Mắm
Vietnamese restaurant · Chinatown ·
Fiery Vietnamese street snacks and seafood dishes, seasonal menu
Fiery Vietnamese street snacks and seafood dishes, seasonal menu
"Whole fried shrimp, crisp from head to tail, scratched my shrimp‑chip itch: the tôm chiên were crunchy without grease and seasoned with a savory “northern spice mix.” This Vietnamese restaurant, which has gradually expanded along Forsyth Street, uses modestly sized shrimp and sends out a generous number for $15, a choice that gives each bite the ideal ratio of crackly, flavorful coating to sweet, bouncy flesh. I was so pleased we ordered two rounds instead of one." - Bettina Makalintal
"The low-to-the-ground stools outside Mắm are one of our favorite places to squat in the shade of an umbrella. You’ll feel the heat from the Chinatown sidewalk beneath you, as you breathe in a whole jumble of delicious herbs and sauces on your plate. Their bún đậu đặc biệt is a must, and the mushroom-filled nấm cuốn platter is a close second." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah
"The moment Mắm swaps out their wintery stews for warm-weather bún đậu platters piled high with fresh herbs, we’re parked outside. This stretch of Forsyth Street is the place to be: crouched on a low stool, iced coffee in hand, and rubbing sweaty shoulders with the rest of NYC's shrimp paste lovers. The bún đậu đặc biệt with homemade tofu and sausage should be your first order, and the nấm cuốn platter, loaded with mushrooms, is a close second. Stop by their wine/ice cream bar after." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"The New Museum might be showing an exhibit on cybernetics and reconfigured soap dispensers, so it’s only fitting to follow up your visit with something equally memorable. It just takes a bit of planning. Mắm features different Vietnamese specialties on different days, which might mean steaming hot pots of cá om chuối dậu with pork bone broth one day and platters of bún dậu with blood sausage and tofu the next. The small restaurant gets crowded, and depending on the weather you might end up eating on one of the plastic stools outside, but it’s all part of the experience." - neha talreja, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick
"Sitting on a low plastic stool, or perched on a bench at Mắm in Chinatown, it’s easy to form a close relationship with all the flavors and textures on your plate. Like the seating, the food at one of NYC's 25 Best Restaurants is uncompromising—from the tofu that’s made fresh every day to the perfectly springy blood sausage. In the summer, sit outside, wrapping and dipping your way through a platter of pork four ways, and another with three different mushrooms. In the winter, sit inside surrounded by mellow hip hop and the bubbling warmth of a hot pot of fatty catfish and green banana, or a soup that’s thick with shore clams and dill." - sonal shah, willa moore, will hartman, carlo mantuano, molly fitzpatrick