Vietnamese Foods

Having lived in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam for 5 years, one cannot help but to taste all their local foods. The top few dishes that I normally recommend when I play host to my fellow countrymen or visitors are as follows:-

Pho (Soup Noddles)

For Vietnamese; Pho is their life; love and all things that matter.

In Vietnam; Pho is mostly a restaurant food. Though some people prepare it at home; most prefer going to noisy soup shops. Here are a few tips:

- Pho comes with a variety of toppings including rare beef; well-done beef and slices of brisket; tendon; tripe and even meatballs. If you`re a novice; try Pho Tai Chin; which includes the rare and well-done beef combination.

- Sprinkle some black pepper; then add bean sprouts; fresh chilies and a little squeeze of lime to your bowl. Using your fingers; pluck the Asian basil leaves from their springs and; if they are available; shred the saw-leaf herbs and add to the soup. Add little by little; eating as you go. If you put the greens in all at once; the broth will cool too fast and the herbs will overcook and lose their bright flavors. Chile sauce and hoisin sauce are also traditional condiments.

- There are chicken soup noddle (Pho Ga) available but it never taste the same.

BANH XEO (Vietnamese Pan Cake)

This Vietnamese dish resembles an egg omelette; but it is actually rice powder mixed with water; then fried in a skillet with pork; shrimp and bean sprouts. Served with rice paper; Vegetable greens and Nuoc Mam (Fish Sauce); you break off a portion; roll it up in rice paper with a few greens; then dip it in Nuoc Mam. It is easy to find Banh Xeo in the South provinces.

Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)

These delicious crispy rolls are traditional treats for Vietnamese New Year celebrations, but they are popular throughout the year in all regions of Vietnam. In the southern part of the country, they are known as Cha Gio.

There is another type of springs rolls, (Goi Cuon) which originated from northern vietnam. The ingredients of bun noodles,

butter-leaf lettuce, mint, carrots shrimp and

pork pieces; are all wrap tightly onto 2 pieces

of rice paper. The rolls are dip into peanut hoisin sauce and bon appetit.

Broken Rice (Com Tam) with BBQ Pork

This is my all time favourite !

Com tam is traditionally peasant fare, utilizing leftover broken bits of rice that was formed during the harvest or processing.

The rice is cooked slightly drier than normal, and takes on a couscous-like consistency.

The broken rice are served with grilled pork chop and marinades, Added dishes are grilled shrimp, egg omelet, shredded pork skin, and tom hau ky (Vietnamese shrimp paste deep-fried in a bean curd wrapper).

What do we drink or eat for dessert in-between our meals ????

To know more, check out my next blog. Cheers

I have eaten this giant sticky rice ball in Mekong Delta in Year 2005. The size of the ball is bigger than Lisa's head !!! It is deep fried and made of glutinous rice.