Anchovy – chef Thi Le and Jia-Yen Lee’s outstanding Bridge Road Vietnamese restaurant – closed in June 2022.

“Anchovy and I will take a long due break to reassess, revamp and work on its next incarnation,” Le wrote in an Instagram post at the time.

In May 2022, when she announced the closure, the chef cited liquor licence issues and the emotional toll operating during the previous two years – the Covid years – had taken as key reasons for the closure.

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But, just over a month after closing Le opened the Laotian restaurant Jeow in the same space at 338 Bridge Road, Richmond, that once housed Anchovy.

Jeow is now only open for dinner and has moved into the neighbouring 336 Bridge Road space which, during the day, still houses Le’s popular banh mi shop Ca Com.

Last week, Anchovy reopened at 338 Bridge Road, which the team says will be a temporary home for the restaurant.

“We are thrilled to reopen our doors to welcome patrons who have missed the soul of Anchovy as well as customers who have not had the chance to dine with us previously,” Le and Lee said in a joint statement. “Its DNA remains but, like the teenager that left for their gap year, Anchovy has returned with a stronger sense of self and a deeper conviction in its identity as a Viet Kieu [a term used to describe members of the Vietnamese diaspora].”

The menu focuses on noodles and snacks. Noodle dishes include silver needle (white tea) noodles with pine mushrooms and papaya relish. There’s also casarecce (short pasta twists) with Lao sausage, snake beans and garlic chives. Snacks include raw mullet, persimmon and mắm tép (a fermented shrimp paste). And house-made cold cuts, pate and pickles.

The team says this iteration of Anchovy is best suited to solo diners and duos.

Anchovy
338 Bridge Road, Richmond
No phone

Hours:
Wed to Sat from 5.30pm
@anchovy338