To Phở, or not to Phở? This was my question as I bemoaned the change in the weather earlier this week. It's increasingly looking like the beginning of Fall here in Malmö. The end of summer is upon us, it's windier, rainier, and getting darker. The weather has undoubtedly made everyone you know in Sweden much crankier but it also signals the turn from "fresh foods" (i.e. salads, fruits, sushi) to "warm foods" (i.e. soup, beef, potatoes). Enter Nam Do.
First off, if you know anything then you know that Malmö is the largest city in the South of Sweden (that's Skåne to you). Well that's exactly what Nam Do means and how it got it's name from the original city where it started in Can Tho, Vietnam. Today the restaurant is located in Gamla Stan (read: "Old Town" Malmö) and run by the original Tiêu family who wants to bring authentic vietnamese street food to the people of Malmö.
I don't mean to brag but since I'm from Los Angeles, I've eaten a lot "authentic" food in my day. Unfortunately something you should know about cuisine in Sweden is that the spicier, more exotic ingredients sometimes get left out to cater to the palate of "non-spicy" food eaters, which is literally everyone. You can't really blame Swedes, I mean many grow up eating just potatoes, no chilis in sight. Damn, that's sad. While this trend is literally the worst, it's starting to change as the younger, more adventurous and multicultural generations change the face of Sweden. But as I head into Nam Do, my expectations are pretty low.
The waitress says hello and directs us to a nice table by the main window. The restaurant gets a definite 5/5 on their decorative theme. Everywhere you look there's more to see, from painted bird cages to a wall of family mementos. While I prance around the restaurant snapping photos, the food arrives at the table. It happens fast and I get a very stern look from my partner in crime who wants me to sit down so we can start eating. We ordered the classic Phở (119kr, no.10 on the menu) and the Bún Xào (145kr, no.13 on menu). Both dishes are beautifully presented in ceramic dishes and I hardly stop to take photos as my mouth is already watering.
What you should know: a true Phở has most of it's taste in the broth with no need to add more fish, soy, or chili sauce. The broth should really be the star here and it's the reason I came to Nam Do on a rainy, cold day. You want the soup to fill you up and make your chest warm. Nam Do's Phở certainly looks authentic, rice noodles in a chicken broth with scallions & green onions. On the side a small plate with bean sprouts, chili, basil, and a lime slice to squeeze. We loved the tender slices of chicken, almost buttery and perfect company to the tender rice noodles. Unfortunately we were a bit disappointed with the broth as we felt it lacked that innate flavor that is so typical of Phở. Now when we added the extras and a little more chili sauce the dish was delicious. More pleasing was definitely the Bún Xào. We loved how the thin rice noodles echoed the taste of the lemongrass chicken and the chopped nuts provided a nice crunch to the dishes soft texture.
If you're a little afraid of the menu and Vietnamese food seems too out there, Nam Do has a great selection of drinks to start with. There's a long list of Vietnamese inspired cocktails, like the Can Tho Special (69kr), their Vietnamese Coffee (45kr), or the Lucky Buddha Beer (59kr).
While the dishes weren't super spectacular, Nam Do did raise my expectations. The menu is the right size, the prices are decent, and the flavors are there. It's worth coming to Nam Do for lunch or dinner and you can most definitely reserve a table if you call. If you're not into that you can always order take out and eat noodles in front of your TV or if you're like me, in front of your cat.
Nam Do is located on Engelbrektsgatan 11 in Malmö.
Prices range from 30-145 for drinks/food (3-16 euro)
First off, if you know anything then you know that Malmö is the largest city in the South of Sweden (that's Skåne to you). Well that's exactly what Nam Do means and how it got it's name from the original city where it started in Can Tho, Vietnam. Today the restaurant is located in Gamla Stan (read: "Old Town" Malmö) and run by the original Tiêu family who wants to bring authentic vietnamese street food to the people of Malmö.
I don't mean to brag but since I'm from Los Angeles, I've eaten a lot "authentic" food in my day. Unfortunately something you should know about cuisine in Sweden is that the spicier, more exotic ingredients sometimes get left out to cater to the palate of "non-spicy" food eaters, which is literally everyone. You can't really blame Swedes, I mean many grow up eating just potatoes, no chilis in sight. Damn, that's sad. While this trend is literally the worst, it's starting to change as the younger, more adventurous and multicultural generations change the face of Sweden. But as I head into Nam Do, my expectations are pretty low.
The waitress says hello and directs us to a nice table by the main window. The restaurant gets a definite 5/5 on their decorative theme. Everywhere you look there's more to see, from painted bird cages to a wall of family mementos. While I prance around the restaurant snapping photos, the food arrives at the table. It happens fast and I get a very stern look from my partner in crime who wants me to sit down so we can start eating. We ordered the classic Phở (119kr, no.10 on the menu) and the Bún Xào (145kr, no.13 on menu). Both dishes are beautifully presented in ceramic dishes and I hardly stop to take photos as my mouth is already watering.
What you should know: a true Phở has most of it's taste in the broth with no need to add more fish, soy, or chili sauce. The broth should really be the star here and it's the reason I came to Nam Do on a rainy, cold day. You want the soup to fill you up and make your chest warm. Nam Do's Phở certainly looks authentic, rice noodles in a chicken broth with scallions & green onions. On the side a small plate with bean sprouts, chili, basil, and a lime slice to squeeze. We loved the tender slices of chicken, almost buttery and perfect company to the tender rice noodles. Unfortunately we were a bit disappointed with the broth as we felt it lacked that innate flavor that is so typical of Phở. Now when we added the extras and a little more chili sauce the dish was delicious. More pleasing was definitely the Bún Xào. We loved how the thin rice noodles echoed the taste of the lemongrass chicken and the chopped nuts provided a nice crunch to the dishes soft texture.
If you're a little afraid of the menu and Vietnamese food seems too out there, Nam Do has a great selection of drinks to start with. There's a long list of Vietnamese inspired cocktails, like the Can Tho Special (69kr), their Vietnamese Coffee (45kr), or the Lucky Buddha Beer (59kr).
While the dishes weren't super spectacular, Nam Do did raise my expectations. The menu is the right size, the prices are decent, and the flavors are there. It's worth coming to Nam Do for lunch or dinner and you can most definitely reserve a table if you call. If you're not into that you can always order take out and eat noodles in front of your TV or if you're like me, in front of your cat.
Nam Do is located on Engelbrektsgatan 11 in Malmö.
Prices range from 30-145 for drinks/food (3-16 euro)