A 50-year-old bún mọc (Vietnamese pork ball vermicelli soup) restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City welcomes a steady stream of customers who come to enjoy this simple yet irresistibly delicious dish.

Bún mọc is known for balls of minced pork and young ribs simmered in broth.

Customers often arrive at Mrs. Chieu's bún mọc restaurant, located at 280 Bac Hai Street in Tan Binh District, to enjoy an upgraded version of the dish full of family history and pride.

With an accommodating upper floor and just over a dozen tables, it is a comfortable space with indoor parking. 

The restaurant, named for founder Chieu, is currently run by her daughter, Dao.

“My mother started as a street vendor, selling throughout the Bac Hai residential area," Dao said.

In the beginning, Chieu sold only chả, a traditional Vietnamese pork loaf.

But when she moved to Ho Chi Minh City from her hometown in northern Vietnam, she decided to expand her menu, adding bún mọc, a savory noodle soup.

Her unique flavors, reminiscent of her hometown, quickly drew a loyal following.

"At one point, she opened a small shop tucked away in an alley, and from there, her popularity grew until we moved here," Dao recalled.

"That street noodle stall raised me and my siblings. Now, as my mother gets older, I’m here to support her, just as she did for us."

Dao primarily manages the restaurant, with her siblings occasionally lending a hand. 

“When I was younger, I helped my mother make and sell chả, but I never imagined I would take over,” Dao said with a smile.

“I used to work for a company, but perhaps fate led me back to this bún mọc shop.”

Chieu's family recipe is the star of the dish, set apart by being made without wood ear mushrooms.

The family uses traditional northern-style minced pork and finely grounds it into a beef ball shape.

Since bún mọc is primarily sold in the morning and most customers will buy chả to take home, seating is generally available.

A bowl of bún mọc is served with plenty of types of chả, which are notably different from those at other shops. 

Each type of chả offers a unique flavor: one might encounter the rich taste of fatty chả, the crispy bite of fried chả, and the aromatic hint of chả quế (deep-fried cinnamon-flavored pork rolls), all balanced by the lightness of chả lụa (pork rolls).

All the chả share a chewy texture, bursting with sweetness, and contain minimal flour, accompanied by tender pieces of stewed young ribs.

Dao shared her daily routine of “waking up at 3:00 or 4:00 am to go to the market for buying fresh meat to grind at home."

"Then I bring the fresh chả to the shop and sell immediately,” she continued.

“The quality depends on the freshness of the meat.

"Once the chả is sold out, the bún mọc dish is no longer available, as customers primarily come for the pork rolls.”

Additionally, the shop offers bánh giầy (Vietnamese round glutinous rice cake) to pair with the chả, served with pepper salt -- perfect for breakfast.

Thinh, Dao's brother reflects, “This noodle shop is a legacy from our mother, and it’s a place where we siblings come together.”

For him, the dish of bún mọc served with chả is steeped in childhood memories, his mother's love, and the nostalgia of eating with friends.

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