CHÉN’s Shrimp Paste Decides Whether You Stay in Line

The platter is rice noodles, fried tofu, pork, rolls, and a pile of herbs. In the middle is mắm tôm, the shrimp paste. That little bowl decides the meal. Some people want another bite. Some people pass it down the table.

CHÉN is Northern Vietnamese, Hanoi-leaning, in the old Sushi Uomo space on Hastings in Burnaby Heights. Owner Minh Luu runs it as a neighbourhood room, not a banquet hall. The line is long. Arrive early.

The room

There is a small bar and a mural in the dining room. The food is not what holds the score back. The street is. Street parking was full. Finding a spot felt like luck, and the block already has plenty of busy restaurants, so you are not the only one circling.

Atmosphere: 4 stars.

Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm

This is the plate. Noodles, tofu, pork, rolls, herbs, and the shrimp paste. I will not pretend mắm tôm is for everyone. It is an acquired taste. If you already like it, this is why people stand outside. If you do not, do not order it to be polite.

The rest of the menu leans the same direction: Hanoi plates, not a generic phở-shop list. For another Northern plate in Vancouver, see Hanoi Old Quarter Restaurant on Victoria Drive. This visit was the shrimp-paste platter.

Salted coffee

We had a salted coffee with the meal. I am not ranking it against the city, and I am not putting a price on it.

Service

Service is a five. The wait was the line outside, not a table that got forgotten once we sat down. A long line is not the same thing as a good meal. The Viet Noodle Guy on Rosser had one too, and the food did not match it. Food is a five. I am not printing anyone else’s prices as this bill, and I am not locking hours. Listings do not agree.

Who it’s for

Come if you want Hanoi flavours in Burnaby Heights and you can show up early. Skip it if you need a guaranteed parking spot, or if shrimp paste is already a no. If shrimp paste is a no, Pho D’Lite in Burnaby’s Solo District is the straight phở option.

Food: 5 stars. Service: 5 stars. Atmosphere: 4 stars.