Satisfied with Banh Cuon

You really can’t go wrong with this meal. It’s cheap, satisfying and it’s called Banh Cuon: the perfect midday nosh. Savory and delicate – pan fried minced pork and wood ear mushrooms scattered through translucent layers rice crepes are doused in nuoc mam (fish sauce). Mouthwatering just describing it…

Banh Cuon

And once again, it won’t cost you more than a latte! In that bowl are the contents that came in the styro foam and plastic. If you’re a snobby foodie don’t be fooled by the sketchy exterior, once presented a simple bowl your experience will surprise. You eat this Northern fare with slices of Vietnamese sausage, fresh corriander, some bean sprouts and a sprinkling of fried shallot and nuoc mam. Don’t be surprised if you wish you bought two styro trays!

an egg yolk inside condensed milk

If at this point you’re still reading, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy the drink. Here’s the most important thing to remember: if you want to “cook” the yolk by yourself, be sure to tell your server that you want the soda and the yolk served separately. Some restaurants serve the drink in ready to drink form, therefore taking away a part of your experience.

club soda is added

The server will bring out a can of soda, and a glass with condensed milk and an egg yolk in it. Sometimes the ice is included in the same glass. To cook the egg, pour the soda into the glass and stir for a minute, until the yolk is dissolved. If ice is not included in the same glass, it should be in a second glass. You would then pour the stirred soda into the ice glass for consumption. The sweetness of the drink will depend on how much soda you use, although the given amount of condensed milk should be enough to sweeten a full glass of soda.

stirred with club soda

To your amazement, the taste will be far from ‘eggy’. Many people compare this drink to the standard milkshake, but carbonated.

Cha Ca

Under a pile of fresh herbs is delicately fried grouper atop vermicelli noodles. What makes this distinct for Vietnamese food is the dill, which often makes an appearance in Northern Vietnamese cuisine. Cha Ca is a dish that is named after a street in Hanoi where this specialty originated.

Carp or Catfish is the usual local Red River fish used in this dish served with piquant dipping sauces such as mam tong tom made with pineapple and dried shrimp, or nuoc cham. When I had it, I had Grouper and fish sauce with peanuts on the side. A blend of coriander, green onion and dill served to balance the flavours of the fish. After pouring the sauce over my noodles, it became a refreshing meal that was perfect after having taro spring rolls and Saigon beer.

Taro spring rolls

The morsels of Grouper were especially delicious because of the breading. A blend of rice flour instead of wheat flour combined with a dusting of tumeric dressed the fish and subsequently fried in peanut oil instead of canola. The result is a light and crisp finish. Happily, I didn’t get the “I shouldn’t have eaten that” heavy-fish-and-chip-gut after the meal. I was pleased!

Also garnished with sesame seeds

Hu Tieu My Tho

I was so delighted to see this arrive at my table. Colourful ingredients piled high upon a soft mound of noodles in a clear flavourful broth. On this occasion I was feeling adventurous and decided to veer from the usual suspect. Seafood is always a good alternative when the palette desires a change from the ordinary. This meal definitely satisfied my expectations…

Different view of my lovely My Tho Seafood Noodles

This bowl of goodness is a mouthful to describe. While admiring what was in front of me I realized how simple all the ingredients were that conspired to build such complimentary flavours. The butterflied shrimp was the first thing that caught my attention but what I wanted to taste immediately as I swirled my chopsticks into my bowl were the deep fried curls soaking up the broth. It was crunchy and sweet fish cake. The next thing I did was disassemble the artful pile to examine what tastes would come next.

Mmm : )

What I discovered was a meld of herbs that complimented nicely the subtlety of seafood. Atop bean sprouts and lettuce were shrimp and squid next to coriander, garlic, chives, and green onions. Because seafood with noodle soup is mild and fresh, the dish was paired with deep fried fish cake and sprinkled with sweet fried shallot to create a more dynamic taste. Next time you are feeling adventurous try this!!!

