Mi Chan in a small alley in Thanh Cong, Ba Dinh originally comes from the image of a “kitchen cupboard” - a wooden cabinet where mother and grandmother’s rustic dishes are kept. The cupboard is not luxurious, but it is the heart of the kitchen. Choosing that name is not only to evoke a distant time, but also to bring diners back to the original feelings of a family meal.
But if the old cupboard preserves memories, this place is a continuation - a space where those memories are recreated in a new, modern, bold and creative form. People do not come here just to eat, but to touch a feeling of closeness like when opening the door of the old cupboard in the kitchen of their childhood, inhaling the familiar yet strange smell.
"Mi Chan" at Bac Thanh Cong apartment complex, Ba Dinh
The idea was born from a seemingly simple question: why, growing up with such rich Vietnamese cuisine, when going out to eat noodles, do we only see Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese flavors? That question not only raises concerns but also opens up a direction. A noodle shop can both evoke the smell of Vietnamese kitchens and be liberal in its expression, combining Asian spirit with Vietnamese quality, with dishes unlike anywhere else.
“I wanted to create a place that could tell the story of Vietnam through noodles that were familiar yet strange, familiar yet unconventional. From there, 'Mi Chan' was born, as a fusion between Vietnamese kitchen memories and modern creativity with the cuisine of other cultures, especially Hong Kong flavors” - Hai Harry, founder of the restaurant shared.
The space of the shop is not too big and not too small.
The cozy restaurant space is suitable for enjoying flavorful noodles.
From the first steps, finding a warm enough place that still has its own identity, to creating a menu, constantly testing new dishes, countless failures. Each noodle dish is the result of dozens of tastings - adjusting - re-cooking, sometimes almost right but still lacking something that makes the diners excited. But no one wants to compromise. The spirit of trial-error-trial becomes the rhythm of everyday life. That does not make people tired, on the contrary, it is the motivation for the dish to never be boring.
Don’t choose pho or bun - the classic Vietnamese dishes that have already established their position. Noodles are an open playground, where chefs can freely “play” with ingredients, sauces, techniques and even presentation. Noodles are not bound and therefore can tell their own story - a language without limits.
Destination for those with a passion for Hong Kong cuisine
After trips to Hong Kong and Taiwan, where the dishes of mixed noodles, char siu noodles, and wontons are meticulously prepared, the restaurant owner took his initial inspiration from there. But the ambition does not stop at copying, each dish here is a conversation between that cuisine and the Vietnamese soul.
Lotus root and rib noodles, pickled pork, crispy pork rind and rice vinegar sauce, or mildly spicy but aromatic satay are all creations that cannot be found anywhere else. With signature dishes such as beef noodles and char siu noodles, the rich flavor with unique features thanks to the sauce that the owner has tried and tasted many times, creating the most suitable and delicious product for customers.
The restaurant's signature beef noodles and char siu noodles
The special thing is that there is no fixed recipe. The flavors here are built with memories, emotions and patience. Each bowl of noodles is a deliberate texture: the noodles are made according to a recipe to maintain their chewy texture and light wheat aroma; the sauce is not too sweet or too salty but always has depth; the toppings are considered not only to be delicious, but also to evoke the feeling of "I know it, I'm used to it, but why do I still want to eat it again?"
The space of the restaurant is like an extension of the food: light, minimalist, but somewhere there are always details that remind of the old kitchen - a rustic wooden cupboard, photos of traditional ingredients, slow music just enough to make diners feel relaxed. There is not too much bright light, no color, no fancy decoration, everything is directed towards a single goal: to let the food speak.
The result of dozens of tastings - tweaking - re-cookings
Many customers come here not only to eat but also to share their feelings. Some people say that the first time they ate noodles, they missed their mother and their childhood lunches. Some say that they have not found a place that is as delicious, as relaxing, and as “real” as this for a long time. Some people come once and then bring friends, and then their whole family. The small restaurant gradually becomes a place connecting personal memories and collective stories.
Not aspiring to become a big brand quickly, developing rapidly, but choosing to go slow, steady and sustainable. Each new item is thoroughly tested. Every detail is taken care of. If there is expansion, the new space will still retain the core spirit: a place where people feel “at home” - whether it is a home in memory or a home in the present.
It can be said that here, noodles are no longer a side dish. Noodles become the “main character”, a unique language to tell wordless stories. It is when the chef does not need to say much, just needs to serve a full bowl of noodles, and let the flavor do the rest. Old stories, kitchen memories, emotions that have not yet been named all suddenly come flooding back after the first chopstick of noodles.
