Omnipotent pork chop
Just look at this picture - doesn't it just induce hunger?
Everything is done perfectly here. The smokey, lemongrassy exterior of the pork with charred crisp bits which are unbelievably moreish; the addictive sweet and spicy hit of the fish sauce, the moist yet al-dente rice, and, I did not mention the pork terrine. No doubt French influenced, this pork terrine is moist, juicy, and put simply, a must have.
Address: Com Tam Nguyen Van Cu, 167 Nguyen Van Cu, P.2, Quan 5, HCMC
Get here before noon!!!
Price: 130,000 VND (including terrine. Bit expensive but more than worth it)
Phone: (08) 3923 7350
Addictive crabby noodle breakfast
Don't forget to squeeze on some lime and chuck in some beansprouts for some extra crunch, and if you like, a touch of vinegar will lift the dish slightly. It all comes accompanied by this soup broth of which I'd only recommend to use of bit to reduce this viscosity of the crab sauce.
Address: Thanh Xuan - Hu Tieu My Tho, 62 Ton That Thiep, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Another breakfast place - get here as early as possible otherwise it'll all be eaten up by people like me
Price: 80,000 - 100,000 VND
Phone: (08) 3821 3193
http://www.foody.vn/ho-chi-minh/thanh-xuan-hu-tieu-my-tho
Probably the best dollar you could ever spend
Food in Vietnam is getting more expensive these days, so it's great to see quality food staying at ridiculously low prices. For me, the pick of the bunch is Banh Mi 37 Nguyen Trai, where, for less than 1 USD (actually it's 75 cents), you can get charcoal grilled lemongrass pork patties stuffed into an airy-on-the-inside crisp-on-the-outside baguette, brought together by a sweet, tangy and devillishly spicy sauce.
My only regret was that I only got one banh mi. Apologies for the pic quality, I took them whilst in the back of a cab.
Address: Banh Mi 37 Nguyen Trai, 37 Nguyen Trai, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opens at 5pm. Get there asap to avoid disappointment!
Hanoi Pho: A very different animal
Most Vietnamese restaurants in Western countries will put in front of you a rather different incarnation of pho. Before setting foot in Vietnamese lands, I was used to a clearer, less viscous broth, with beansprouts, lime, chilli and herbs served alongside the bowl... in Hanoi, I encountered what I think is a superior creation: thicker broth exploding with beef notes, crunchy chinese greens, slightly rare beef and featherweight rice noodles.
So if in Hanoi, head down to Cafe 47 on 47 Bat Dan, order pho tai (their mango smoothie-esque drink is not too bad either), wait a few minutes and then slurp away.
Posted 05/09/10
Bun Cha: Be prepared
It was my first meal is Vietnam. I ordered bun cha at Bun Cha Dac Kim (1 Hang Manh) in Hanoi. An almighty bowl of lemongrass-rubbed pork belly slices and grilled meatballs in a slightly sweet sauce, a bigger heap of rice vermicelli noodles (bun) and a jungle of Vietnamese herbs (mint, basil amongst many others) were presented before me and my friends. The photos don't really do the portion size, nor the taste, justice. It was a colossus of a meal, one which took me half an hour to attempt to finish, but one I'd happily enjoy many times again. So I am writing this post not only to promote the deliciousness of this meal, but also to recommend that you should leave space aplenty for this noodle and pork medley.
Eel and noodles
87 Hang Dieu in Hanoi is a good place to give eel a shot even if it's not your normal thing. Their rendition of mien luon was assembled using crispy eel, light broth, clear vermicelli noodles topped with fresh Viet hedgerow. Think it was 30,000VND a pop. Also give their fried eel cakes a shot, which comes in a slightly sweet nuoc mam (fish sauce) dip.
Posted 07/09/10
Beef and noodles of the non-soupy kind
Bun Bo Nam Bo (67 Hang Dieu, Hanoi) serves up bun bo, a dish which I think deserves some of the praise which its soup-based cousin pho receives on a regular basis.
On the surface, you can see rice noodles, bean sprouts, beef, fried onions and lettuce. But the magic is at the bottom of the bowl: a small amount of beef stock with Asian basil (and probably other tasty stuff). For the magic to do justice, thorough mixing is required! However, whilst this place excels at bun bo, I'm afraid its not the best for other dishes - trying their gio (weird pork sausage thing) is not recommended.
Posted 07/09/10
French Ice Cream Buffet
Whilst this isn't strictly Vietnamese, it's definitely not a tourist-only affair. And in the summer months, Fanny's ice cream is one of the best ways to cool off, despite not being one of the cheapest. So if on a Friday night you just wanna chill, then I'd say it's worth forking out 95,000 VND at certain Fanny branches (in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) between 6.30pm and 11.00pm on their ice cream buffet. If I remember correctly, there were about twelve or so flavours on offer, from coconut to ginger, from strawberry to rum and raisin. The quality is pretty good too, most flavours pack a punch of taste and are smooth. Also included in the deal were cones and crepes, along with things like chocolate sprinkles to keep most people happy. It also has a pretty open and social feel to it; all customers, be they Vietnamese or tourists, chatting in a relaxed, spacious environment.
