For a lot of people, a hangover is the price of a good time.  But it’s worth it, and most of us do not hesitate to admit that! But wouldn’t a good time be better if we didn’t have to wish we were dead the next day? I think so!

As you all know, alcohol consumption causes your body to dehydrate, among other effects. Dehydration in turn causes headaches and bodily malfuctions. That’s why it’s important to rehydrate your body after a night of drinking, to allow it to return to its normal state as quickly as possible. Although glass after glass of water is the traditional way to prevent a hangover, here at Pho411, we would like to recommend to you the most effective and best tasting way to avoid paying the price for the good time you’ll have this weekend.

pho with rare beef

Ever had a bowl of Special Number One Pho at 3 in the morning? Ever thought of pho as a way to prevent your descent into hell the next day? A bowl of pho not only rehydrates your body with liquid, it also provides vital nutrients like sodium, which your body loses large amounts of through frequent urination. The noodles and meat also help slow down the process of alcohol absorption in your blood stream. These benefits far outweigh that of water consumption. Research shows that rehydrating your body with just water by itself can be a bad thing, for it actually dilutes and lowers the salt concerntration in your body! Next time you drink 6 glasses of water, be sure to swallow a spoon of salt

If you’re in downtown Toronto, there are two places that open late: Pho Xe Lua on Spadina, and Pho Pasteur on Dundas – both within minutes from each other. In Mississauga, Pho Do Thi on Dundas, just east of Hurontario opens 24 hrs, and serves this purpose very well. If interested, you can read more about the effects of alcohol here.

Photo Credit: Patrick

Grilled pork vermicelli

So what are vermicelli dishes? In a nutshell, it is a combination meat/salad dish over thin rice vermicelli noodles, where the vermicelli (usually cold or room temperature) is topped with charcoal-grilled, thinly-sliced marinated meats or seafood such as chicken, pork, beef, meatballs, shrimp, or calamari, and then finished with fresh salad greens, bean sprouts, fresh herbs including mint and coriander, chopped peanuts (beware allergies!!) and a pickled assortment of carrots, cucumber and daikon radishes.

Mix this all up together with some choice additions of lime, srirachi hot sauce and the robust Nuoc cham sauce made with fish sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar and chili sauce, and the end result is a medley of absolute goodness! Also, a vermicelli bowl is almost always served with a crispy spring roll making it the perfect combo meal for one.

Spring roll vermicelli

Vermicelli can be found on the menu of every Vietnamese restaurant so be sure to give it a shot next time: I recommend the grilled pork or chicken, which really soak up the bold flavours of the marinating liquid to give you a true taste of Vietnamese ingredients.

Photo Credit: Thanh Tran

Vietnamese flavours

Luckily for us, Vietnamese food is generally considered to be healthy since Vietnam’s geographical location yields lots of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables which have been incorporated into the diet. Also contributing is the fact that food is typically prepared and served either raw (rice paper salad/summer rolls Goi cuốn, papaya salads Goi du du, baguette sandwiches Bahn mi), grilled (marinated meats over rice/vermicelli Com tam/Bun) or in soup form (Pho), which require far less use of oils and fats. The exception is the deep fried spring roll Cha gio, which is a relatively modern interpretation of the more traditional summer rolls.

However, if one is new to Vietnamese cuisine and not familiar with some of the ingredients, it is more difficult to grasp the nutritional value of these meals in comparison, especially with nutrition and food regulations being different for imported foods. Therefore, upon looking over the menus for popular Vietnamese restaurant chains such as Ginger and Pho88, here are, in my opinion, the healthiest selections:

salad/summer roll

- salad/summer rolls Goi cuon – fresh shrimp, crab, chicken, herbs and vermicelli wrapped in rice paper rolls; be sure to try the low-fat fish extract sauce Nuoc cham in place of the fattening peanut sauce
- Pho noodle soup – a big bowl of thin rice noodles covered in a rich, clear meat broth and topped with various meats, scallion, bean sprouts, onion, coriander and sweet basil. I have had people argue that noodles are high in carbohydrates and therefore are not healthy, however a healthy diet should be approximately 50% carbohydrates (grains, noodles, sugars, sauces), 20% protein (meats, tofu, nuts) and 30% fat.
- vermicelli bowls, Bun – bowl of rice vermicelli topped with grilled marinated meat, fresh greens, beansprouts, mint, coriander, chopped peanuts, and pickled carrot, cucumber and daikon radish
- papaya/mango salad Goi du du – thinly sliced fresh papaya or mango with pickled carrot, cucumber, daikon radish, mint, onion and occasionally meat
- fresh fruit juices/smoothies – made with exotic fruits including mango, avocado, pineapple, dragonfruit, durian, and jackfruit; opt for juices as smoothies often have condensed milk or other fattening dairy added

papaya salad

Keep in mind, these are just recommendations, and that my motto for healthy eating is ‘everything in moderation’ : if you go for the deep fried spring rolls, then choose a healthier entrée.

Photo Credit: Tony Ngo,Thanh Tran, C. P.