Grilled straw mushrooms with chilli salt
Nấm rơm nướng (grilled straw mushrooms) are whole mushrooms cooked on the wood fire with chilli salt and shredded lime leaf. The dish is vegan and medium in heat, and sous chef Mai Thanh Vân looks after it.
Nothing from the nine groups the kitchen tracks. Shared kitchen, traces possible. Allergen table
Six stations, kitchen to table
The mushrooms
about 300 g
Whole straw mushrooms, still in bud, picked at an even size so they cook through at the same time.
Rinsing
2 minutes draining
A quick rinse, then drained completely: wet mushrooms leak on the rack and never get a charred edge.
The oil
1 teaspoon of oil
A thin brush of oil on each mushroom stops them sticking to the rack and helps the chilli salt cling.
The grill
6 minutes
Mushrooms go on the rack over wood coals and are turned when the underside is lightly charred and the first juice shows.
Chilli salt
heat 2 on a 0 to 3 scale
The chilli salt goes on while they are hot; the heat is in the salt, so it can come on the side if you want it milder.
Lime leaf
3 lime leaves
Shredded lime leaf goes on last, enough for the smell without covering the mushroom.
What is in it
Whole straw mushrooms brushed with oil, grilled over wood with chilli salt and finished with shredded lime leaf. It sits in The grill. On our menu “vegan” (thuần chay) means no meat, fish or seafood, no fish sauce, fermented fish or lard, and no egg, milk or honey. Grilled straw mushrooms meet that, and contain none of our nine allergen groups.
How to eat it
Pick the mushrooms up one at a time while they are hot, and eat them with rice (VND 15,000 a bowl) or as a starter. They release juice, so they pair well with something in broth, such as the sour soup with mushroom and tofu. The vegetarian mâm (a set of dishes laid for the whole table) for four, VND 570,000, includes this dish: see the set menus.
Who it suits, who should skip it
Medium heat, level 2 on a 0 to 3 scale. For this dish the chilli can come on the side or be lowered; tell us when you order. It suits vegetarians, including on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month.
One honest point: the kitchen is shared. Vân grills vegetarian dishes on their own rack when she can, but we cannot promise there are no traces, and we track only nine allergen groups. If you are allergic to something outside those nine (mushroom, tree nuts, celery), or your allergy is severe, ask your doctor first, then call 0963 929 241 so we can tell you what is in the dish. A restaurant cannot replace a doctor.
Price and booking
VND 88,000 per plate, 8% VAT included. See every vegetarian dish with the vegetarian filter and each dish’s allergens with the allergen filter, then reserve a table: tell us about diets and allergies when you book; no deposit under 8 guests.
Order alongside
- Braises, soups and rice
Sour soup with mushroom and tofu
Straw mushrooms, tofu, pineapple, tomato and okra in a tamarind vegetable broth.
88,000 VNDVeganMildSoy 
Silken tofu in tomato sauce
Lightly fried silken tofu in tomato sauce with spring onion and soy sauce.
78,000 VNDVeganSoy- Braises, soups and rice
Steamed rice (one bowl)
Fragrant rice cooked in a cast-iron pot.
15,000 VNDVeganNone of the 9 allergen groups