Mắm

Fermented Shrimp, Clear Conscience

4 of 5

Jerald Head and Nhung Dao ran Mắm as a pop-up in 2020, then took a long break, then did a run of rotating menus. In December 2023 they settled into a permanent address on Forsyth Street. The New York Times ranked it twentieth among the city's best restaurants in 2024, up from twenty-sixth the year before. Pete Wells gave it two stars and a Critic's Pick, which is a polite way of saying he went back.

The dish to know is the bún đậu mắm tôm. It is a dipping platter with house-made tofu, pork belly and sticky rice sausage, all served with a sauce of fermented shrimp paste. The smell announces itself and the flavor follows. If it frightens you, good, that means it is working. Time Out called the phở the best in New York City, and a Vietnamese reviewer wrote that it was the closest thing to tasting home in this city. I cannot top that kind of praise, so I will not try.

Prices are fair for the skill involved, and the room is small. Expect a wait and plan around it. This is a kitchen that cares about authenticity more than comfort, and that is a better trade than most places offer. Go with friends who will try everything, order widely, and dip everything. Treat the shrimp paste as a door, not a dare.

Order this: Bún đậu mắm tôm, the dipping platter, Phở, Whatever the kitchen is pushing that week
The damage: $$
Go: A weeknight, early, with at least one friend
Find it: 70 Forsyth St, New York, NY 10002