Archive for the 'Da Nang' Category

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Bà Ngọc – Da Nang

Published by Gastronomer on September 18, 2007 in Banh Xeo, Bun Thit Nuong/Xao, Da Nang, 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 by Gastronomer on September 17, 2007 in Che, Da Nang, Dessert, Kem and Nuoc Mia. 0 Comments

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.

Wonder – Da Nang

Published by Gastronomer on September 10, 2007 in Bo Kho, Da Nang, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese. 0 Comments

August 25, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

160 Le Loi Street
Hai Chau District, Da Nang

Phone: (0511) 824134
Website: none

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“Mango Yogurt”

Trung Opla – eggs sunnyside up with baguette

Banh Mi Bo Kho – beef stew with baguette

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Our first meal in Da Nang was at Wonder, a trendy cafe around the corner from East Meets West headquarters. Our colleague Craig from Oakland highly recommended the place and joined us for a quick breakfast before we headed off on our staff retreat.

The atmosphere at Wonder is quite Western—complete with high tables and chairs, loud music, and multiple flat screen televisions playing an Eagles concert. I think The Eagles are Vietnam’s favorite rock band. If it weren’t for the food and service, we would have thought we were dining back in the states at a Hard Rock Cafe.

Not in the mood for anything too heavy, I ordered a mango yogurt. What arrived resembled a smoothie and tasted like a fruity and frothy cream cheese. The “yogurt” was a huge letdown. Luckily, The Astronomer found it pleasant and drank most of it.

For my second attempt at breakfast, I decided to go with a more traditional offering, trung opla. The egg whites were deliciously crisp around the edges, while the yolks were runny and perfect for dipping my baguette. After a disappointing start, the trung opla more than made up for the weird yogurt rendition.

The Astronomer’s banh mi bo kho was executed superbly as well. The stew’s deep, meaty flavor really perked him up early in the morning.

The food and ambiance at Wonder is festive, but I’d much rather scour the streets for eats than return here again even though prices were fairly reasonable. Who wants to be hip and cool in Vietnam? Certainly not me.