HEAVENLY: Fresh rice vermicelli with tofu and assorted pork bites dipped in pungent yet delicious 'mắm tôm'. VNS Photos Phương Anh

Đỗ Hà Phương Anh

Homesickness doesn’t always hit you in the heart first, sometimes it hits your nose. For me, it’s the sharp, salty funk of mắm tôm, the fermented shrimp paste I grew up with in Việt Nam. One whiff in New York, and I’m suddenly 16 again, waiting for a platter of bún đậu [rice vermicelli and tofu] to land on the table at home.

That smell is what sends me searching for Vietnamese food in New York, not as a hobby, but as a way to feel closer to home. After living in Việt Nam for 17 years, I have high standards, and New York, for all its incredible dining options, just doesn’t have that many truly great Vietnamese spots. I tend to get homesick a lot as well, and when I do, my cravings almost always lead me to the foods I grew up with.

DELICIOUS: The garlic fried chicken cartilage had a fantastic crunch and satisfying chew.

That’s why Mắm NYC caught my attention. From the moment I walked in, it didn’t just look like a Vietnamese restaurant, it smelled like one.

The space is small and casual, with the kind of typical metal stool and close together tables that make you feel like you’ve stepped into a back-alley eatery in Hà Nội. On warm evenings, the front is opened up so diners spill onto the pavement, chatting over steaming bowls and pungent dipping sauces that I call home.

Growing up, I remember seeing my mother coming back home to the wet market to buy mắm tôm. She’d unscrew a plastic bottle, sniff it critically, and either nod in approval or move on before modifying the taste of the sauce with calamansi and fresh chillies.

At home, we didn't eat a lot of bún đậu unless my sister returned to Việt Nam during her college years, experiencing homesickness. Every time she came back, she would want a big platter feast of bún đậu to fulfil her cravings.

Back then, I didn’t think much of it, but maybe that was my first glimpse into what I’d eventually feel myself. Now, living in New York, I understand that craving all too well, that need for a familiar taste to make a foreign city feel a little less distant.

SUPER TREAT: Quail balut in tamarind sauce is popular street food.

I started with the Quail Balut in Tamarind Sauce (US$10). The sauce tasted authentic, tangy from the tamarind, with a depth that paired perfectly with the creaminess of the balut egg. Crushed peanuts on top added both texture and a gentle nuttiness that tied the dish together.

The Garlic Fried Chicken Cartilage ($16) was crunchy and chewy. The garlic leaned slightly bitter at times, but the overall flavour was still bold and addictive.

Next came the Escargots Stuffed with Lemongrass and Minced Pork ($18). Even though I grew up in Việt Nam, I’d never actually had this exact version before. Normally, I’d eat snails by pulling the meat out with those long toothpicks, but here they were filled with juicy, bouncy pork and earthy wood ear mushrooms. The flavours were simple, salty and deeply satisfying, and the process of eating them still felt fun and traditional.

HOME AND AWAY: Mắm NYC is not street food and not cheap, but offers a taste of home in New York City.

The Special Vermicelli Tofu tray ($37) was a full spread: crispy fried tofu, pork with young sticky rice nuggets, boiled pork belly, three types of pork intestines (including blood sausage), fresh rice vermicelli, aromatic herbs and mắm tôm (fish sauce or soy sauce also available).

The tofu’s crunch was satisfying, though I missed the softer texture I’m used to back home. The sticky rice pork nuggets were excellent, perfectly chewy and well seasoned. Of the three types of intestines, the grilled portion was crispy, but they both didn’t taste as fresh.

The vermicelli was fine but unremarkable, and the shrimp paste, shipped directly from Việt Nam, had the right flavour but was less pungent, likely toned down for local palates or due to supply issues.

This restaurant is tucked into the Lower East Side, right where Chinatown’s chaos starts to spill over. The walk there is a sensory overload, the scent of roast duck from Chinese BBQ shops, the chatter spilling out of dim sum parlours, the neon glow of bubble tea storefronts. I’ve never been particularly fond of this area. The streets feel grimy, the garbage bags pile high, and the constant crush of people makes it difficult to linger.

But I can’t deny that this is also where some of the city’s most exciting food lives, the kind that’s worth weaving through the crowds and sidestepping puddles for. Still, hidden in all that mess, Mắm stands quietly, almost out of place in a small doorway promising the kind of flavours that can momentarily make the city fade away and take me back home.

FULL MEAL: Stuffed escargots with lemongrass and minced pork.

Overall Mắm NYC isn’t street food, and it isn’t cheap, but it’s the closest I’ve come to tasting home in New York City. In a city where Vietnamese food often gets lost in fusion trends or watered-down flavours, Mắm is one of the most authentic places I’ve had so far. For someone who grows up eating a lot of Vietnamese food, that’s saying a lot.

The bill for four people came to about $200, which is pricey compared to Việt Nam, but for authentic flavours in New York, I’d come back whenever homesickness hits. VNS

-----------------------

Mắm NYC

70 Forsyth St, New York City

Rating: (3/5 stars) – Authentic flavours, a few misses in freshness, but worth visiting for the nostalgia.