The previous concept of Vietnamese broken rice bowls fell short on popularity, and so ComNAm transformed its menu to street eats instead. It still retains the modern twist on the dishes, by virtue of founder Chef Nam Quoc Nguyen who has French culinary roots. Judging from the boisterous bustle on a weekday night, the revamp seems to be a hit.
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We started the tasting with the Banh Xeo, which became one of the hot favourites. It’s a thin pancake filled with prawns, pork belly slices and sprouts, complemented with greens and herbs at the side. The crispiness doesn’t stay for long after the oil soaks through, but it’s a treat chewing on the grilled pork and crunchy prawn while relishing the tangy and spicy profiles from the dipping sauce.
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The Crispy Netted Seafood Rolls are also pretty good as an starter. Made with minced seafood paste wrapped with rice paper then deep fried, the rolls can be cut into smaller pieces for sharing, and taste best dipped in the nuoc cham, a mixture of fish sauce, lime, garlic and chili padi for that all-round palate provocation.
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The highlight for me was the Fisherman Pork Noodle Soup. We shared a bowl during the tasting so I didn’t get the pork, but the soup alone was pow-wow! It was so rich, almost like downing spoonfuls of concentrated liquid prawn paste, but not overboard that you get sick of it halfway. This is the bowl to have on a rainy day or when you need a hug but your stomach receives it instead - I will be back for this.
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One item that I think needs improvement is the glutinous rice balls. The thick and mushy skins are no match to Hong Kong dessert dumplings that we are used to. If you have a sugar craving, go for the refreshing beverage concoctions like the lychee lime sparkling or the soursop pandan iced tea.
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Thanks @comnamvietstreeteats for feeding us and @burpple for the invite!