If you'd rather spend your Friday evenings elsewhere but still try Fanny's ice cream, their everyday offerings are also worth a taste. The creation above was their rendition of ice cream profiteroles; not cheap for around 60,000 VND, but flavoursome nonetheless.
Posted 09/09/10
Seafood fit for a king
Feasting on top-quality seafood for $10 might seem too good to be true. And in most cases, it is. But at Quan Phu'ong Nguyen in Hanoi, I found that these dreams can become a delicous reality. Below is a deep fried snake-head fish. Crispy on the outside, meaty in the middle, and when wrapped in a paper roll with dill, salad, starfruit and herbs and immersed in fermented prawn dip (pungent yet indulgent), it can make in the fullest of stomachs rumble at least once.
This place also did the simple dishes to perfection. Stir fried squid with chilli and viet basil ticked all of the right boxes.Tender flesh without a trace of rubberyness, chilli kick and the occasional note of aniseed were all in evidence.
On the slightly more indulgent side, myself and fellow diners opted for prawns deep-fried with a salty egg batter. The sweetness of the sea-dwellers' interior married perfectly with the crispy, salty and unctuously rich egg exterior.
The only slight let-down were the fried soft shell crabs with tamarind sauce. The soft shell crabs did possess the usual sweet-from-the-sea overtones, but the tamarind sauce wasn't quite the right partner for these crustaceans.
This restaurant combined pretty decent service with a great view over the West Lake, and whilst it's a bit further from the usual attractions of the Old Quarter, it was certainly worth the taxi ride across town.
Com Ga: Chicken Rice
Ok, Hoi An isn't great for authentic Vietnamese food. The best way to find it is to put your 'local radar' on, and find the places where local Hoi An residents frequent. There are few places which specialise in com ga (chicken rice), such as the one we found on Tran Phu.
Though similar in some ways to Hainanese chicken rice, I'd say it's slightly more refreshing on the pallette with hints of aniseed from the mild basil leaves and cooling crunch of the jullienned green papaya. Having said this, it possesses all the deep flavours you'd expect from steeping a chicken in broth for hours on end, and also like it's Chinese cousin, comes with fragrant garlic infused rice (com ga has extra basil in the rice). Just be warned, at 200,000 VND (for the chicken pictured, chicken innards and rice), it wasn't the cheapest, nor was the chicken the plumpest you'd find around. And also be prepared for a lack of English!
Hoi An Desserts
Another of one of Hoi An's few foodie highlights was the distinct abundance of desserts. Without doubt, my favourite was the melt in the middle chocolate cake with home-made passion fruit ice cream at Casa Verde.
Not particularly Vietnamese, but who cares - it was simply sublime. Gooey and moist, the chocolate cake oozed its molten chocolate contents upon penetration. Combine its warmth with the ice cold, silky smooth texture and distinctly punchy passionfruit qualities of the ice cream, and it's a hands-down winner.
The cakes available at the Cargo Club aren't too bad either. In fact, choose wisely, and you'll find something
well worth your money. Below was a chocolate brownie, caramel ice cream and passionfruit sorbet combo. I don't really need to say any more.
Different noodle soup
Hu tieu. A rival to pho. Well, nearly. Or perhaps they compete in different leagues. Either way, it's still a great bowl of noodle soup. Apologies for the picture quality, I kinda just wanted to eat.
What you should be seeing is a clear broth packed with chicken bone tones, light rice noodles and a forest of greens and herbs. Not as rich as pho (particularly the Hanoian version), but still tasty, and somehow refreshing.
Hoi An's best example is at 46 Phan Chu Trinh, where you'd be advised to bring tissues if you're a messy eater (their rendition of tissues are these not-very-adsorbent pieces of paper, which, to put it mildly, are a bit rough on your skin).
Pancakes and much, much more
After 12 hour train journey from Nha Trang to Saigon, which, incidentally, was meant to be 8 hours, you can't help but feel peckish. So chuck your stuff in your hostel or hotel, and grab a cab and get yourself to 46A Ding Cong Tranh, where the famous banh xeo (vietnamese pancake) shop is.
Each pancake is filled with a delicious mix of prawns, chicken, pork fat and beansprouts. Take a slice of it, add some Viet herbs, wrap in lettuce and dip in nuoc cham and you're set. Just beware of the huge portion size.
One the slighter lighter side, try their bo la lot (beef wrapped in betal leaves). Roll this up with the accompanying pickles, bun noodles and rice paper roll, dip in pungently delicious prawny sauce and this is another explosively tasty combo.
But the rolls don't stop there. Try their chao tom (prawn paste fried on sugar cane), this time accompanied with a feather-like rice noodle mesh and the classic nuoc cham dip. Another winner.
This place has become known to tourists, but, despite this leading to an increase in prices, this has not resulted in a compromise in taste.
