A new address dedicated to family-style Vietnamese cuisine has blossomed in the Pigalle district, at 49 rue de Rochechouart. Named BẾP, this restaurant is led by Marie Nguyen and Émilien Quemener, joined for the occasion by Antoine Nguyen, Marie's brother. If these names sound familiar, it's because the first two are already behind a first Parisian table located about a twenty-minute walk away: Sobremesa in the 18th arrondissement.
With BẾP, the trio unveils a project this time centered on passing down and preserving culinary memory, as children of third-generation Vietnamese families who settled in France. For more than thirty years, Marie and Antoine’s parents themselves ran a Vietnamese restaurant in the capital.
Through BẾP, which means "kitchen" in Vietnamese, the founders aim to carry on this family heritage. Antoine Nguyen has taken the helm of the kitchen to bring to life these recipes handed down through the years and generations, balancing reverence for the original techniques with the contemporary evolution needed to stand out from the other Vietnamese restaurants already established in Paris.
The project rests on the idea of a constant link between Vietnam and France, in a space that is both understated and authentic, envisioned by Guillaume Cappelletti, Atelier Craft, with artistic direction by Geoffroy Bucaille. Sand-colored drapes on the ceiling, red plastic stools, and at the back of the dining room, an altar tucked into a small corner.
The trio's restaurant stands out especially for its minimalist lunch menu: 1 starter (a white cabbage salad with shrimp, pomelo, fried onions and peanuts; small 7€, large 14€), 1 main course and 1 dessert, that's it. The dish in question is the cơm tấm, one of the quintessential Vietnamese specialties.
Traditionally built around a generous bed of rice, rice vermicelli, finely grated tofu, vegetables, pickles, peanuts and fish sauce, the cơm tấm (16€) is offered at BÊP with a protein of your choice: pork shoulder grilled, grilled chicken thigh, and more intriguingly, coconut-milk marinated pleurotes served on a skewer as if it were meat.
All three proteins have been grilled over the barbecue, giving them a delicate smoky note you can smell wafting from outside. It’s also possible to opt for the cơm tấm complet (21.50€), a heartier option, with a fried egg and slices of chả trứng (the famous Vietnamese pâté) as an extra.
With its 20€ menus (starter/main or main/dessert) and 25€ (starter/main/dessert), BẾP is ideal for a no-nonsense, efficient lunch that ends with a wobbly banh flan (5.50€) for ginger fans.
At night, the place reveals a completely different side with seafood platters (€38), grilled and fried platters (€20–€22 per person), and around a dozen small plates to share. Perfect for a night out with friends on the small, sloped terrace!
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Location
BEP
49 Rue Marguerite de Rochechouart
75009 Paris 9
Official website
www.bepparis.fr
