It's been a long year for the siblings who run Hai Chi Em, a Vietnamese restaurant that opened in early 2023 on Fraser Street in Vancouver.
The modern, approachable family-run business closed its doors on Nov. 14, 2023 in preparation for a planned relocation to Kingsway and an aim to be back open and serving up steaming bowls of pho and its signature selection of bold, bright, and tangy Vietnamese dishes by spring.
Things didn't quite go as planned, as co-owner Mai Le shared with V.I.A. and construction and permit delays have kept Hai Chi Em in a holding pattern through the summer and fall.
Now, however, the restaurant has the green light to get cooking again and will open its new location at 2172 Kingsway to the public on Nov. 29.
Family recipes on the menu at Hai Chi Em
The restaurant menu is much the same, though the space in which Hai Chi Em's lively dishes - many based on beloved family recipes - is bigger and more modern. A bar flanks one side of the room, and guests will appreciate new thoughtful touches, like a special set of tabletop drawers that are on each table holding utensils and condiments.
"Our family is very picky about food," confesses Le. "We serve the food that we want to eat ourselves."
Diners will find many familiar Vietnamese classics at Hai Chi Em, all well-executed by trained chefs with a wealth of experience in Vietnam. You can opt for classic beef noodle soup (pho) but one of their specialties is its fiery sibling, Bún bò Huế (BBH for short) though you may wish to simply order it as it's on the menu, Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. It's a central Vietnamese noodle soup in a broth made with pork, beef, and lemongrass - and a hint of sweet, tangy pineapple.
While the name indicates it is spicy as a baseline, those in pursuit of more heat can dial things up with the addition of some of Hai Chi Em's house-made chili sauce. BBH is loaded with tender meat from a beef shank, pork balls, and blood.
Hai Chi Em also features some special dishes that are harder to find in Vancouver, including Gỏi bưởi tôm thịt, a cold salad dish that has big chunks of tangy-sweet pomelo, pork belly, and prawns, served with a giant rice cracker designed to be broken apart and loaded with savoury mouthfuls.
They also have another noteworthy cold salad, the Beef Salad (Gỏi bò bóp thấu) which pairs tender slices of cooked beef with carrots, onions, peanuts, and sesame seeds along with pieces of a starchy, almost citrusy Vietnamese banana.
Look for exciting dishes offered as specials
The plan is to offer rotating special dishes, like Bánh Xèo, a crispy rice-batter crepe that is folded and filled with plump prawns. Pieces of the crispy, tender omelette-like crepe are wrapped in lettuce leaves and dipped in a tangy sauce. Le says they use her father's own cherished recipe for the dish at Hai Chi Em.
The menu is rounded out with vibrant, approachable, and easily share-able fare, like several kinds of golden-fried chicken wings, in salt-and-pepper or butter garlic options, to rival some of Vancouver's most popular versions of the dish.
Hai Chi Em is similarly frying strips of tender squid which get a quick coat of a fish sauce glaze before arriving in an ample mound with a side of the restaurant's signature creamy, lightly spiced "pink" sauce perfect for dipping.
As the new Kingsway location awaits its liquor license, the bar continues to offer fun drinks, from classic tea and coffee selections to fruit smoothies, zero-proof mojitos, and juices. Look for fun tropical ingredients like soursop (also known as "custard apple"), lychee, and sugarcane.
Watch: Checking out Hai Chi Em restaurant's new location in Vancouver
@forkingawesomevia One of my favourite Vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver is reopening in a new location - but this family-run spot still has a menu of bright, tasty dishes featuring familiar classics and a few dishes you don’t see often at other Vietnamese spots in Vancouver. #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #vietnamesefood ♬ Life Will Be - Cleo Sol
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