Max McFarlin, a blogger from Arkansas, USA, is well-known in the global travel community and has a YouTube channel with nearly 700,000 followers. Max has been in Vietnam for over four years and currently lives and works mainly in Ho Chi Minh City.

On his personal YouTube channel, Max frequently shares videos about his culinary experiences across various provinces and tourist destinations in Vietnam that he has visited.

In addition to street food and affordable dishes, Max also enjoys dishes served in upscale restaurants or familiar Vietnamese dishes in expensive versions, such as a "giant" bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) costing 1.2 million VND.

One of Max's favorite dishes, which he has tried several times in Ho Chi Minh City, is bún bò (beef noodle soup).

To refresh his experience with this familiar dish, Max visited a restaurant on Bac Hai Street (Ward 6, Tan Binh District, HCMC) known for its bún bò with a unique topping of floating fat.

This bún bò restaurant is a familiar spot for local food enthusiasts and also attracts many Vietnamese celebrities.

According to Max's observations, the bún bò restaurant has a spacious, clean space with an open kitchen area where guests can watch the chefs and staff prepare the dishes.

Depending on their preferences, customers can order bún bò with various accompanying ingredients, priced between 60,000 to 110,000 VND ($2.5-$5) per serving.

In addition to the usual toppings like beef brisket, beef tendon, sausage, and meatballs, the bún bò here can also include floating fat if customers want a richer, more flavorful broth.

The ingredients are neatly arranged in a large bowl, topped with thin slices of onion and scallions, then filled with hot broth.

At the restaurant, Max ordered the most expensive bún bò bowl, priced at 400,000 VND, which included all the ingredients: beef tendon, beef meatballs, beef sausage, crab meatballs, beef ribs, fresh brisket, and pork trotters.

Everything was neatly presented in a larger-than-normal bowl, enough for 2-3 people to eat to their fill.

When the bún bò bowl was served, Max eagerly tasted the first spoonful of broth. He noted that the broth, simmered from beef bones and seasoned with lemongrass and pineapple, was aromatic and had a gentle sweetness.

The floating fat added to the dish's appeal without making it overly greasy.

“The broth isn’t too sweet; it has a pineapple aroma, blending with the rich flavors from beef and pork bones, making it satisfying,” Max commented.

To fully enjoy and appreciate the dish, Max comfortably picked up a beef rib with his hands and took a big bite. He noted that the rib was tender to the right degree, with both fat and cartilage, making it delicious.

He also praised other ingredients: “The meatballs are fragrant with crab meat, with a slight peppery heat, making a good alternative to beef and pork when you’re tired of the usual meats,” and “The beef tendon is chewy, flexible, and easy to eat.”

What impressed Max the most was the free-floating fat, available upon request to make the dish richer and more flavorful. “I’ve eaten bún bò many times in Vietnam but never heard of the option to add free-floating fat,” Max remarked.

The American YouTuber also appreciated the generous amount of meat in the serving, noting that he had to dig to the bottom of the bowl to find the noodles.

He also complimented the restaurant's thoughtful service, providing salty fish sauce for customers to dip the bún bò ingredients.

“I like how the restaurant cooks the ingredients to a tender consistency, so when you eat, everything seems to melt in your mouth,” Max expressed.

Concluding his meal, Max was satisfied and felt that the “giant” bún bò was worth the price for its quality and was definitely worth trying.

Thao Trinh