Archive for the 'Ca Kho' Category

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Cơm Tấm – Broken Rice

Published by Astronomer on October 30, 2007 in Ca Kho, Com Tam, Mam Chung, Restaurant Review, Saigon, Street Food and Vietnamese. 3 Comments

September and October 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Corner of Dien Bien Phu Street and CMT8 * CLOSED *
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…

Bè Bạn – Ho Chi Minh City

Published by Gastronomer on October 9, 2007 in Ca Kho, Canh, Com Dap / Com Nieu, Rau Muong, Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese. 0 Comments

September 14, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

51 Tu Xuong Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 089325028
Website: none

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Com Dap – crispy rice prepared in a smashed clay pot (10,000 VND)

Com Nieu – rice cooked in clay pot (6,000 VND)

Ca Loc Kho To – braised Snakehead fish (55,000 VND)

Canh Chua Nghieu – sweet and sour soup with clams (55,000 VND)

Rau Muong Xao Toi – water spinach sauteed with garlic (25,000 VND)

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Com nieu restaurants serve traditional Vietnamese dishes in a polished setting and specialize in rice prepared in clay pots. Prices are generally significantly higher than their street food counterparts, but the quality is much better, portions are generous, and the service is very good. These joints are fairly common around town, especially on Tu Xuong Street in District 3.

Com Nieu Saigon is probably the most well-known eatery for this genre of food, but the offerings at Be Ban could give them a run for their money.

My Aunt Phuong from California came to Saigon a couple of weeks ago on vacation and we met at Be Ban for lunch. Even though my aunt is originally from Vietnam, she has never tried com nieu or com dap, so we ordered one of each.

Com nieu is nothing special and tastes exactly like plain ‘ol steamed rice. Com dap, on the other hand, is really something special. The rice is made in a clay pot on extra-high heat (or something), which forms a crispy crust on the bottom. The rice is served by smashing the clay pot its cooked in and inverting the rice onto a plate. Com dap is commonly dressed with crushed black sesame seeds, nouc mam, and an oil and scallion mixture. The com dap I had at Com Nieu Saigon was adorned with all the fixings, while the com dap at Be Ban had the condiments served on the side.

All of the dishes we ordered were seriously good and sorta made me want to abandon com binh dan forever. The ca loc kho to was caramelized perfectly and extremely flavorful. I poured the fish’s syrupy sauce with bits of pork belly over some rice, which brought back fond childhood memories.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love canh chua. This version featured clams and the usual suspects as far as vegetables go. The clams didn’t add much additional flavor to the already stellar soup, but were texturally interesting.

The sauteed water spinach was also quite good. I’m not sure what the restaurant did with the spinach leaves, but they only served up the hollowed stalks. The greens were intensely garlicky and an excellent complement to our meal.

Although I prefer to scrounge the streets for my eats, Be Ban is a great place to take guests from out of town or unadventurous friends.

Vietnam Village Resort – Khu Du Lịch Làng Quê

Published by Gastronomer on September 12, 2007 in Banh Beo, Banh Dap, Banh Nam, Ca Kho, Canh, Che, Hoi An, Mi Quang, Rau Muong and Vietnamese. 1 Comment

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.

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Vietnam Village Resort (vnhomeland@dng.vnn.vn)
Cam Nam, Hoi An
Phone: 0510936089

Bunches of Lunches: Cơm Trưa

Published by Gastronomer on August 21, 2007 in Banh Beo, Banh Bot Loc, Banh Canh, Banh Nam, Banh Ram It, Ca Kho, Cha Gio, Com Binh Dan, Goi, Goi Cuon, Pho, Restaurant Review, Saigon, Street Food, Thit Kho and Vietnamese. 0 Comments

One of the luxuries of Vietnam is being able to dine out for nearly every meal due to the low cost of food. On average, The Astronomer and I each spend approximately $1-$1.50 per meal depending on the eatery and what we order. Although a part of me misses cooking up a storm, it’s easier and far more delicious to frequent restaurants and street stalls rather than bargaining, buying, and preparing raw ingredients in Saigon.

For the most part, The Astronomer and I have avoided eating out for breakfast because we prefer chomping on cereal and PowerBars in our apartment to eating hot soups street-side. However, lunch is a completely different story.

Here are some snapshots from lunchtime outings during the past few weeks:

August 3, 2007—While exploring our ‘hood during a rainy Saturday morning, we stumbled upon a friendly man dishing up goi du du kho bo (green papaya salad with beef jerky, basil, and fish sauce vinaigrette – 5,000 VND) and goi coun (spring rolls with pork, vermicelli noodles, herbs, lettuce, and mam nem dipping sauce – 6,000 VND). The green papaya salad was spectacular, especially the spicy jerky. The spring rolls, on the other hand, contained a bitter herb that was overwhelming. We also weren’t fans of the potent anchovy and pineapple dipping sauce.

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August 6, 2007—A mechanic pointed The Astronomer and I to the Banh Canh Cua eatery. We shared a bowl of the restaurant’s siganature dish, banh canh cua (13,000 VND), and a sampler plate of the restaurant’s offerings that included banh beo, banh nam, banh bot loc, and banh ram it (10,000 VND). The banh canh was very different from my family’s version due to the employment of fresh noodles, which contributed to a thicker and starchier broth. The sampler platter was terrific!

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August 9, 2007—Around the corner from our office is an outdoor restaurant serving worker’s lunches. We’ve eaten here twice mainly due to proximity. The rice is often too dry and the flies buzzing around quickly kill an appetite. On our first visit, The Astronomer had the braised fish and a fish patty, while I had tofu stuffed with ground pork and an omelet. Our lunch plates include a small bowl of soup with mustard greens, which The Astronomer hates but I rather like. The food here isn’t stellar, but it’s definitely decent and inexpensive at 15,000 VND per person.

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August 11, 2007—My grandma’s younger sister, Ba Sao, invited The Astronomer and me to her house for lunch the other weekend. She prepared her famous egg rolls, thit kho, braised fish with tomatoes and turnips, and bi coun (spring rolls with shredded pork and lettuce). Everything was delicious! The Astronomer probably ate twenty egg rolls and the braised fish rocked my world. I hope to learn a few recipes from her during my year in Vietnam.

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August 12, 2007—There’s no such thing as a bad bowl of pho in this country! This random pho joint called Pho Bac Ha is located off the uber-busy CMT 8. The Astronomer ordered the pho ga (15,000 VND), while I had the pho bo (12,000 VND). Nothing super special here, just a solid bowl of pho.