2007 September Archive at gas•tron•o•my

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Ba Ngoc

Published

Gastronomer

on September 18, 2007

in Central Vietnam, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese

. 0 Comments

August 28, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

24 Pasteur Street
Da Nang, Vietnam

Phone: 0511817080
Website: none

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Bun Thit Nuong (10,000 VND)

Banh Xeo (9,000 VND)

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Following the staff retreat, The Astronomer and I spent several days in Da Nang visiting EMW programs and beneficiaries. Ba Ngoc is located a hop, skip, and a jump away from the office. We bounced in there for a quick bite to eat before heading off to see good works.

The Astronomer had one of his favorite dishes—bun thit nuong—vermicelli noodles topped with grilled pork, herbs, lettuce, and nouc mam. Vietnamese BBQ isn’t saucy like Alabama ‘cue. The typical marinade consists of shallots, garlic, fish sauce, salt, sugar, and black pepper. The result of these simple ingredients is a smoky meat that’s sweet and delicious. I love how the smell of grilled meats fills the air outside restaurants serving up this style of ‘cue.

Note to self: learn how to make thit nuong ASAP upon returning to the states.

I ordered three banh xeo, which are often referred to as Vietnamese crepes. These “crepes” consist of rice flour, unsweetened coconut milk, tumeric, sugar, salt, and water and are stuffed with shrimp, pork, onions, and bean sprouts.

When my grandma cooks banh xeo, she prepares them in a huge frying pan, which results in a dinner plate-sized crepe. The ones served at Ba Ngoc were itty bitty in comparison and contained little meat (one shrimp, one piece of pork), but were yummy nevertheless. The banh xeo were crispy around the edges, just the way I like ‘em.

Back at home we pour some nouc mam on top of the banh xeo and dig in, but in these here parts, the banh xeo is wrapped in rice paper, lettuce, and herbs and dipped in nouc mam. I must admit that wrapping the banh xeo is pretty good, but it’s just too much work! I enjoyed the banh xeo so much that I sought out more the following day.

Sweet Treats in Đà Nẵng

Published

Gastronomer

on September 17, 2007

in Central Vietnam and Dessert

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Dessert highlights in Da Nang included nouc mia (sugarcane juice with a dash of lime juice) and che troi nouc (sweet glutinous rice balls with coconut milk). The Astronomer bought a tall glass of nouc mia from roadside vendors to cool off during hot afternoons, while I was a che-fiend at every opportunity.

Kem nho (grape ice cream) was the lone lowlight in Da Nang. Since when did grapes taste like bubblegum flavored fluoride treatment?

I am developing a theory about Vietnamese interpretations of American/Western foods—I hypothesize that the people cooking up this cuisine in Vietnam have never tasted the actual food they are making and as a result, their product resembles the food on the outside, but tastes far from the real thing. Thus far, this theory rings true for hamburgers and ice cream sundaes.

Vegetation Profile: Rambutan

Published

Gastronomer

on September 14, 2007

in Central Vietnam, Saigon and Vegetation Profile

. 0 Comments

The rambutan is a round to oval drupe 3-6 cm (rarely to 8 cm) long and 3-4 cm broad, borne in a loose pendant cluster of 10-20 together. The leathery skin is reddish (rarely orange or yellow), and covered with fleshy pliable spines, hence the name rambutan, derived from the Malay word rambut which means hairs. The fruit flesh is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor. The single seed is glossy brown, 2-3 cm long, with a white basal scar.

I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with chom chom—I love them because they’re plump, sweet, and juicy, but I hate them because they’re dirty and make my nails icky. While I generally prefer fresh fruits to canned ones, in the case of chom chom, canned may be superior. I hate debris under my fingernails.

Nhà Hàng Phố Hội

Published

Gastronomer

on September 13, 2007

in Central Vietnam, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese

. 0 Comments

August 26, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

69 Phan Chu Trinh
Hoi An, Vietnam

Phone: unknown
Website: none

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Wonton Dumplings

Cao Lầu

Chicken with Bamboo Shoots

Sauteed Octopus with Onions, Scallions, and Tomatoes

Crispy Fish

Water Spinach Soup

Sweet Black Tapioca with Mung Beans

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For our final dinner on the retreat, the staff headed to an eatery in the town of Hoi An called Pho Hoi. Our group was half an hour late for our reservation and by the time we arrived at the restaurant, our food was sitting on the tables getting cold. This was not an auspicious start. The meal was decent, but more or less unspectacular compared to the seriously good eats we’d been treated to earlier. I was considering not blogging about Pho Hoi at all, but there was one special dish that deserved some press—Cao Lầu.

