shop since at least the mid-1970s. They serve hủ tiếu cá, hủ tiếu gà (rice noodle soup with chicken), and hủ tiếu bò kho (wheat noodles with beef -- you can also order bò kho plain to eat with bánh mì -- a baguette).

Most patrons were supping on fish noodles; we followed suit. The base of Nam Loi's hủ tiếu cá is a milky broth with a not-overpowering sweetish fishiness and a bit of bite from white pepper and slivered scallions. The dish's wide koayteow-style rice noodles are silky yet retain their chewiness even after minutes in the soup. When the hủ tiếu is assembled the fish -- a mild, white-fleshed variety -- is added raw, to cook lightly in the hot broth. Bean sprouts lend a bit of crunch. This is not an assertive or spicy dish, but it's so beautifully balanced that it requires little in the way of additional seasoning from the bottles of soy sauce and worcestershire-like sweet black vinegar on each table.

I entered Nam Loi intent on limiting myself to a taste of Dave's hủ tiếu (we had other fish to fry that morning) but soon succumbed to one of the small meat pies displayed on the edge of Mrs. Crabby's counter. I expected a char siu (Cantontese-style barbecued pork) filling but was pleasantly surprised with something like a country pate -- roughly chopped pork, a hint of liver, and lots of black pepper, maybe a dash of sesame oil. The crust was fantastically flaky.

I caved further with an order of bò kho sans noodles (I waved away the baguette as well), served with lime juice-black pepper-salt for dipping. 

Although I suspect there are better versions out there -- I wanted a bit more richness and complexity in the soup, but then again maybe I'm corrupted by memories of the very American-style beef stew my mom used to make -- Nam Loi's broth was plenty meaty with hints of star anise and cinnamon. The beef chunks were so tender they literally fell apart beneath the tines of my fork (I resorted to a spoon); they accompanied chunks of carrot and tendon slippery, chewy, and fatty enough to make a tendon fan swoon.

We finished up and left without bidding the Crabby family farewell. When she joined us out on the street My told us that as he accepted her money Mr. Crabby senior complained that Dave had taken too many pictures.

"They want to introduce you to other people," she told him. "It will be good for business."

To which he replied: "I don't need it. I'm busy enough already."

You have been warned.

Nam Loi, 43 Ton That Dam Street near corner of Nguen Cong Tra. 6am-noon, Sundays also open from 2-8pm. Our advice: walk in, give your order to the guys at the front straightaway, and head for a table. Don't dither, and don't get in the way. If you want something to drink order tra da (iced tea). 

Comments

[Steve Jackson]

No soup for you!

[Marts Aziz]

Ha ha ha I'm busy enough already!

What an honest man.

[Katy Biggs]

Dave - Do you ask when you take photos? Taipei alley niu rou mian guy said you 'didn't bother to ask'! But he was too busy to be bothered by the two Laowai! :-)

Mind you, I probably wouldn't ask in case I've been told 'NO!'

[Dave]

Katy - I do ask. I tried to get Mr. Hu Tieu's attention but he didn't seem to want to engage. I figured if it was a real problem then he would let me know.

The niu rou mian guys more or less asked me to take their pics. Real proud of their product and natural 'hams' in front of the camera.

[Robyn]

Steve - I believe that was the implication. I think we're banned.
Marts - true. Can't fault him for hedging the truth. :-)

[Katy Biggs]

Dave –Yes I did sense that the noodle guy secretively enjoyed you and Robyn’s fussing over him and his noodle – despite saying he was too busy to mind your presence, he remembered a lot of things about you both and said ‘you looked you were doing it for real ’. He is also proud of the store because it’s a family business - the two skinny ones brothers, I think cousins to himself. The woman on scooter delivering the afternoon round hand-made noodles probably his wife – by the way he shouted at her.

He asked what brought me to him and his Q noodle – despite that none of us live in Taipei and don’t know each other. He was fascinated by this ‘cyber’ connection and I am sure he will be delighted to see you and Robyn again :-)

[beancounter]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

I wonder what he meant by many?

What's the etiquette anyway when taking photos of a restaurant and its food?

[Sticky]

I love this attitude (Basil Fawlty-esque) to custom....really gives you something to write about other than the food. You really need to make it to Hanoi one of these days for more of this 'tude...they are well schooled in it up here!

[Graham]

Any hint of a Hanoi accent for la famille crab?? :o

Doubt it, Hu tieu is a southern dish. But just wondered...

Don't think I've ever seen hu tieu ca before - only with pork, prawns and offal (from memory)

Nice score.

[Magdalena]

Ha ha ha ha !
Some dishes look so familiar. Are you sure that you are in Saigon ?

[Robyn]

beancounter - I would say that if you're not bothering other customers and getting in the way of service, photos are fine. Ask before you snap a person though. But we would never photograph at a fine dining establishment, in fact rarely in regular restaurants. Street food only, mostly.

Sticky - you are not making Hanoi sound appealing. On visits there it's felt to me quite a bit like Shanghai/China ex Sichuan, vis a vis people. That's not a compliment. But I'd be curious to make a return visit now that we're not living in Saigon. Maybe this year....

Graham - ha. What makes you think I would know a Hanoi accent from the proverbial hole in the ground. Studied Viet for 6 mos and can't say a damn thing. The language defeated me.

[Jencrafted]

Did you taste a hint of pate in the bo kho? A Vietnamese friend taught me how to cook bo kho from scratch....and her secret ingredient is pate. Strange, huh?

[Robert Danhi]

Just made Bo Kho last night at Taylors college...people loved it. Such a great dish, especially when there is a thin crusted baguette to oak up the gravy, piles of basil and some limes for an acidic punch. Annatto gives it a rich red color!

[eastingfeasting]

be brave Dave & Robyn!!!, it's about the food not the people :) can't wait for more pictures, and they are worth it, not every picture is a free one right?

[Matt B]

I'm pretty sure those meat pies are called pate chaud, if you were wondering. I was surprised by the filling the first time I had it as well.