BỜM - Kitchen & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

Been monitoring this restaurant for a couple of years now. Once it received a Michelin designation earlier this year, I knew I have to add it to my VN itinerary. Wasn't planning on dining on this particular evening, but our other Bib Gourmand plans ended badly and we were still somewhat hungry. We arrived a little underdressed for my taste but were warmly welcomed by the doorman nonetheless. No reservation, no problem. The setup and location - ideal. The foods - perfection. The service - impeccable. I got the Home Set fixed menu, a scaled down version of their Michelin Premium Set. Five courses starting with the spring salad followed by a whimiscal take on canh chua as a gazpacho. It was at this point that I suspect my journey might be taking a turn towards the unknown. Next was the Wagyu Pho Mini Burger. Ever had pho on a bun before? Well, I did and I don't mean that short-lived TexMex monstrosity that was the phorito. This was a refined dish of sliced seasoned waygu with pho accompaniments between a bun that's somehow infused with pho flavors. Not sure how the chef pulled it off but I'm glad he did. I can taste the fusion of East meets West that he's striving for. Next came the main course - chicken risotto. On the surface when I saw the  name, I was prepared to be underwhelmed. However, the first bite of the risotto revealed something unexpected. A crunch! The  mushy risotto was complimented by crunchy homini used in traditional xoi bap. The two consistencies matched perfectly with the flavoring from the seasoned mushrooms and fat drippings of the deliciously golden crisp roasted chicken. The roasted chicken was oh so, so good that I might never eat fried chicken again (lol, who I'm I kidding, the KFC colonel next door is already winking at me)!  The fixed menu sweetly closed with a deliteful black sesame cream thingy called Me Den (my American friends should take care when pronouncing this. ). Overall this fixed menu was a great introduction to what Bom has to offer, but I'd be remissed not to mention the a la carte offerings that my wife partook. She got the Bom Set and a seasonal item that can only be described as an open-face bo la lot. Ok, just get the Bom Set, either as an a la carte or as part of a price fixed menu. Just do it. It's a combo appetizer dish that has items highlighting the chef's creativity towards achieving East-West balance. Every bite will have arriving at an epiphany of 'Wait, I've tasted this before, but hmm, not quite like this though'. Then there's the open-face bo la lot dish that I'm at a lost for words to describe (shocking, I know).  It's like a flavor explosion, a cacophony of tastes, and a fireworks finale all rolling into your mouth at the same time. It's wow, just wow! I'm VN and a true lover of all things foods, as my waist line can attest. My wife is also VN and can cook like a motha. There's no hyperbole here when I say that this meal was THE BEST Vietnamese food experience we ever had too date, VN or worldwide! Very bold, I know. If these guys keep their creativity up and the service remains impeccable, there is no doubt they will get a Michelin star within a year or so. So fly, don't walk, over here now when the price is still affordable. You...

The experience at Bom is a great metaphor for the possibilities and imagination of HCMC’s fine dining scene in general. This city has an amazing food scene of course, but there seems to be a niche between street food (largely for locals) and high end [european] dining (for western expats and the business crowd). Bom navigates both of these worlds, and there are not many restaurants like it at the moment. I really enjoy what they stand for and I hope they continue to push and innovate with their food!

I had one of the set menus on a Saturday night. Where Bom really shines is in certain details - service is friendly, unpretentious, and pretty attentive. There are real standouts like the consommés (so good) and the Vietnamese touches for example through the herbs and reimagined classics, like in the pho tai. If you’re a visitor to hcmc this is a great dinner to have on your second or third night if possible, because you would’ve had a chance to try the traditional versions before you get to the ones with a twist, like Bom does here.

I feel there are very promising individual elements throughout, and given more time - and as the chefs gain experience - these will become 10/10 dishes when they are already hovering at about an 8+.

It goes without saying that I enjoyed eating every dish! Even if there were occasional details I think the chefs could’ve tweaked (eg the risotto main was very yummy but it didn’t need the saffron with the delicious peanut foam and scallion oil already; and altogether the dishes may be a bit salty for some if you don’t like that).

But, I came to be taken on a culinary adventure. And in that aspect I think Bom commits, and succeeds. I am still thinking about the textural wonders of things like the sticky rice amuse bouche yam ball, the perfectly spiced pineapple dessert, the bouncy bite of the fish Benedict, the well-balanced cinnamon sorbet, and the super crackly com chay for example.

The price point here could be compared to a high end bistro internationally. I felt that the team could consider increasing the amount of protein and increasing the overall price to match that, as some diners may feel it is not enough food. But I left feeling full. Every dish gave me something new which I’d never tried before, which is the reason I was excited about Bom in the first place.

I understand Bom will move locations in august as well so I am curious to see what the new menu and concept may be like.

In short, Bom is a delight. They should be proud of what they’ve achieved so far and I’m really looking forward to seeing how their story continues.

On the way out, the front door lady even remembered my name and where I was staying, to give me directions back to my hotel. That’s such great attention to detail.

I sense that this is only the beginning for Bom, and it is an exciting chapter. There is determination here, commitment, and a lot of heart. If you want an adventure into new Vietnamese cuisine in hcmc, this is the dinner to try. Come with an open mind. Tell...

We went to BOM for the first time around one year ago and now again. We chose the set menu which included two glasses of wine each. The price was fair (1,8 Mio VND++). We really enjoyed the food, especially the creative Wagyu Beef mini burgers with a special Pho aroma which was creative. We also enjoyed their pork and dessert as well as their wine which fit well with the dishes.

However, apart from the food we were somewhat disappointed with the service and ambiance. While we had a very nice table by the window, this area of the restaurant was very warm due to the AC not working. We just thought it would take a while for the room to cool down because the restaurant just opened but after 30 mins it was still warm. The staff did not mention anything nor offer any proactive solution. They placed a fan only after we asked. This is just a no-go for an upscale restaurant. They should not have placed us there or at least informed us about the AC not working in that area.

Moreover, the staff did not speak a very good English nor did they always explain the different dishes. They never asked whether we like the food or not. I would expect more for this kind of restaurant. We had a beer to start off our dinner and I asked for them to serve the food AFTER we finish the beer. They said "yes“ but still brought the food right away. Also, they did not have half of the beers on the menu.

Other comparable restaurant in Saigon (such as "Adau“, "Elgin“ or „Little Bear“ will offer a MUCH better service for a similar price).

Finally, we were not happy how the restaurant filled quickly with big family and tourist groups (wearing flip flops). The noise level was just too high. I understand that it is lucrative for the restaurant to service big groups but they should place them in a different part of the restaurant or find a solution to limit the noise level. The atmosphere was just not very cozy anymore and we decided to finish quickly and have drinks somewhere else.

All in all, I am not sure if we will come back...