A complete Vietnamese meal featuring braised stew, tofu and vegetables, white rice and, of course, a hot bowl of soup. — VNS Photo Mỹ Hà

Nguyễn Mỹ Hà

As we live in Hà Nội, we rarely eat out at traditional Vietnamese restaurants. We'd only look for one when relatives are visiting, or when treating a foreign friend. But sometimes, trying new takes on familiar dishes can lead us to unexpected places.

So we decided to try the Michelin-recommended Tầm Vị restaurant in the heart of Hà Nội. Located in a small alley off busy Nguyễn Thái Học Street, the restaurant's sign is written in lower case, trying not to look pretentious. But when you actually get there, the house is really quite imposing.

The main villa was full, so we were led to another building nearby. The interior looked like the home of a wealthy Vietnamese family. The dark wooden staircase and tables and chairs recalled classic antique furniture. I loved the dark tone of the furniture, but not so much the dark hue of the wall paint. It felt stuffy and heavy.

The Michelin-recommended Tầm Vị restaurant is tucked away in downtown Hà Nội. Located in a small alley off busy Nguyễn Thái Học Street, the restaurant's sign is written in lower case, trying not to look pretentious. — VNS Photo Mỹ Hà

We chose the restaurant not only for the food, but also for the experience. We were expecting familiar food, but cooked with restaurant expertise and care. So instead of ordering a set menu, Tầm Vị offers a handful of sets, so we carefully crafted our own.

We opted for shrimp and pork lettuce rolls (VNĐ189,000) as an appetiser. We all loved the fresh taste of the rolls, which featured a large peeled shrimp, a slice of boiled pork and a piece of fried egg placed on top of crisp lettuce and wrapped with a poached green onion leaf.

The dipping sauce was the clear, fish-based, sweet and sour type. The rolls were a Hanoian signature dish that should have had sauteed sweet-and-sour sticky rice paste to bring all the flavours together, but sadly they did not. We weren't having what we expected, but the rolls were still good.

We moved on to the main dish. Caramelised pork with chicken egg (VNĐ 185,000) was served over white rice in a bowl only half the size of an average Vietnamese household's rice bowl. The rice was cooked well, and paired perfectly with the pork and egg. The delicate texture of the fried egg, together with the tender, slow-braised richness of the meat, totally won us over. With this, Tầm Vị nailed it. After this, all the other dishes maintained the same high standard.

Caramelised pork with chicken egg is a familiar family dish throughout Việt Nam. — VNS Photo Mỹ Hà

We also ordered stir-fried beef with fragrant thiên lý flowers, or Tonkin jasmine. The meat was tender and well seasoned, while the flower buds tasted soft and smelled delicious.

Stir-fried beef with fragrant 'thiên lý' flowers. VNS Photo Mỹ Hà

Next we ordered fried tofu soaked in green onion and fish sauce (VNĐ75,000). Though it is fairly simple, every ingredient was perfect, from the super-soft tofu to the crispy fried pieces soaked in chopped spring onions gently cooked in fish sauce, allowing the flavours to permeate the tofu. The dish was so satisfying that it won the approval of everyone at the table.

Fried tofu soaked in green onion and fish sauce. VNS Photo Mỹ Hà

Last, but not least, we had the sour pork rib soup (VNĐ155,000), which contained everything its name suggests: tender pork ribs, tomatoes and hot sour soup. Having a small bowl had its advantages, because we needed only a ladle or two of the soup.

Alongside our meal, we all had traditional healthy Vietnamese drinks, including sweet sour dracontomelon with ginger, lotus and jasmine, or reddish mulberry juice (VNĐ40,000 – 45,000 each).

Lunch at Tầm Vị set us back around VNĐ1 million, which is not too expensive considering the quality of the meal and the overall experience, especially given its Michelin recommendation, which it has received every year since 2024.

We were impressed enough, however, to make Tầm Vị our go-to choice whenever friends or relatives visit from other cities or from overseas and we want to treat them to something special. — VNS

tầm vị, Vietnamese restaurant 

Address: 4b Yên Thế Str, Hà Nội, Việt Nam 

Tel. 096-632-3131

Comment: Fine Vietnamese food in a classic ambiance