2007 October Archive at gas•tron•o•my

Archive for October, 2007

Taste the Rainbow

Published

Gastronomer

on October 31, 2007

in Breakfast, Saigon and Vietnamese

. 7 Comments

October 23, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

In front of ABC Bakery at 91 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: none
Website: none

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Xôi Ngọt - sweet sticky rice (5,000 VND)

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The editor of the the Time’s leisure section invited me to fashion/cultural show last night and I couldn’t turn her down. As a result of my late night jaunt, I stayed up way past my bedtime (10:30 PM!) and am now suffering as a result. What I wouldn’t give for a power nap or two.

If there’s one thing that perks me up in the morning, it has got to be sticky rice. Tastier than coffee and sweeter than Frosted Flakes, xoi ngot provides a fine jolt. Unfortunately, I was running too late this morning to stop for a fix, so the best I can do at this moment is to relive my glorious xoi breakfast from last week.

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The xoi vendor on CMT8 was selling a couple of different varieties of the sticky stuff in hot metal steamers, including the classic combination of plain sticky rice with peanuts. Desiring a visually arresting breakfast, I requested 5,000 VND worth of the purple, yellow, and orange xoi. He scooped up even amounts of each, sprinkled on some sesame seeds, smeared on a bit of mung bean paste and sent me on my way.

The rainbow of xoi was a feast for the eyes—the colors popped like a box of Crayolas. The subtle differences in flavor between the colors were too slight for my palette to discern, but it really didn’t matter because they were all tasty as heck.

QUESTION: Does anyone know how the xoi’s bold colors are achieved? Natural? Artificial? I know that the orange variety, xoi gac, is made from the gac fruit, but am unsure about the purple and yellow kinds.

Cơm Tấm

Published

Astronomer

on October 30, 2007

in Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese

. 3 Comments

September and October 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Corner of Dien Bien Phu Street and CMT8
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: unknown
Website: none

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Com Tam Bi Cha Trung Opla - broken rice with shredded pork, pork loaf and sunnyside up egg

Muc Nhoi Thit - squid stuffed with ground meat

Com Tam Thit Nuong - broken rice with BBQ pork

Com Tam Bi Thit Nuong - broken rice with shredded pork and BBQ pork

Canh Chua, Mam Chung, Com Tam, Ca Kho - sweet and sour soup, fish loaf, broken rice, braised fish

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By my estimates, The Gastronomer and I have now eaten over 100 restaurant meals in Vietnam, and rarely have we regretted our choice of venue. Truly, the consistent quality of the offerings in Saigon is amazing. Of the few disappointments we’ve experienced, most fell under the category of com binh dan. Literally meaning “worker’s lunch,” this genre is the most popular midday meal among the laborers of Saigon. It consists of a relatively basic plate of rice, complemented by a few small pieces of meat (selected from a display cart at the front of the restaurant) and perhaps a vegetable. If the meat or fish is good, it can be a treat, but too often the protein source is mediocre, the greens are bitter, and the place is a bit too dirty for even our taste.

To put it another way, com binh dan eateries seem to have a difficult time matching the quality of meals at our favorite neighborhood vegetarian spots, even though they have the unfair advantage of being allowed to use meat. However, we have found one exception in District 3—Com Tam. From the first time I walked by, I knew this place was special. The tables are a little higher, the clientèle’s tastes a bit more discerning, and the food up front just looks more delicious than the typical com binh dan. Normally I’ll only see one or two meat dishes that pique my interest, but at Com Tam it was hard to decide. Thankfully, I returned several times and got to try multiple treats.

The culinary appeal of Com Tam starts with the rice. I really love com tam. While I recently learned that it is cheaper and perhaps considered less desirable by the Vietnamese than other varieties of rice, I find it to be far superior in most cases. Its short, broken grains lead to a drier texture than that of standard long-grain rice, and it complements certain entrees, such as the Gastronomer’s dau hu xa, extremely well.

The soup was also a nice bonus; in contrast to the watered-down bowl of foul-tasting vegetable matter that accompanies a typical com binh dan meal, diners at Com Tam are treated to a small, but satisfying bowl of canh chua (featuring okra, upright elephant ears, and perhaps some tomatoes in a delicious mild broth). However, it was the meat offerings that drew me into the restaurant, and they didn’t disappoint.

