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Bếp Rơm
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Three charred whole snakehead fish grilled in the straw-fire style, on banana leaves beside a rice pancake, a basket of herbs and a clay pot of rice

The grill

Snakehead fish grilled in straw

Cá lóc nướng trui is a snakehead fish of about 800 g, grilled whole with its scales on in burning straw at Lê Văn Tư's fire counter. Once the scales are peeled the flesh is white and still hot; you wrap it in rice paper with herbs and dip it in mắm nêm.

358,000 VNDMildFish

Contains: Fish (including fish sauce and fermented fish). Shared kitchen, traces possible. Allergen table

ReserveAll of the grill

Six stations, kitchen to table

  1. Two fish farmers on floating pens by a river, green fish cages below the surface and a tree-lined bank beyond

    The pond

    800 g

    We take the fish live and pick one of about 800 g: smaller has too little flesh, bigger cooks unevenly.

  2. Neat bundles of dried straw leaning against a wall, the stalks glowing gold in the sun

    The straw

    2 kg of straw per fish

    Dry straw, never damp, is laid thick enough to cover the whole fish.

  3. A flame burning in a terracotta stove on a red-tiled yard, dry sticks stacked beside it, potted plants behind

    The fire

    18 minutes

    Straw catches fast, so the fish lies in the flames with its scales on and Tư turns it once halfway.

  4. Peeling

    3 minutes' rest

    Brush off the ash, let it rest a moment, then peel the burnt scales at the fire counter; the flesh underneath is white.

  5. Two hands folding rice paper around fresh herbs on a wooden board

    Wrapping

    Ø 22 cm

    A piece of fish and a few fresh herbs on a sheet of rice paper, rolled tight by hand.

  6. Dipping

    heat 1 on a 0 to 3 scale

    Mắm nêm is pounded with pineapple and chilli; the chilli can come on the side if you want it milder.

What is in it

One snakehead of about 800 g, grilled whole with its scales on over straw, served with rice paper, fresh herbs and a small bowl of mắm nêm (a dip fermented from anchovies, pounded with pineapple and chilli). It sits in The grill section and Lê Văn Tư keeps its fire. What this page says about the cooking is how our kitchen does it, not a claim about the craft in general. Tư tells the longer story in cá lóc nướng trui: how one fish travels from pond to table.

How to eat it

The fish arrives with the scales already peeled. Pull off a piece of flesh, lay it on rice paper with herbs, roll it tight and dip it in the mắm nêm. One fish is enough as the main dish for two; a table of four usually adds a braise, a bowl of soup and rice. The family mâm (a set of dishes laid for the whole table) for four is VND 890,000 and includes this fish: see the set menus. If you like the same fish braised, look at cá lóc kho tộ.

Who it suits, who should skip it

Mild heat: level 1 on a 0 to 3 scale. The chilli lives in the mắm nêm, so it can come on the side or be lowered; tell us when you order. The fish has bones, so adults should pick them out for small children.

Allergens: fish (both the snakehead and the mắm nêm). If you are allergic to fish, skip this dish. The kitchen is shared, so we cannot promise there are no traces, and we track only nine allergen groups. This is not a vegetarian dish.

Price and booking

VND 358,000 per fish, 8% VAT included. Filter the menu by spice level or allergen with the allergen filter, then reserve a table: no deposit under 8 guests, and we hold the table for 15 minutes.

Order alongside