Bún Mam Sóc Trang

Restaurant has closed due to expired lease. I pray the owners find a new space to call home.

I am completely bummed out that this place hasn’t found a new home yet.
I live in Berkeley and hang out a lot in Oakland and I see so many places on the market that would be ideal as BMST’s new home.
What is the real issue here?
Do we need to start a Kickstarter fund or something?
Tell me because I need me some!

Hell nooo, this place is closed? Anyone knows if it will be relocated somewhere else or how to contact the owner? Couldnt find any other place that has better Bun Mam

closed??? nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ooooooo
:(

What not to love about this little noodle shop? Except maybe the wait during meal times. Went there for the first time just before the New Years. I was hoping to eat my way through their menu once they come back from vacation, but it was not to be. Apparently the landlord gave them notice while they were on vacation. The lease is not being renewed. :(hope they find another spot to set up shop in the neighborhood.

This place is closed! Landlord refuses to renew lease, says a sign on the door. 1÷23÷16

Once I had the Bún Riêu here, I found myself craving it and had to make trips back to Oakland for it.
The crab meat, broth, and everything is just so right. It has the homemade taste and quality and every time I have returned I have always been satisfied! Her Vietnamese desserts that she offers after your meal is just the icing on the top.
My sister is a vegetarian and the owner remembers her specifics every time without my sister even having to repeat it. Not only must the owner be a great cook, she’s very sweet and has that nice-​Asian-​mom vibe.
I hear she’s on vacation until 1÷21÷16 and I’m patiently waiting for her to reopen so I can get my fix!

We found this tiny neighborhood place a while back and definitely noticed a shift of customers. I guess if we discovered such a gem, then it was only time until everyone else did too. I’ve tried the spring rolls, and most recently, the egg noodles (mi kho). Everything is pretty good. The bf really liked the bun rieu. Service is somewhat spotty as the one waitress is constantly running around, but she is always friendly and gets what you need eventually.
A valuable local business!

not being familiar with oakland at all, this restaurant appears to be located in a rather less-​frequented and neglected area, but don’t let that deter you from coming. The service was so friendly, the food was absolutely delicious, and the prices were so fair.

Hole in the wall– mom and pops– attracts the trendy hipster crowd– but pretty good! Interesting style here– they don’t write anything down– so you may have to ask for things more than once if they are crowded. The waitress is so chill and very aloof– but still nice. Got the mi kho– I enjoyed it and would get it again. Lots of toppings with the noodles, I always like the side of broth it comes with and the fried egg on top was great too. Would return

Great restaurant in a cutty neighborhood. I used to live a few blocks from here, so I know!
The bun bo hue and bun rieu were both very good on its own. But when you add the condiments (fermented shrimp paste and roasted/​fried hot sauce), it’s next level stuff here.
The bun mam (fermented fish) noodle is their house specialty. Wish i knew, bc i’d have ordered that instead. Next time!

Went home sick from work today and needed some soup. Wanted to try their bun rieu – crab and tomato noodle soup.
Location: In a residential/​commercial area. Street parking in front or on adjacent streets.
Venue: Small to medium sized dining room. It was packed on a weekday! Shared a table of 8 with some other patrons.
Food: My bun rieu was tasty. Ample amount of rounded rice vermicelli noodles; light clear broth; fresh tomatoes; crab meat balls; and, delicate fish cakes. The fish cakes were actually my favorite part – soft, flavorful, lightly seafoody – not too fishy! Free tea or tap water.
Price: Mid-​range prices for this neighborhood. Roughly $ 8/​small soup.
Service: The hostess Hien was fast and friendly. She checked in on us to make sure we were comfortable especially since we were strangers sharing a table.
I will try definitely return to BMST with friends and try out more things on the menu. Next up on my list: Lemongrass Beef Soup!