The batter used is a mixture of rice flour, water, chopped scallion, and tumeric powder, which gives it its yellow appearance. Depending on the cook, sometimes coconut milk is added.

shrimps and bean sprouts are visible

Xeo is the sizzling sound made when the batter is poured into the hot pan. The thin layer of batter quickly forms a crispy “tortilla.” Then a stir fried combination of pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and sometimes squid is added to its centre. The crepe is then folded in half to be served. It is best to eat banh xeo immediately out of the pan while it’s still crispy and warm. Allow it time to cool down and it becomes soggy.

crispy yellow, healthy greens

Banh xeo is served with a plate of fresh veggies including lettuce leafs, cucumber, herbs, and mints. Traditionally, one would tear a small piece of the crepe and place it inside a lettuce leaf and fold the leaf into a wrap to be dipped in the fish sauce based dip. Despite it being a messy method, this is the preferred way to enjoy this dish. If you’re not comfortable eating it as finger food, then a fork and knife would be just as effective.

there's only one way to find out..

If you plan on ordering this at a restaurant, check the beverage menu to see if they have soda sua hot ga, or egg yolk in soda water, mixed with sweet condensed milk. Despite its odd combination of ingredients, this beverage is refreshingly tasty, and very satisfying. Oh, and wear a yellow shirt, too. : )

Photo credit: Andrew Lam

a large durian tree with lots of baby durians

Most of those who enjoy durian live in southeastern Asia, where the fruit is indigenous.  The locals here love it with a passion! But even in this part of the world, many people are repelled by the strong “week old dirty socks” odor that emits from this fruit.  Many hotels and public spaces in Asia ban the presence of durian because its strong smell might disturb the unsuspecting public. 

inside a durian

The fruit can grow to be as big  as an irregular shape watermelon, and consists of a spiky greenish brown armour  protecting the delicate pale yellow flesh.  The size, odor, and husk of the fruit earned it the label King of Fruits.

The taste of the pulp is sweet and the texture is consistent with that of avocado or pudding.  I’ve had this fruit many times, both fresh and frozen.  The combination of sweet taste and creamy texture almost puts me at ease when I’m enjoying it.  But one would have to taste it personally to really know if it’s something they’d like.  It definitely is an acquired taste.

If you are not bold enough to dive into a fresh piece of durian flesh, you could work your way up by training yourself first with durian flavoured products such as ice cream or cake.  Both of these contain durian, but their flavours are much lighter and more tolerable than the real fruit.  And once you’ve built up your tolerance, you could then go for the durian shake – a personal favourite of mine.  Durian shakes are offered in almost every Vietnamese restaurant.  Traditionally, sweet condensed milk is added to the shake to give it more flavours.  This cold, sweet, and creamy combination makes for a refreshing beverage!

some supermarkets sell packaged durian

And finally, when you are ready to test your courage against the King, you could look for durians at fruit stands in almost every Chinatown.  If you don’t live near a Chinatown, the local Asian supermarket might carry it.  This wikihow article details how to go about purchasing and preparing it. 

Good luck, and enjoy!

Photo Credits: durian.com, Massa, Yeoh Thean Kheng

The main reason might lie in the fact that these dishes are often enjoyed in family settings.  Everything from ingredients to preparation, to presentation to serving, all take on traditional forms.  Lucky for the rest of the world, many Vietnamese restaurants do offer this combination, although most restaurants tend to place it near the back of the menu where it would have to depend on the customers’ natural curiosity to will them to flip past the pages detailing pho, vermicelli and rice dishes.

sweet and sour fish soup (left), braised fish (right)

And now, the details.  This combination usually serves parties of 2 to 4.  Some restaurants serve the braised fish in the same clay pot that was used to cook it, and the soup usually comes in a bowl or pot.  Traditionally, steamed rice is eaten as the main course, and the fish and soup are served as side dishes to add flavours. 

The sweet and sour fish soup gets its sweet flavour from pineapple and added sugar, while the sour is a result of tamarind pulp.  Additional ingredients include okra, chiles, tomatoes, celery, bean sprouts, fish sauce, chopped mint leaves, and cilantro leaves.

In contrast to the colourful soup, the braised fish mainly consists of the fish and caramel sauce, and of course, like most Vietnamese dishes,  with subtle hints of black pepper, chiles, and fish sauce.

So, next time you go to a Vietnamese restaurant, just try to will yourself past the familiar choices and you’ll discover a whole new adventure! Enjoy!