Xuan Mai

A 10-table space on Sukhumvit 13 claiming to serve the “best Vietnamese food in Bangkok” may very well be just that. In existence for only about half a year, Xuan Mai has die-hard Bangkok foodophiles and picky Vietnamese expats alike coming back for more. How so? Through a painstaking, inevitably endearing attention to detail missing in rivals hoping to pass off rehashed versions of old favorites such as spring rolls and pho as something original. But even those old culinary soldiers get some special treatment at the hands of owner/chef Me Yung, whose past job with the FBI seems at odds with her current role as cheerful, unpretentious hostess with few qualms about getting her hands dirty in the kitchen. The goi cuon tom thit, or fresh spring rolls, boast skins hand-picked and imported by Me Yung from Hanoi, while the pho gets a flavorful spin that Me Yung says was inspired by Vietnamese restaurants in California. The cha gio Hanoi, or fried rolls, come with a crunchy, brittle surface that belies the softness of the filling within. The brittle crepe known as ban xeo is accompanied by a mountain of fresh greens which may resemble lawn clippings but actually boost the crepe’s flavor and sparkle on the palate. The chao tom, or shrimp on lemongrass skewers, come with minced green mango, sliced banana, garlic clove and rice wrappings that are authentically stiff to avoid the soggy mess that usually results when diners hazard similar dishes elsewhere. Then there is the ban chang, an off-menu dish of fatty pork sheathed in gelatinous rice and encased in a lotus leaf that represents the best of Vietnamese home cooking. The cha ca Hanoi, or grilled catfish, arrives in its own wok, with handfuls of fresh dill and homemade fermented shrimp paste, representing another unique foray into Hanoi cuisine. More dishes unlikely to find their way onto the menus of other Vietnamese restaurants in Bangkok include the banh mi thit, or Vietnamese sandwich, and the hu tieu my tho, its southern-style counterpart. So ignore the spartan trappings and Vietnamese pop and relish the fresh baskets of bite-sized greens, the palate-cleansing pickled vegetables, or the Vietnamese lemon accompanying the pho. It’s all in the details, and there is no detail too small for Xuan Mai.