You can’t get more «Mom and Pop» with a flair of «Oakland» than this place. Seemingly at the crossroads of a major thoroughfare (14^th) and a residential neighborhood, this place serves up some really good traditional vietnamese dishes.
***Note, my fellow Unilocalers: CASH ONLY***
With that aside, you can’t get more of a «homemade» taste and feeling than this place. You really feel like you’re going to your aunt’s or your uncle’s for a quick bite… sitting in their living room.
Fast, friendly and most importantly: hearty.
Slow down when you’re going down 14^th… and when you turn up E18th, look for parking! Very easy to drive past it. It’s in the middle of the block.
The Bún is why you would come here. =)

My friend introduced me to this place the day after Halloween and I’ve already been about 3 more times. I always order the Bun Rieu and add shrimp (I’m a super picky eater). My friend taught me the importance of mixing the shrimp paste that comes on the side with a lot of lime. It completely changes everything.
The second time I went the owner remembered me and even tried to teach me to ordering the native tongue, which I felt was really friendly and cool. Always nice to see small shop pop up in the neighborhood and you can tell the owner is an Oakland native if not, at least a Bay Area native.
I love how strong their Vietnamese Iced Coffee is. But ask for light ice because they don’t leave much room for the coffee without this ask LOL.
They also provide a complimentary dessert at the end. It’s kind of a potato custard. I enjoy it and it’s free.

WARNING: CASH ONLY.
On a cold, Sunday morning, my friend and I decided we wanted some nice, warm soup… and were craving Bun Rieu for the longest time! Okay, so it had only been a week since we’d been wanting it, but for a food craving in an area you can find almost any type of food, that’s a long time!
Came here at 11:30 on a Sunday with my friend, sister, and her bf, and there were about 3 other parties ahead of us. We probably waited about 10 – 15 minutes until we were seated – not bad at all, since the restaurant probably fits about 25ish people! As we waited, the line for people waiting definitely grew, so the earlier the better, at least on a weekend.
WHAT WE GOT:
1) Bun Rieu: Yum! We were scared we’d be stuck with bland broth but this was not the case. The broth was pretty flavorful and drinking/​sipping on that itself was so satisfying! The crab meatballs were really tasty and soft, not overcooked… I ate mine with some of the minced red pepper condiment on the table – and it was perfect.
2) Mi Bo Kho: I didn’t get to try this myself, but my sister’s bf said it was pretty good! I’d definitely give this a go next time I go.
3) Café Sua Da: Well… who doesn’t like ice viet coffee: P super strong, cold, creamy… mmm. I love also that they give it to you in a plastic cup rather than a glass so that way you’re not pressured into finishing a SUPER strong coffee drink while you’re there. Instead, you can take it along with you for the rest of the day while the ice melts a bit to help with the potency of the coffee!
Service was great – not sure if she’s the owner or just a relative helping out, but she was very helpful and friendly, and food was prompt in coming out. She came over to ask about refilling our waters too, and seemed like she was managing all the tables at the restaurant so I give a shoutout to her! Some people can’t even manage to check on 1 – 2 tables at other restaurants.
I’d definitely come back – I’d been meaning to try this place for a couple years and I’m so happy I finally checked this place out! Now when I crave some noodles/soup…I’ll definitely come here!

I was on my way to the airport to go home and I did a search for Vietnamese food. This place had awesome reviews and delicious pictues so of course I had to try it. I got there around 1:00pm on a Fridayand since it was just me, I was seated quite quickly. There were parties of 3 and 4 that had to wait but not too long.
I ordered the Bun Rieu (Crab Noodle Soup). It was so good. It had meat balls, fish cakes, tomatoes and blood cake. It was a little on the salty side but it was still delicious. I didn’t drink too much of the soup and put more veggies in my bowl so it was fine. If I go next time, I would only get the tomatoes, fish cakes and lots of rice noodles. They had these pork meatballs which I was not a fan off, they were too big and very dry.
The service was very good, it was quick and fast. They got me in and out of there in less than 45 minutes and I didn’t feel rushed at all.

Good food, but my wife and I were a little underwhelmed. I think it was an instance of having too high expectations (due to the 4.5 average rating).
I had the Bun Bo Hue (beef stew). I liked it, but thought it didn’t have enough heat. It wasn’t spicy at all. On the plus side, it is a huge portion and they give you plenty of meat. The broth, while mild on the heat scale, was still reasonably flavorful. I also agree with other reviewers who felt the broth was a bit heavy on the salt.
My wife had the #11– dac biet bun mam. She really liked the pork, but thought the soup was otherwise just ok. I had a couple sips of the broth and thought it was pretty good.
Service was very friendly and efficient.
Overall Bun Mam is pretty good. Definitely above average, and I plan to come back sometime.