Among my favorite entrees were the thit nuong (chargrilled pork slabs) and bi cha (thin strands of pork served with a yellowish, pork-based meat loaf). Most often served with bun (rice noodles), thit nuong is one of my all-time favorite Vietnamese preparations. The barbecued surfaces of the meat have a truly wonderful flavor, which is further enhanced by a few spoonfuls of nuoc mam. The thit nuong at Com Tam came in bigger slabs than I’m used to—there were even a few bones involved—but the taste and texture were amazing as always.

Several years ago, long before we arrived in Vietnam, The Gastronomer informed me that com tam bi cha was her favorite Vietnamese dish. While this may have changed (based on her current ordering habits, I would be inclined to nominate xoi ga chay), it certainly has a special appeal for both of us. Bi is one of the simplest pork preparations—on its own I would go so far as to say that it’s a bit boring—but it turns out to be the perfect vehicle for nuoc mam. Once fish sauce has been applied, there are few things better. I’m not the biggest fan of cha, but it’s fairly tasty and serves as a nice textural diversion from the bi. Both the bi and cha at Com Tam were among the best I’ve tried.

During our repeat visits to the restaurant, The Gastronomer and I sampled a number of other entrees, including braised fish, sunny-side up eggs, and stuffed squid. Crammed to gills with meat, the squid seemed like quite a luxury for only 10,000 VND, but in hindsight the combination of flavors was not terribly memorable.

Sadly, in the past week the restaurant seems to have disappeared. Quite strange, but totally typical here. It used to be housed along with a bun bo hue cart in a gated area in front of a dermatologist’s office, and then one day everything was gone—the food carts, the people, the tables, the chairs. Maybe the family just went on vacation, or maybe they’re never coming back. There are so many eating options to choose from, I could never miss any one place too much, but still, it’d be a shame…

Vegetation Profile: Sugar Apple

Published

Gastronomer

on October 29, 2007

in Central Vietnam, Saigon and Vegetation Profile

. 7 Comments

In some regions of the world, the sugar-apple is also known as custard-apple, a different plant in the same genus.

Annona squamosa (Sugar-apple, Sweetsop or Custard Apple) is a species of Annona native to the tropical Americas. Its exact native range is unknown due to extensive cultivation, but thought to be in the Caribbean.

The fruit is usually round or oval, slightly pine cone-like, 6-10 cm diameter and weighing 100-230 g, with a scaly or lumpy skin. The fruit flesh is edible, white to light yellow, and resembles and tastes like custard. The seeds are scattered through the fruit flesh; they are blackish-brown, 12-18 mm long, and hard and shiny.

Sugar apples or mãng cầu are my current fruit obsession. I tried them for the first time two weeks ago when my great uncle Ti presented me with six as a gift. Sugar apples look reptilian on the outside, but there is nothing cold-blooded about this sweet and juicy specimen. Although commonly described as custard-like, I find the fruit’s texture more similar to a full-bodied ripened pear.

The copious amount of seeds are a bit of a pain, but the fleshy goodness makes it worth it. I find that sugar apples taste best cold and extra-ripe. A kilogram of sugar apples in District 4 goes for 18,000 VND.

Other Snails Pale in Comparison

Published

Gastronomer

on October 23, 2007

in Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese

. 13 Comments

October 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

14/12 Ky Dong Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 8435785
Website: none

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Bun Oc Rieu Cua (10,000 VND)

Oc Hap Nhoi Thit (25,000 VND)

Oc Gao Luoc La Chanh (10,000 VND)

Oc Ham Thuoc Bac (15,000 VND)

Oc Xao Chui Xanh (10,000 VND)

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Saigon Times take two. And a big cam on to Noodlepie for excellent dining advice!

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When asked how many bowls of bun rieu she sells daily at her self-named eatery in District 3, Mrs. Thanh Hai merely grins. She is unwilling to reveal to a stranger the extent of her restaurant’s popularity among locals and visitors alike. What began as a small street stall in 1984 has blossomed today into a 50-seat restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Thanh Hai has been dishing up bun rieu and a number of other snail-centric dishes in a peaceful cul-de-sac off of Ky Dong Street since 1995. Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Saigon traffic, a meal here feels pleasantly far from the daily grind.

