A note on the words: Thai suki is a Southeast Asian communal hotpot the author was initially craving before discovering this Vietnamese restaurant. The lemongrass seafood hotpot is a winter-exclusive feast (available from November to around April, only as a course and only for parties of four or more) featuring squid, salmon, large shrimp, meats, clams, and vegetables simmered with stalks of lemongrass in a red, mildly spiced broth. Nep Moi is a Vietnamese distilled spirit, and Ba Ba Ba is a Vietnamese beer.
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Vietnam Chan on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Thinking, “I want to eat Thai suki!” I was searching around and unexpectedly came across a Vietnamese restaurant called “Vietnam Chan.” Word had it that their winter-only lemongrass hotpot is an exquisite specialty that has people talking. This is something I just had to try! So I promptly booked a reservation and headed to Okubo. By the way, apparently you cannot order the lemongrass hotpot a la carte without reserving the course.
The area along the train tracks by Okubo Station is intensely deep and old-school, ha — it gives off a very distinctive vibe. Walking along those nice, atmospheric tracks and turning into an even narrower alleyway, that is where you will find it.
Winter-limited house specialty lemongrass seafood hotpot course — 6,000 yen
Available from November through around April, and bookable only for parties of four or more: the lemongrass seafood hotpot! Looking forward to it!
You order drinks through the QR code at your table.
To begin, beer — surely starting with Ba Ba Ba is the way to go!
The crisp texture of the green papaya is wonderfully delicious!
Being Vietnamese food I somehow had imagined something more pungent, but it is an exceedingly approachable, easy-eating salad. This is delicious!
The grilled scallops. These also have a very approachable seasoning. After eating about half, eating them together with the cabbage in the middle is delicious too.
Around here, I decided to try Nep Moi, a Vietnamese distilled liquor (shochu).
And now, the main event! The arrival of the lemongrass seafood hotpot!
Whoa! ha
The visual impact of this is huge, ha!
Squid, salmon, plump large shrimp, chicken and beef, fish paste dumplings?, and asari clams, all piled generously over napa cabbage. And inside the red soup are several stalks of lemongrass. Ooh, does not this look appetizing! On top of this, there are separate vegetables as well.
The vegetables include pineapple and shungiku (chrysanthemum greens), looking delicious.
They told us to add everything gradually in about thirds!
We toss them right in and let it simmer away. A wonderful fragrance drifts up and spreads all around!
And taking a taste…
Delicious!
A chicken-based broth, perhaps? If you picture a tom yum goong hotpot, it might be quite close to that. The lemongrass flavor is nicely pronounced. Little by little, the essence from all the ingredients blends in, and it feels as though the flavors are deepening and coming together.
The spiciness is quite mild, so if you want more punch, adding the house chili condiment brings out a sharp, tingling kick.
And finally, the noodles at the end arrive. The noodles, having absorbed all the broth steeped with ingredients, are delicious!
For a second I wondered if it might not be enough, but after finishing the noodles I was full! Completely satisfied.
And so, this was my first time having lemongrass hotpot: the visual impact was striking, but above all, it was delicious! This is definitely a restaurant to visit during cold weather. The other Vietnamese dishes served were wonderful too, and I have become quite curious about their non-hotpot menu, to the point where I thought it might be nice to come back during a non-winter season. It was truly a standout among Vietnamese restaurants.
Vietnam Chan (Vietnamese / Okubo Station, Shin-Okubo Station, Seibu-Shinjuku Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.7
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