HOLD UP, can I start out by saying I’m disappointed in myself?
I’m ashamed that I’ve lived in Oakland my whole life and this was only my first time here. Like why.
This is truly a GEM. I almost didn’t want to write this review because I’d love to keep this place hush hush for myself… But that wouldn’t be right.
So, my usual phở spot is Ao Sen. Everyone knows Ao Sen, down the street not too far from here. Still love that spot too, but I think I have a new favorite here.
Service was incredible. It felt like a welcoming family — the staff and all, that is. We had a party of 9 and they still sat us together in less than 10 minutes (the place is really small btw).
The house special here is a noodle soup that is to die for. I also tried the spring rolls which were flawless, and got a coconut. An actual young coconut.
They bless customers with complimentary dessert bites afterwards! Parking is doable, this place is popular, probably will get more popular.
I can go on and on, but for now shhhhhh. I’ll be back. Tomorrow.

Sooo good that I wish it’s closer to my house!
It was my first time trying Bun Mam and this place blew my mind. The fermented fish soup was so delicious and tasted home made. It was the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and not fishy at all! The soup was piping hot so when you put all of the herbs and lime juice, it was still super hot. The roasted pork skin was crunchy and the shrimps and catfish were so meaty and fresh.
I loved the hot sauce they have on the table too! Super spicy but so perfect blended with the fish sauce for dipping.
I’ve also tried their bun bo hue here, but the bun mam definitely wins. I haven’t tried their bun rieu here yet, so I’m ready to come back here and try it out next time!

Literally every time I come to dine here, she (I believe the owner) always asks me «do we know each other?» and for some strange reason, I think we do but don’t know from where. She looks very familiar and I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe we know each other, maybe we don’t but she is an awesome person. Will get her name on my next visit to update this review.
I’ve been eating a lot of Bun Bo Hue the last few years and this restaurant has one of the best I’ve had. It’s not the best but still really good. Mink and I usually eat phở because I love phở but when she started to crave for something spicier then we started to find Bun Bo Hue spots to try. During one our trips back to the Bay Area, we looked on Unilocal and found this spot. The reviews were great so we had to check them out.
This is a nice clean restaurant in East Oakland. When you enter, you’re immediately greeted by the owner (I believe she is the owner) of the restaurant. She always has a smile on and has a wonderful positive personality. One of the best parts of the dining experience is her interaction with her customers. From how she talks to her customers, I can tell she takes time to get to know them. Always checking on her customers experience and to see if they need anything else. That’s 5 star service.
Bun Bo Hue is the only dish I’ve gotten here. It comes out piping hot with lots of noodles, meat, veggies and their special hot sauce that I love! The Large is good size and I seem to get a food coma after eating it lol. After your meal, you get a complimentary dessert (some type of tapioca taro dish). When you’re nice and full, you walk up to the cash register in the middle of the restaurant to pay. Just a tip, they are CASH ONLY. Enjoy!

Hands down the best bún mm and bún riêu in the Bay Area (unless your mom cooks them for you at home!) The restaurant is small and closes by 4pm. They don’t serve dinner here (probably because it is in a ghetto-​ish part of Oakland?).
The owner/​host is a wonderful and really nice woman who speaks fluent English (a huge plus for those foodies who don’t speak Vietnamese).
On weekends, there is usually a special menu with items that are not served on weekdays. I am in luck today because two of the special items are pork offal porridge and noodle. I had the pork offal porridge, it is so delicious!

It was a very hot day in the East Bay so I wasn’t in the mood for phở or bun bo hue.
Food: Thit Nuong Cuon was so fresh on this very warm day. Mi kho with a fried egg. What made this dish so special was all the accouterments that went on top of the noodle dish. seasoned fish cake, fried garlic, green onion. These were so delicious and flavorful and really hit the spot for me. The Bonus — the free taro che. I could have eaten a giant bowl of just that.
Ambiance: rather lacking but I’d rather have delicious food in a meager diner environment any day.
Service: the main server, who I will guess is the owner, was so warm and nice. They were slammed and it was HOT. She made the effort to see you were comfortable. I didn’t eat as much because I wasn’t that hungry and she wanted to make sure that everything was ok. Oh yes! I took my leftovers home and ate them later!