Colourful Ice Cold Goodness: Chè
3pm in Hanoi during the summer. Unbearably hot is an understatement. Luckily, a popular Vietnamese summertime dessert known as che will come to your rescue.
Comprising a various types of beans (red, mung, black etc) slow cooked with brown sugar, tapioca and flavourings, served up with a more than generous drenching of coconut milk, an assortment of jellies and ice, this gives Malaysia's Chendol a run for its money. I can't remember the exact flavour I had, but who cares, it tasted damn good and was a much needed revitalising lift. You find this treat at various shops dotted around the big cities (I had mine in Hanoi); just look out for an assortment of colours.
Streetside Seafood
Probably the most interesting gastronomic experience I had in Vietnam. On a humble street corner near Nha Chung Street in Hanoi, a small setup consisting of a weighing scale, baskets of seafood and small plastic table and chairs were the scene of a remarkably delicious feast. It must be said though, that without the help of our Vietnamese friend, this indulgence would not have been possible as the owners were not conversant in English.
Having picked which ocean-dwellers we liked to eat, and how we wanted them to be cooked, we commenced our consumption not with chopsticks, not with knives and forks, but with a triangular piece of metal and a pair of pliers to break the shells of the sea-snails. Not conventional, but I don't think the usual cutlery would do the job of removing their juicy bodies from their tough armourplating.
The sea snails were present as two species, in both regular smooth-shelled and spiny shelled forms, with the latter possessing a slightly earthier aroma. Both came with a zingy chilli and lime infused nuoc mam dip.
Equally tasty were the clams steamed with a green-curry esque broth-come-sauce. Fresh and packed full of flavour, this dish certainly did not disappoint.
But for me, the highlight was the mini razor clams stir fried with lemongrass, garlic and chilli. Unctuously tender, sublimely sea-sweet and masterfully balanced with the chilli and lemongrass kick, this was truly something to savour.
So whilst the language barrier may present an obstacle to eating at such a place, it is certainly worth finding a local to get you served up at this awesome eating experience.
Barbeque-scented Aromatherapy
Lac Canh. A must do when in Nha Trang. Whilst the concept isn't all that special (it's just a DIY barbeque type of restaurant), the food is fresh, and its quality in abundance. Upon stepping into its semi-outdoor setting you notice one thing: a hazy mist filled with the aroma of charcoal-grilled treats.
I couldn't find fault with anything we ate. The chicken was spicy, slightly sweet and beautifully tender. The beef, packed full of its sweet marinade, was also befitting of the barbeque. The succulent-sea freshness of the king prawns married beautifully with the notes of the charcoal grill upon which they lay. Similarly, the squid, though not quite as flavoursome, also offered ocean-oriented smokey goodness.
Top this off with several pints of local beer, and at $10 US a head, you'll be hard pressed to find a better deal.
Top this off with several pints of local beer, and at $10 US a head, you'll be hard pressed to find a better deal.
So good we ate it twice
Ben Thanh night market in Saigon is home to a number outdoor eateries, most of which will offer grilled fish in various forms. Myself and fellow travellers stumbled across a restaurant called Hai Lua, having seen and smelled the grilling of the red snapper pictured below.
Think crispy, caramelised skin. Think chilli heat, and subtle sweetness. Think juicy flesh. So addictive was this dish, that two days later, we came back. And ordered two of them. Oh and if you're sharing, remember to fight over the unctuously luxurious fish cheeks.
If you fancy a bit more variety in your meal, also order their deep fried elephant ear fish, pictured above. The crunchy skin and meaty flesh of the fish make perfect for wrapping with bun noodles, vegetables, star-fruit and herbs in a rice paper roll and dipping in the accompanying punchy prawn dip.
Pork chop, egg and rice. Simple
Ben Thanh Market is home to many things, some more worthy of their place than others. For me, Stall 1014 is more worthy than most. And the vendors of this market will probably agree with me, as you'll find licked-clean plates of this stall's grub all over the market.
Following the plates and the smell of char-grilled caramelisation will lead you to a quick, tasty and filling meal. Com tam ba cui (grilled lemongrass pork chop on rice) may be simple, but the combination of juicy, tender pork with a caramelised lemongrass marinade just hits the spot. Addition of a fried egg is cheap and highly recommended.
Time for a Crab. Or four.
Thuy Restaurant on 84 Dinh Tien Hoang St. in Ho Chi Minh was the scene of mass crab consumption. Hungry from crawling through the tunnels of Cu Chi, myself and fellow travellers again went into a frenzy of over-indulgence.
For simplicity, just get some fried soft shell crab. Fresh, sublimely sweet, and crispy on the outside. Dip in nuoc cham, and it needs no further explanation.
Not shown are their fried prawns which were highly delectable. But for that really crabby taste, go for the crab vermicelli, shown below.
Soft, tasty crab flesh, brought to life with the richness of the crab roe, makes for a winning combination with the feather-lightness of the vermicelli.
To summarise, if you like crab, and you're in Saigon, come here.
