Mì Gia (Noodle Houses)

Send noods - lots and lots of noods. And probably wontons.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

Mì Gia means “Noodle House” and is a pretty standard way of naming a certain class of restaurants that happen to share a lot of Chinese-inspired dishes in common. It will almost always have a Family name + ‘Ký’ in front of that, but some research reveals ‘Ký’ is just there to make it look nice - no real meaning! Basically, one successful noodle house used it, and everyone was like “Ah yes. The secret sauce is this random extra word. Very clever. I will also do that for certain financial success.”

You can find different types of bowls based on a few different types of noodles - hủ tiếu (rice-based) or mì (flour-based). They are quite often very fresh, either delivered that day or made in house. Lots of times you can even get a mix of the two if you’re feeling indecisive. These types of restaurants are also usually making fresh wontons an/or dumplings, which are often served in soup, but sometimes you can get them fried as well.

To add to the wide variety of bowls and toppings you can get at these types of restaurants, you can also request either “nước” (broth in the bowl with the noodles) or “kho” (dry noodles with broth on the side). I’m a dry noodle kind of guy, and it’s very normal to put a few spoonfuls of broth into the bowl to loosen up your noodles and make them easier to eat.

Mì Thơm - Noodle Bar

Hours: 7:30am-10pm

Address: 381 Đ. Sư Vạn Hạnh, Phường 12, Quận 10

https://maps.app.goo.gl/suJLbNr2azX7fsUz7

All day entry here, and the least traditional. This is a more modern joint that blends some Japanese flavors into the mix, to excellent results. There are two branches, although this is the one I visited (lots of great restaurants and cafes in this area). Very clean and sleek, with a slightly higher commensurate price - but excellent all around.

If you’re looking for a place that is a bit more upscale, or you need to escape the heat and find some air conditioning, do stop by for any of your daily nood needs.

Hoàng Ký Mì Gia

Hours: 6-11am

Address: 64A Trần Bình Trọng, Phường 5, Bình Thạnh

https://maps.app.goo.gl/HizHdGuWxW6amz8j9

Here’s your breakfast option and while it’s a bit of a hike to a rather obscure alley, it is excellent in every way and probably my favorite of today’s three options. It’s absolutely bare bones but that’s definitely part of the charm! If you want a superlative local experience, make the journey.

These bowls have absolutely perfect noodles and the toppings are plentiful and delicious. As an added bonus, it’s super affordable, and while the broth is onion-y, it’s not overwhelming. The owner/operators are working very hard and still have time to be very friendly.

Lương Ký Mì Gia

Hours: 3-10pm

Address: 01 Huỳnh Mẫn Đạt, Phường 19, Bình Thạnh

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rLPsyuPuSEo6SMgi6

Finally, here’s your dinner option. This place is probably the most popular and well-known of these three, and you’ll need to prepare yourself for a wait because it’s almost always mobbed from 4-7pm… but it really is that good, and quite a bit more centrally located than option 2. Unfortunately it’s a bit on the expensive side for

The caveat is the seating. Seating is a bit on the insane side, with a number of tables set up on the corner across the street as well as in front of other storefronts on the sidewalk - be aware that this is a very highly trafficked intersection, and is located near a local wet market. They also serve a pretty good mì vịt tiềm (a dish I’ll explore more in a future post), which is egg noodles with braised duck in a herbal medicinal broth, if that’s more your speed. No, don’t ask me what it cures. Sadness, maybe.

This concludes our little tour of noodle house recommendations! Go forth and consume, and be happy. Enjoy your families and friends this week and I look forward to bringing you Western-Style Brunches next week as we enter the holiday season!

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-Ben