My friends and I were looking for a noodle place to eat for a quick lunch, and so I ended up picking this place because of all the great reviews about the food and the service.
First of all, this place is located in the heart of Oakland on a small street, so you know it’s good. Luckily, we found street parking right outside, and when we got to the restaurant at noon there was already a line! The lady in charge was sweet to greet us and let us know how long we’d wait.
It only took about 5 – 10 min for us to get seated. The inside isn’t too big and the atmosphere is just like what you would expect from an authentic Vietnamese restaurant. The menu isn’t too big– they have a few rice dishes, noodle soups, and appetizers– but I already had my eyes set on the bun rieu.
My friends got the house special and the mi Kho, both recommended by Unilocalers. It took about 15 min for our food to arrive.
My Bun Rieu definitely tasted like home cooking. The soup was flavorful, the shrimp paste was plentiful, and the bowl was large! You definitely get what you pay for. I do suggest that you break the paste right when you get the soup or else it’ll stay as a clump and not flavor your soup fully. Both my friends enjoyed their orders too!
The best part though was prob the complimentary desert you get in the end. It was the cherry on top for my Vietnamese excursion. Mixed with the great service, authentic atmosphere, and delicious food, this place rocks!
Eat well and prosper,

Mi Kho is the egg noodle version of Hu Tieu Kho (dry — soup on side).
Here it comes with ground pork, roast pork, shrimp, and fish cake along with some garlic chives and sprouts (
). A small bowl of pork broth is served with some green onion & cilantro (I asked for no cilantro, but had to pick it out with my chopsticks)
Mix in a few spoonfuls of broth to loosen things up, maybe some pickled jalapenos or house made chili paste (
), couple dashes of fish sauce which is also on the table, give it a stir and you’re good to go.
The ground pork mixture was lightly spicy and the shirmp and roast pork were nicely cooked and moist. The egg noodles were chewy and did their job of bringing all the flavors together.
Straightforward and satisfying.

This a true gem in East Oakland! A little hole in wall that is bursting with flavor. I rarely give 5 stars and Bun Nam definitely deserves this one…
Growing up in Oakland I’ve definitely had my share of vietnamese cuisine. Most noodle joints are Phở base, beef noodle soup. This restaurant is based on a fermented shrimp soup known as Bun Nam. Origins of soup is from the Mekong Delta. Hien Vuong, owner and waitress speaks flawless english and makes a perfect Bun Nam. Not only is this soup done to perfection without the bold fishy smell, all her other items on her menu are great as well. Being that Hien is waiting on tables herself, the service here is impeccable. This is not normal in a vietnamese restaurant. Take a look at the pictures to preselected what you want.
Downside: parking is difficult and not the best neighborhood. If you are looking for a bowl of traditional phở, this is not the place.
Tip: check the pics in advance and pick you choice of food. The lines look long but move relatively quickly. Weekends has special items.
If you want a perfect bowl of soup and trying to expand your palate for authentic vietnamese soups, you found it! Bön appetite, until next time. Ciao!

Not your traditional phở serving Vietnamese restaurant…
The bf and I like to start our meal off with the fishcakes and the fried egg rolls. The fishcakes are homemade and served with fish sauce. The fried egg rolls have a delicious meat filling and served with cucumbers, mint, and lettuce for wrapping.
Depending on my mood, I either like to order the bun rieu or the mi kho. Mi kho is a dry egg noodle dish topped with ground pork, fish cake slices, shrimp, bbq pork slices, and green onions. It’s recommended to add a fried egg on it, so do it. The bun rieu on the other hand is a flavorful tomato vermicelli noodle soup with fish tofu, crab meatballs, and pork blood cubes (I opt to leave this out). It’s served with bean spouts, shredded lettuce, lime, and shrimp paste on the side. Either way, they were good serving sizes and leave me and the bf walking out full and satisfied.
The woman who I think may be the owner is friendly. She’s always nice and talkative.
Oh yeah, don’t forget to order an ice coffee. It tastes like hazelnut. If you’ve tried Phở Ao Sen’s ice coffee, it tastes similar, but stronger.
WHAT TO KNOW:
*Cash only
*Make use of their homemade chili sauce. It goes perfect in your fish sauce or in the mi kho. It has a good kick so add a little at a time.
*Menu consists of a variety of appetizers, noodles, and broken rice plates
*Prices range from about $ 7 – 10 per dish
*Hours are a bit odd. They’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Other days they’re open for dine in until 4pm and open for takeout until 6pm.
*Street parking which is usually easy to find on 14^th Avenue