The restaurant’s recipes are original creations of Mrs. Thanh Hai and are heavily influenced by her upbringing in the northern province of Thai Binh. She has been perfecting her cuisine ever since her arrival in Saigon 26 years ago.

Whereas pho has gained international admirers, bun rieu is still relatively unknown to Westerners. Fresh vermicelli noodles and a pleasantly sour crab-based broth lay the foundation for this strictly northern delicacy. Juicy red tomatoes add a robust layer of tanginess to the soup.

The two bun rieu selections on the restaurant’s menu are bun oc rieu cua (10,000 VND) and bun rieu cua (8,000 VND). The former includes snails (oc) and crab (cua) and is the chef’s personal favorite, while the latter contains only crab. Whereas the crab absorbs the broth’s deep flavor, the sautéed snails enhance the soup’s aroma and texture. To fully experience bun rieu, a combination of crab and snails is absolutely essential.

Mam ruoc (fermented shrimp paste), lime wedges, bean sprouts, herbs, and a plethora of greens are on hand for diners to personalize their bowls of bun rieu to taste.

In addition to bun rieu, Thanh Hai prepares several uniquely Vietnamese snail entrees with portions hefty enough to share. Whereas French escargot requires copious amounts of rich butter and cream, Thanh Hai uses natural herbs and spices to produce snail dishes that are much kinder on the waistline and lighter on the palette.

The restaurant’s two snail standouts are oc xao chui xanh and oc hap nhoi thit. The oc xao chui xanh (10,000 VND) consists of stir-fried snails, green bananas and basil. The green bananas are starchy and nothing like their ripened counterparts, while the snails are de-shelled and agreeably chewy. The simple ingredients meld together spectacularly well, creating a flavor reminiscent of Italian pesto.

The oc hap nhoi thit (25,000 VND) is the priciest item on the menu and the most popular among patrons, according to Mrs. Thanh Hai. Snails, spices, and meat are combined to form meatballs that are steamed inside large snail shells. Served with a spicy ginger and fish sauce vinaigrette, this dish is immensely satisfying.

Thanh Hai consistently turns out quality food at more than reasonable prices. Though a little off the beaten path, this restaurant is a true gem and is worth visiting to treat your taste buds.

Duck Two-Ways

Published

Gastronomer

on October 22, 2007

in Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese

. 1 Comment

October 16, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Corner of Dien Bien Phu Street and Nguyen Thuong Hien
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: none
Website: none

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Goi Vit - Duck Salad (45,000 VND)

Chao Vit - Duck Porridge (3,000 VND)

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I thought for a split second about naming this post “What the Duck?” or “Duck Face,” but then I remembered that I’m an adult and not a foul-mouthed buffoon. So “Duck Two-Ways” it is.

The Astronomer has been hankering for duck these past few weeks, so we ducked under an awning specializing in everything vit for lunch the other afternoon. We ordered a plate of goi vit to share and each had a bowl of chao vit.

The huge bowls of chao vit contained congealed blood (AKA blood Jello), fresh bean sprouts, ground pepper and scallions.

I thought the chao vit was decent, but my grandmother’s version is SO much better. Whereas the flavors in grandma’s chao vit are clean and distinctly duck, the broth here was cloudy and not ducky enough. It’s really not fair to compare…

On the other hand, The Astronomer enjoyed his bowl of chao vit so much that he ordered another! So, the jury is clearly split over the chao vit.

The goi vit has thus far been the most expensive street food we’ve ever ordered. Large pieces of meat in Saigon come at a hefty price, and on this occasion, it was completely worth it.

A generous portion of boiled duck was chopped up and served atop a bed of greens dressed in a light vinaigrette. The ginger and fish sauce accompaniment brought out the duck’s subtle flavors.

For the most part, the food in Vietnam has been either on par or better than my family’s cooking. However, in the case of chao vit, I really yearned for grandma’s special touch.