If you’ve ever been on Peel Street, chances are you’ve most likely passed by Chôm Chôm. Like most venues on this dynamic street, you’ll most likely find a crowd of people at Chôm Chôm spilt out onto the pavement as they sip on cocktails and Vietnamese beer. This resto-bar has been an integral part of Soho’s bustling neighbourhood since 2013, but briefly closed its doors during the summer. After their short break, the Vietnamese eatery is back and ready to host diners and drinkers alike.
Previous patrons of Chôm Chôm are familiar with the outdoor seating area, where you’ll find drink crates turned into makeshift stools and tables, as well as plastic chairs that would fill up their front entrance. While it isn’t the most glamorous seating arrangement, it added to Chôm Chôm’s character and paid homage to casual streetside eateries that you would see in Vietnam. Following their summer break, the restaurant has renovated its outdoor space to have two large benches built into the front entrance, but we suspect Chôm Chôm will bust out the plastic chairs once again when the time comes.
Chôm Chôm doesn’t offer reservations, so be sure to arrive early, as this spot fills up quickly. Despite visiting on a busy Thursday evening, we were able to grab our seats right by the bar, which provided us with a clear view of Chôm Chôm’s kitchen. Chôm Chôm’s atmosphere was lively and full of energy, but the raucousness made it difficult to have a conversation at a normal volume. Nevertheless, the staff and Chôm Chôm’s head chef, Logan Hester, were attentive in explaining each dish and checking on us throughout our meal.
Chôm Chôm’s menu offers a small selection of dishes inspired by Vietnamese street food. We started out with the pho roll ($118), which saw beef tenderloin and peanuts wrapped in rice paper, topped with scallions and nuoc cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce with a fish sauce base. It served as a light appetiser to get our meal started. Shortly after, we dug into the la lot tartare ($118), made with Wagyu beef combined with peanuts, pineapple and jicama, served on betel leaves. The beef tartare was delicious, and the acidity of the pineapple and the peppery flavours of the betel leaves balanced out the richness of the dish. Next, we ordered a portion of the hamachi and pomelo salad ($168), which had pomelo slices and toasted rice crisps on top of hamachi slices, drizzled with Vietnamese sate oil (made with chilli, garlic, lemongrass, and aromatics) and nuoc cham. The combination of the pomelo and nuoc cham added a refreshing acidity to the dish, providing a bright contrast to the buttery flavours of hamachi.
Moving onto warm dishes, we decided to try the ca ri fried chicken ($138), made with three yellow chicken thighs coated in a curry and spice blend, topped with shredded lime leaves served alongside a chilli lime dip. The chicken was very juicy and tender, but I noticed that the seasoning was somewhat uneven. Some pieces were much saltier than others. Next, we tasted the charcoal-grilled sriracha corn ($88) topped with dried shrimp and sriracha, which had a delightfully charred exterior and added an extra layer of flavour to the dish. Finally, we ordered the Lac Canh tenderloin ($228) – seasoned beef tenderloin grilled over banana leaves and raw onions, served with a chilli lime sauce. Grilled for only 30 seconds over very high heat, the meat’s brief cooking time allows the beef to maintain its tender texture.
No restobar is complete without quality sips, and Chôm Chôm prides itself on providing an authentic bia hoi experience. What that means is a no-frills, down-to-earth drinking experience, which certainly fits the bill at Chôm Chôm. Chôm Chôm’s drink menu provides a selection of authentic Vietnamese beers like Saigon Export or a bia hoi made especially for the restaurant, but we opted for Chôm Chôm’s Vietnamese-inspired cocktails. Firstly, we tried the Kaffir Lime Margarita ($88). It tasted like a standard Margarita and wasn’t at all surprising. On the other hand, the basil and chilli in the Pho-jito ($88) provided a slightly savoury and spicy kick, which was very refreshing and paired well with the food we ordered.
Overall, Chôm Chôm’s offers casual yet delicious food. It's a fantastic place to begin an exciting night or to wrap up a long day with a quick bite and drink. Even if you end up dining solo, the vibrant atmosphere ensures you won't feel lonely.
Here’s what our star ratings mean:
★: Not recommended
★★: A disappointing experience
★★★: A good experience
★★★★: A very good to great experience
★★★★★: An outstanding experience
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