Archive for the 'Bo La Lot' Category

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Bánh Xèo – Ho Chi Minh City

Published by Gastronomer on October 9, 2008 in Banh Xeo, Bo La Lot, Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese. 5 Comments

Just two more posts about Saigon and then we’re off to Hanoi, Sapa and then finally, America. I can’t believe how much I ate—it’s October for Pete’s sake! Anyhow, leaving Saigon was a great excuse for The Astronomer and me to gather all of our favorite peeps for a banh xeo and bo la lot feast. We initially planned to gorge at our favorite sizzling crepes joint in Phu Nhuan District but discovered that it was no longer in business when we motorbiked by to confirm the address. Down, but not out, we decided to move the party to an equally fabulous banh xeo shack in District 10.

The usual suspects—Hanh, Hawk, Nina and The Boyfriend—were present and accounted for. The evening’s special guests included Fiona, Jason, Chris, Tom, Mai and Erica.

Our party of 12 was seated al fresco with a perfect view of the hot griddles and hard working cooks. The hum of motorbikes and taxis cruising down CMT8 provided the soundtrack to our bumpin’ evening. We started the feast off with a couple plates of bo la lot (grilled seasoned beef wrapped in betel leaves). As expected, they were a hit. Some diners (namely those who hail from Central Vietnam) wrapped the bo la lot in rice paper with vermicelli noodles and star fruit and dipped them in nuoc mam or mam nem, while others (namely lazy folks) just ate them straight up. I was with the latter group.

Although my Saigon grandmother would argue otherwise, I think the best style of banh xeo are those from the central region. They’re petite little numbers filled with mung beans, whole shrimp and pork that are crisp all over.

There weren’t many photos taken this evening because my hands were covered in greasy goodness from the awesome banh xeo. The chefs traditionally rest the crepes on a rack prior to serving them to allow the oil to escape, but due to the insatiable appetite of our huge party, the crepes were served hot off the griddle and thus, super-duper oily. No matter, they were still excellent.

After we had our fill of banh xeo and bo la lot, we paid our ridiculously cheap bill, snapped this pic (can someone please explain to me why Asian females flash the peace sign when photographed?), and jammed over to Turtle Pond for Saigon’s greatest dessert—kem trai dua (coconut ice cream served inside a young coconut). Afterwards, we went bowling and then headed to Vasco’s for a nightcap. Vasco’s was then followed by Wiener Time at Apocalypse Now. At around 2 AM, we finally crashed and went home. I may not go out too often, but when I do, there’s no question I go big.

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No Name
1 Bac Hai Street (on the corner of Cach Mang Thang Tam and Bac Hai streets)
District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

Eating in District 4

Published by Gastronomer on April 8, 2008 in Banh Cam, Banh It Tran, Bo La Lot, Bun Thit Nuong/Xao, Cha Gio, Che, Goi Cuon, Saigon, Scenes, Street Food, Vietnamese and Xoi. 16 Comments

The Astronomer and I have taken a good number of friends and gas•tron•o•my readers on food tours of District 4, but never took ourselves on one until last Saturday.

While we usually stick to Ton That Thuyet Street, also known as the “corridor of temptation,” we decided to venture into unchartered waters on this trip. I started off the tour with a cool hunk of Vietnamese JELLO from my regular dealer, while the Astronomer dug into a bowl of bun thit xao (10,000 VND). The Astronomer has eaten countless bowls of bun thit nuong, but this was his first bowl of its sister dish.

What sets bun thit xao apart from its well-known sibling is how the meat is prepared. Rather than grilled, these slices of lemongrass marinated pork are pan-fried with tomatoes and onions. The Astronomer liked this dish just as much as his old standby.

As The Astronomer finished up his noodles, a vendor selling pickled fruits and green mangoes rolled our way. During a conversation with my mom a few months back, she mentioned that green mangoes dipped in fish sauce were a divine treat that I needed to try. I ordered half a mango (2,000 VND), which the vendor sliced up and served with a cup of sugary fish sauce with chilies.

