Mắm — Restaurant in New York

We paid $80 per person tonight for their “special” hotpot, and honestly, I had to laugh. In Vietnamese we say “treo đầu dê bán thịt chó,” promise goat, serve dog. And this was exactly that.

The hotpot itself? A bland, watery broth with a few cubes of tofu, a couple slivers of beef, four dry noodles, and one small bowl of veggies. I kid you not. That’s it. If you’ve ever wondered what $160 before tax can get you in Chinatown, apparently the answer is a sad soup and a life lesson. And that’s before adding $53 worth of appetizers, meaning the grand total for two people was around $230. Even for New York, $230 for this kind of service and food is outrageous.

Now here’s the part that really sealed it. The Resy reservation itself was titled “Hotpot reservation for Mắm x Andy Ricker x Saltfields,” so already, Saltfields was positioned as part of the night. Then the listing explicitly stated:

“We’ll have refreshing rice beer sponsored by Saltfields, and additional drinks will be available for purchase at Lai Rai.”

That’s in writing. So when we asked about it, the server looking annoyed and telling us to buy drinks next door wasn’t just dismissive, it was dishonest. It’s not about the cost of two beers. It’s about honoring what you advertise and not treating your guests like they’re hustling you for freebies you literally promised.

When I politely showed the owner the listing, the response was basically, “Oh, you must have misunderstood.” No, I understood perfectly: overpriced hotpot, underwhelming service.

And the space? Ridiculous. Narrow seating with servers constantly brushing past and walking back and forth as if we, the guests, were in their way. At this price point, the least you could do is make customers feel welcome instead of like obstacles.

To be fair, the restaurant is clearly loved by many and has gotten lots of attention in the press. I even liked it before. But if this is the experience you’re offering at $80 a head, I don’t see the hype lasting.

As a Vietnamese diner, I can say this felt less like celebrating our food and more like a parody of it. I wish the owners well, truly, they work hard, but I won’t be coming back.

Làm ăn thì nên tính lâu dài. Dù có thành công bây giờ nhưng nếu coi khách hàng như vậy thì cũng không chắc giữ được. Hi vọng các bạn sẽ rút kinh nghiệm và thay đổi...

Mam simply redefines what you can expect from a Vietnamese restaurant and street food. They are focused - a few items done with pizazz and a punchy attitude. Mam's food is unapologetic. And they hit it out of the park almost each and every dish.

Just to be clear, if it is simply for the food, this is an absolute 5 stars and beyond. The chicken cartilage is absolutely sublime and is a match made in heaven for beer (which they do not sell). The fried shrimp was also crazy soft-shelled and flavorful. And the complements continue for each and every dish. Every dish is a creation and has a statement to make. The premier blood sausage, intestine, vermicelli cubes, and basil leaves was inetresting. You get to taste 4~5 different pieces of protein with fermented fish or shrimp sauce. Some combinations were wonderful while others felt a bit experimental. But it does not matter. The entire food experience is unique, punchy, and fabulous.

Now where the experience starts to fall apart is the seating situation. I totally understand that it is the Vietnamese street experience, with plastic chairs and tables. All of this is good. Except the street they are on reeks of urine thanks to the park across the street and a construction site. They are rapidly expanding indoor space to the building space next to them but it is an absolute mess. It almost feels like they've taken over a 150ft section of the block. I'm sure there's a slightly better way to strike the balance with street nostalgia and a somewhat comfortable place to enjoy their creations.

Service was on the slower side but also empathize as the servers need to run around 3 or 4 separate shops as well as a busy street, navigating the wait lines.

Mam is absolutely a unique and worthy experience. We loved it. And cheering for the establishment to expand while addressing the sanitary problems.

Warning: if you are sitting in those small plastic stools outdoors, be prepared...

I was really excited to try Mắm. As a regular in Chinatown and someone who had read all the hype, I came in with high hopes—but left a little disappointed:(

The good: The atmosphere is warm, vibrant, and totally transportive. It reminded me of time spent in Southeast Asia—no frills, just pure energy. I sat on the left side of the restaurant, which felt cozier and livelier than the newer extension on the right. The staff was nice, too.

The fried prawns were phenomenal—crispy, juicy, perfectly seasoned. I couldn’t stop eating them. The snails, though intimidating at first, were a highlight. Super aromatic, juicy, and the dipping sauce was incredible (wish they gave more of it).

The not-so-good: They don’t serve pho in the summer time! Which was one of the main reasons why I “trekked” from the upper west side all the way to the LES. It was a rainy summer evening and I wanted pho. Oh well. So, we opted for the meat platter (an unknowing mistake)—intestines, blood sausage, and pork belly—it was a sad, sad miss. I went in open-minded, but it was lukewarm, underseasoned, and frankly off-putting. And hey! This just may be a me problem— perhaps this isn’t my type of food. I unfortunately got the ick after a few bites and left most of it untouched. But, I will say: for a $40 dish that’s not exactly approachable, I wish the server had offered a little more context. Even just a heads-up would’ve steered me toward the vegetarian version and may have left me feeling a bit more….happy?

I left feeling a bit nauseous, which was disappointing given how good the rest of the meal was.

I hate leaving negative feedback—especially when a place is clearly doing important work bringing real Vietnamese flavors to NYC. But I do think diners should be given more guidance on what they’re ordering, especially when it comes to more adventurous dishes.

I wanted to love it. But I walked away feeling a bit...