Bún Cô Chi offers a great introduction to the wonderful world of northern noodles.

I discovered Bún Cô Chi through a recommendation from a colleague. After looking it up on Google, the place caught my interest — from the display of the wooden sculptures collection, a popular hobby for the elderly, to the menu featuring dishes I had never heard of before. Plus, it’s just a 7-minute drive from my office, and with traffic jams becoming more common this time of year, it’s always convenient to find a place nearby to fill your belly. 

Bún Cô Chi is nestled in a small alley off Hòa Hưng Street in District 10, with a sign displaying its name hanging at the entrance. Turn into the alley and look for the house with a large sign reading “Bún,” that’s your destination. The shop can be easily mistaken for a regular house, but a quick glance inside reveals that the living room has been repurposed into a dining area.

The family's extensive collection of wooden sculptures serves as dining decorations.

I had the chance to meet cô Chi, the the titular owner of the eatery. She introduced me to the shop's extensive menu. The options feature a diverse range of northern-style noodles, from the familiar bún riêu and bún mọc, to the less common options like bún cá hồi or bún thang. I was too spoiled for choices to decide, so I asked her for some recommendations.

I was intrigued by a dish called bún bung, also known as bún dọc mùng, because its name is so unusual. According to cô Chi, this dish has “a sour flavor that might be a bit unfamiliar to Saigoneers, but if you can handle this, you’ll likely enjoy everything else on the menu.” Hearing that piqued my curiosity, so I decided to order it.

A humble bowl of bún bung.

The name bún bung comes from the ancient word “bung,” which refers to the traditional method used to prepare its broth and ingredients. Its other name is bún dọc mùng, after dọc mùng, the Vietnamese term for taro stem. It’s a well-known ingredient for southerners, often appearing in home-cooked, broth-based dishes like canh chua. However, as the name bún dọc mùng implies, this taro stem is the star ingredient in this northern-style noodle.

When we asked cô Chi for permission to take photos, she gladly agreed and even helped us by putting the scallions on top to make more colors pop out. She also shared that she and her family photographed and designed the menu boards all by themselves, using only authentic photos and no stock images. It seems like cô Chi and her family invest a great deal of care and attention into presenting the shop.

Rare northern dishes are on the menu.

Since cô Chi was so willing to share about her shop, I asked her a few questions to learn more about Bún Cô Chi. Her family is originally from Hanoi, but they moved to Saigon in the 1990s. They started this eatery more than 10 years ago, serving a wide range of delicacies from their hometown to make a living. Back then, they operated at a different location nearby, but later on, as the family ventured into other businesses, cô Chi was moved to their own home to save on operating costs. Cô Chi said they are basically “serving food out of passion” now, catering to a small number of customers, including northerners living in Saigon, and anyone interested in trying out northern cuisines.

After waiting for a short while, my bowl of bún bung was served. At first glance, this dish was quite simple, with just about three main ingredients. It has a distinctive color, blending between yellow and green. When I had my first sip of the broth, I was immediately introduced to the key distinction between southern and northern noodles: the light and pleasant tart flavor. It was definitely a new experience for me, and fortunately, the sourness didn’t deter me in any way, so I keep on exploring.

Dọc mùng might be an unfamiliar topping to some eaters.

The dish contains plenty of taro stems, whose greenish-yellow hue makes it the most visually striking bún bung ingredient. They play a significant role in the dish’s unique appearance, and not only that, they are also responsible for bún bung’s signature sour flavor. Just a single bite of the taro stem and I already felt all its spongy, watery textures — a cooling sensation. I'm familiar with taro stems in a bowl of canh chua, but in this dish, I could truly appreciate the taro stem in all its glory.

Cô Chi explained that taro stem can sometimes cause an itchy sensation on the tongue after eating. However, she assured us that the way they prepare the taro stem can eliminate this issue. They peel off the outer layer, soak in saltwater and repeatedly squeeze them to remove all of the sap, which is what causes the itch. I didn’t experience any issues after eating them, so there’s no need to be concerned.

It's like dining in somebody's living room.

The taro stem, while very soothing in flavor, can be a bit overwhelming due to its sheer volume, in addition to the sourness. It definitely caused me to feel a bit fatigued, but I think it was more about regional differences in tastes rather than a flaw in the food itself. I worked my way around it by eating the stems along with other components like the rice noodles and the meat, to balance out the flavors. 

For protein, cô Chi used short chunks of pork ribs that were tender, with just the right amount of fatty parts, so they were not greasy. Complementing the tenderness of the ribs is the chewiness of mọc, a type of meatball made from minced pork mixed with tiny slices of black fungus mushroom, giving you two different chewy textures contained in a single meatball.

These must be a nightmare to keep dust-free.

Overall, Cô Chi’s bún bung, though simple in its ingredients, features components with distinct characteristics that come together nicely. The light, tart flavor of the dish and the spongy bite of the taro stems might be off-putting to some who aren't accustomed to it, but if you give it a chance, each spoonful can offer you a refreshing and soothing feeling.

Besides bún bung, Bún Cô Chi also serves other northern delicacies that can be more inviting for southern palates, such as bún chả ốc đùm lá lốt, bún mọc, etc. For dessert, they offer flan, which is a perfect way to cleanse your palate after a hot bowl of noodles. If you’re on budget, there’s always free ice tea to quench your thirst.

Bún Cô Chi is located deep inside a hẻm.

In conclusion, the bún bung offered by Bún Cô Chi really opened the door for me to explore northern-style noodles. Not only did I have an enjoyable and refreshing dining experience, cô Chi also made the place feel like it truly embodies the spirit of “serving food out of passion.” The care and attention in the shop’s presentation, along with cô Chi's enthusiasm in sharing about the food, made me feel like she runs this eatery not only for a bit of income, but also to get people to chit-chat about the dishes that she and her family create.

Bún Cô Chi is open 6am–1pm and 4pm–8pm except Sunday.