While I can’t say I prefer this combination over ripe and juicy mangoes eaten straight up, the intermingling of tart, sweet, spicy and salty flavors were very good.

The fish sauce dip was syrupy thick, spicy and contained a heap of undissolved sugar to mellow out the sour mango.

Next, I went for a super-tall cup of sương sa hột lựu (3,000 VND), which is a variety of che that contains black beans, green tapioca strands, pomegranate seeds, agar agar, coconut milk and crushed ice. Although seemingly harmless, the hefty cup of che filled me up quite a bit.

In between bites, we saw a statue of an angel viciously stabbing something or another. Yikes. I thought angels were peaceful beings…

The Astronomer ducked into an awning-covered stall selling bun dishes and cha gio for his second and third course. The cha gio (2,000 VND each) were surprisingly crisp for having sat around for awhile. The rice paper wrapping was golden and blistered, while the innards were porky and well-seasoned. I detected some taro root in the mush of innards as well. Mmm, just like Bà Sáu‘s.

He followed up the two cha gio with another bowl of bun. This time around, it was bun thit bo la lot (14,000 VND). Bo la lot are savory morsels of grilled meat wrapped in betel leaves. Each bite is slightly sweet and very fragrant.

Who has two thumbs and loves noodles and grilled animal protein drenched in nuoc mam? The Astronomer!

While exploring the hidden alleyways in District 4, we found a giant “rock cave,” also known as a nativity scene. It was connected to a rather impressive Catholic church complex undergoing renovations.

While my heart doesn’t skip a beat for doughnuts the way The Astronomer’s does, banh cam (1,000 VND) still has a very special place in it. We bought two and happily scarfed them down while zigzagging through our ‘hood.

This little doggy is chillin’ in a pile of brand new hangers.

Even though we were both quite stuffed at this point on the tour, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample bánh ít trần (5,000 VND). This dish is a savory version of one of my all-time favorite desserts, che troi nuoc. Bánh ít trần are medium-sized tapioca balls stuffed with mung bean paste, topped with scallion oil and pickled carrots and daikon, and served in a sweet fish sauce with coconut milk.

All of the usual Vietnamese food suspects are present and accounted for—sweet, sour, salty, sticky, chewy and awesome.

As we neared home, I spotted a vendor selling goi cuon (fresh spring rolls) for 1,000 VND a piece, which is ridiculously cheap even by Vietnam standards. The Astronomer ordered two to see if they were any good. Although they were missing the quintessential boiled shrimps, these spring rolls were not the least bit shabby.

For my final course, I ate some xoi gac (gac fruit sticky rice – 2,000 VND) that I procured earlier. Although I’m not one-hundred percent certain, I’m pretty sure the vendor uses actual gac fruit rather than coloring because I sometimes find gac seeds in my xoi. However, the color does strike me as a bit artificial. The crushed peanuts atop the xoi are a tasty touch.

Even though The Astronomer and I have lived in Vietnam for quite some time, we’re still floored by how inexpensive delicious food is. Our afternoon food tour of District 4 set us back $3. That’s crazy business.

Sizzlin' Crêpes

Published by Gastronomer on February 1, 2008 in Banh Xeo, Bo La Lot, Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese. 5 Comments

January 26, 2008
Cuisine: Vietnamese

607 Nguyen Kiem Street * CLOSED *
Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: none
Website: none

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Banh Xeo (25,000 VND for 10)

Bo La Lot (28,000 VND)

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“Look for the flames on the left-hand-side of the road,” instructed Zach.

With such spot-on instructions, The Astronomer and I easily located this banh xeo and bo la lot joint in an unfamiliar part of town.

Phu Nhuan District is a good 30 minute ride from District 4, but one bite of their banh xeo, and the long trip is completely worth it.

