It takes just three words to launch the Mount Everest of Vietnamese meals. Order bo bay mon, and an extravaganza of beef begins. Or you can go to Anh Hong in Dorchester and order ca bay mon -- seven glorious courses of fish that offer a lighter, healthier, and less bovine version of the familiar beef feast.
As one of many Vietnamese restaurants in the Fields Corner area, newcomer Anh Hong aims to set itself apart by specializing in bo bay mon and ca bay mon, as well as hot pot fondues and grill-at-your-table meals.
We entered the gleaming space intent on trying fish, fish, and more fish. Minutes after we ordered our ca bay mon ($29.95 for two people), the march of the servers began. First, a brazier topped by a mini-wok bubbling with vinegar broth arrived. Next came a cloud of rice vermicelli noodles, a stack of paper-thin rice wrappers, a bowl of warm water, dipping sauce, bowls, plates, enough napkins to rival a BBQ joint, and a ham-sized mountain of crisp vegetables capped by a tangle of herbs.
And this was just to set the scene for the first course: sliced grouper with shaved onion. Ca bay mon, which translates to fish seven ways, is a play-with-your-food party. You cook the first two courses and wrap, roll, and dip courses one to six at your table.
Essentially, you're making custom spring rolls similar to those served as appetizers. But your raw materials are much more interesting. Course one starts off gently with tender, sweet fish that you cook in broth. Basically, it's fondue, only what comes next is a world beyond just munching it with bread.
Instead, you dip your rice wrapper in the bowl of water and lay it flat on your plate. Then you think ahead. We watched others as they deftly placed just a bit of lettuce, a pinch of noodles, perhaps a green apple slice or a half-moon of cucumber, and a few leaves of Thai basil, mint, or dusky-tasting vap ca (fish mint) on their wrappers with the fish. Then they rolled tight little cigars ready for dipping.
Our first rolls turned out more like over-stuffed SUVs, ungainly things that spilled their contents into our sauce bowls. But they still rushed our taste buds with a jamboree of sensations: tangy vinegar, fragrant herbs, light fish, cool crunchy vegetables, warm soft noodles, luscious pineapple-ginger sauce.
The meal emerged in Saigon about a half-century ago as multi-course French dining was influencing the local cuisine. Today, bo bay mon can be found throughout Vietnam, and Anh Hong owner Dustin Thai said they are popular meals for striking business deals over.
The fish version is less common, but easily rivals its beefy brother. For the second course, our wok was replaced with a skillet and a plate of grouper slices in a syrupy candied lime and hulled sesame sauce. This we sautéed in big pats of butter until the fish was edged with a delectable caramelized crust.
Course three was a refreshing and simple grouper ceviche salad. Courses four, five, and six arrived at once. This moment, in a way, was base camp four of our climb through this meal. We were left to tackle a peach-sized fish meatball ringed with crispy fried shrimp chips, as well as tasty grilled skewers of fish sausage and a meal highlight, smoky la lot leaves stuffed with ginger-spiked ground fish. We wrapped. We rolled. And then we planted our flag on the summit and descended into the soothing comfort of course seven: a delicate, flavorful rice chowder dotted with fish, cilantro, and scallion. By the end, we were full but not feeling heavy. As one diner noted, "It's very light food. It's not like you're eating seven courses of Danish pastries."
A return visit turned up very good beef pho noodle soup (Tai nam, $5.25) and seafood noodle soup ($5.95). Other finds were Chinese broccoli spears and deep-fried tofu in a light, brown sauce ($6.95); savory fried shrimp paste grilled on juicy sugar cane spears ($6.95); and a sprightly tofu salad ($5.95). Tofu with tomato and pineapple ($6.95) and sizzling seafood ($13.95), however, came with overbearing sauces. Desserts are the usual fruit smoothies, but we were not able to try them due to the Jekyll-and-Hyde service. Our ca bay mon was served skillfully, but on our second visit our waitress ignored us once we had our entrees. Nonetheless, we will surely return to conquer the hot pots and table-top barbecue. 