Hoi An is known for Cao Lầu and every restaurant in town serves up their own version. In a country chock full of broth and noodle entrees, Cao Lầu is a real standout, especially for its unique noodles.

Rumor has it, Cao Lầu noodles can only be made with water from a specific well in Hoi An called Ba Le, which explains why I’ve never encountered this dish until now. The noodles are nothing short of stellar—they’re wheat-y, thick, and have some bite to them. The Cao Lầu is topped with shrimp and pork and garnished with mint, basil, bean sprouts and lettuce. A light soy sauce broth finishes the dish off.

Whereas most people visit Hoi An to get custom made clothes for cheap, Cao Lầu is what draws me to the town.

Vietnam Village Resort - Khu Du Lịch Làng Quê

Published

Gastronomer

on September 12, 2007

in Central Vietnam and Vietnamese

. 2 Comments

August 25, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Cam Nam, Hoi An

Phone: 0510936089
Website: vnhomeland@dng.vnn.vn

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Banh Dap - tender rice flour crepes laid atop a crispy rice cracker and broken in half

Banh Beo - steamed rice pancake

Banh Nam - rice cake with shrimp and pork wrapped in banana leaf

My Quang

Ga Nuong La Chanh - grilled chicken with lemon leaves

Canh Tom Rau Muong - water spinach and shrimp soup

Ca Kho To - fish braised in a clay pot

Che Dau Hu - sweet tofu in a ginger syrup

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Staff retreats stateside and in Vietnam have two things in common—ridiculous amounts of food and not so much productivity.

On the road from Da Nang to Hoi An, the site of the retreat, the entire East Meets West staff (80+ people) stopped at the Vietnam Village Resort for a cultural experience and lunch.

The Vietnam Village Resort is a Vietnamese version of Colonial Williamsburg, but instead of observing butter churning demonstrations and visiting the shoemaker, we saw silk being spun from cocoons (!) and learned the art of making banh chung. Although I usually shun tourist traps, the exhibits were so interesting that I couldn’t help being a fan. I was particularly fascinated by the sugaring demo, which transformed sugar cane into raw sugar. The Astronomer had a more hands-on experience and learned how to make banh cuon. We had a blast.

After perusing the food and craft stalls for an hour or so, we sat down for a multi-course lunch prepared by the Village staff. We started off with three appetizers: banh dap, banh beo, and banh nam. This was my first time trying banh dap, which is banh cuon (tender rice flour crepes) laid atop a crispy rice cracker, broken in half, and eaten with fish sauce. Dap means to hit/slap in Vietnamese, which is what one does to break the banh in half. I found banh dap a little bland, but enjoyed the texture. A little Internet research has revealed that some versions of banh dap are made with scallions and meats; I’m sure those preparations are much more desirable. The banh beo was very unique in that it was portioned in a small dish, topped with a salty shrimp paste, and eaten with a wooden stick. The banh beo I’m familiar with is arranged overlapping on a plate, topped with mung bean paste, sautéed scallions, dried shrimp, and sweet fish sauce, and eaten with chopsticks. The Village’s version was alright, but I prefer the one I’m used to. The banh nam was very well prepared; everything tastes better wrapped up in banana leaves!

Next came an intermezzo course of my quang, which was far from amazing. The dish tasted like it was thrown together and the flavors didn’t meld at all. Preparing a meal for a large group is tough and the noodles really suffered as a result. Following the my quang, we enjoyed a number of dishes with rice. I didn’t have any of the chicken, but my table ate it up. The braised fish was wonderfully marinated and my favorite course of the afternoon. The water spinach and shrimp soup provided a good source of greens, but was nothing special.

For dessert we were served sweet tofu in a ginger syrup, which rocked my world so much that I ate three bowls. There’s just something about the tofu’s delicate texture mixed with the sweet and spicy syrup that I clearly can’t resist.