Unlike the giant, paper-thin, slightly soggy, ton-o-bean sprouts banh xeo served up at 46A and Long Huy, the ones in Phu Nuan are more like those I ate in Da Nang.

The banh xeo are made in front of the restaurant in small griddles over large flames. The smoky environs lend a welcomed char to the saffron beauties.

Measuring four inches in diameter, these banh xeo are wonderfully crispy and filled with grilled pork pieces similar to thit nuong, a few bean sprouts, and a smattering of whole mung beans.

Wrapped up in mustard leaves and dipped in nuoc mam, these banh xeo were so so good. Without the help of Zach’s ESL students, we would have never found this place.

The Astronomer and Zach are both very fond of bo la lot—grilled seasoned beef wrapped in betel leaves. The ones made here are grilled out front next to the banh xeo and have a nice ratio of meat to leaves.

Whereas I like to eat bo la lot without adornments, the boys take the time to wrap theirs in lettuce, herbs, and rice paper and dip them in nuoc mam. Either way, they’re a great complement to the banh xeo.

Bánh Mì Lá Lốt @ Xóm Đạo

Published by Gastronomer on December 27, 2007 in Banh Mi, Bo La Lot, Saigon, Street Food and Vietnamese. 8 Comments

The evening before I departed for San Diego, The Astronomer, Rosalind, Zach and I drove to District 8 to check out xom dao (Catholic neighborhood). I edited an article for the Saigon Times about “rock caves” constructed by the churches and residents in the neighborhood, and was mighty curious about the spectacle.

It turned out that everyone in Saigon was also excited about the annual display because the streets of xom dao were packed to the max with motorbikes, families and vendors of all sorts. The mysterious “rock caves” were huge nativity scenes dressed up in lights, waterfalls (!), snowmen, Santa and of course, baby Jesus. The Three Wise Men were nowhere in sight. It was a funny mix of pagan and religious characters with a dash of Vietnamese cheese and excess. We loved it.

Due to the hoards of revelers in the streets, it took us three hours or so to go from one end of the street to the other. Somewhere in between, we bought three bánh mì lá lốt to nosh on. Lá lốt are little rolls of distinctly spiced meat wrapped up in leaves and grilled. The vendor was generous and loaded each sandwich with ten pieces of meat along with pickled carrots and daikon and a squirt of chili sauce.

All four of us agreed that the sandwiches were hearty and delicious. Bánh mì lá lốt seems to be a District 8 delicacy, along with thit cay (dog meat), because we have not seen it sold elsewhere in the city.

Phú Hồng – Da Nang

Published by Gastronomer on September 19, 2007 in Banh Xeo, Bo La Lot, Da Nang, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese. 0 Comments

August 29, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

19 Yen Bai Street
Da Nang, Vietnam

Phone: 0511829979
Website: none

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Bo La Lot (40,000 VND)

Banh Xeo (12,000 VND)

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Another day in Da Nang, another banh xeo joint. Life is good.

Our friend, colleague, and Da Nang resident Cathy took us to Phu Hong for our second lunch in the city. Dining options are a bit more limited in Da Nang than in Saigon, so Cathy has eaten at this place five times. She highly recommended that we order the bo la lot, and since I was still craving banh xeo, we ordered a big plate of those to round out our meal.

I won’t go into much detail about the banh xeo since they were fairly similar to the ones I had the day before on Pasteur Street. Let’s just say they were super and leave it at that.

Bo la lot is my favorite course of Seven Course Beef, so it was a fine treat to have a huge plate of them! Similar to banh xeo, the local way to eat it entails wrapping the meat in rice paper with some greenery. But once again, my laziness got the best of me and I just popped ‘em in my mouth. Bo la lot has a nutty flavor and texture that’s truly unique; I’m not sure if it’s due to the leaf (la lot) or something mixed in with the meat, but anyway, it’s excellent. The Astronomer loved the bite-size bo la lot as well and is more stoked than ever to try all seven courses of beef.

Nice call, Cathy.