Lê Đức is no stranger to the food & drink scene of Đà Lạt City.
But the owner of Le J’ Coffee and self-professed specialty coffee lover-turned-roaster admits that his entry to cooking was inspired not too long ago by André Chiang’s decision to return a Michelin Star after receiving it the third time at RAW Taipei.
“That carved a deep impression on me,” Đức said while processing his thoughts.
“I sometimes wonder if the day will come when doing better becomes exponentially more difficult as an artisan.”
The admission may sound pessimistic, but it is no doubt a refreshing thing to hear in a world where foodies are pushing the limits through a never-ending search for artisanal food and drink in an increasingly commercialized landscape.
An artisanal dining concept built on Vietnamese minimalism
Located on a hilly stretch of Đà Lạt’s villa-dotted Pasteur neighborhood is BỮA TỐI, a rice & grill bar-diner that emphasizes simplicity in both aesthetics and taste. In essence, a rice table-cum-grill concept that strives to refine but not reinvent the Vietnamese rice table.
It may look deceivingly like a hipster yakitori joint, but clues quickly derived from its unique blue-beige color scheme and local fresh produce-driven menu assure diners that it is not at all a Japanese-inspired concept.
Bữa tối transitions quickly from minimalist to family fun during dinner hours.
But if we had to put a label on BỮA TỐI, it would certainly be a healing restaurant built on the basics of everyday family dining. Culinary spa on a budget made possible with the region’s spring-like weather and fresh produce.
A vibrant menu that stays true to Vietnam’s deliciousness
Almost every item on BỮA TỐI’s menu has been envisioned as a pairing to its choice of séng cù rice from Yên Bái province. Đức believes that the choice of rice, grown by ethnic minority tribes such as the Mường & Laotians, is a complex flavor hybrid between Thai varieties and local Vietnamese varieties that offers a pleasant mochi-like sweetness & consistency even when cold.
Beyond coffee wood charcoal grilled chicken and pork skewers served with aromatic green tea and salt dip, specific accolades were given to BỮA TỐI’s grilled yellowstripe scad. A umami-bomb for people not adverse to bony fish, it is finished with a generous salt bae-esque toss of muối hầm, Central Vietnam’s celebrated ‘stewed’ sea salt that is slowly dried in earthenware over controlled woodfire.
Other memorable culinary encounters at BỮA TỐI range from pungent chive bulb & turmeric chicken stew from Đức’s hometown in Quảng Trị province, Đà Lạt’s popular-with-locals but rarely mentioned wood ear mushroom-filled tofu grilled over charcoal, and a whole assortment of vegetable dishes made with the region’s organic produce—salad mayonnaise here is made from scratch with peanut oil.
The addition of celery in BỮA TỐI’s rendition of Vietnamese daikon-and-radish pickle was low-key genius. Yin-and-yang of complementary herbal notes.
It became obvious that the joint’s existence has evolved into a place where Đức’s creativity could shine in the kitchen.
Staying simple and accessible at BỮA TỐI
A calming touch of greenery at BỮA TỐI calms the mind.
“[To be honest], we don’t want to call ourselves a restaurant.”
“This is just a bình dân (commoner’s) eatery. How can you say ‘wow’ with dishes priced at VND25,000?!” Đức exclaimed, once again, with a good amount of skeptic’s self-questioning.
Before we began tucking in, I quickly stepped in to remind him that achieving good ole humble tastiness was already an achievement on its own.
The encounter ended with a successful attempt at convincing the caffeinated soul within—Đức plans to soldier on in specialty coffee while upping the game in his new-found love of gastronomy.
Grilling is a daily endeavor at BỮA TỐI.
BỮA TỐI
- Address: 1/4 Pasteur Street, Ward 4, Da Lat City, Lam Dong, Vietnam (Get directions)
- Opening hours: 5–11 PM, closed on Wednesdays
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551139794380
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