Category Archive for ‘Chicken’ at gas•tron•o•my

Archive for the 'Chicken' Category

Bánh Khọt

Published

Gastronomer

on April 4, 2008

in Banh Khot, Chicken, Com Chien, Goi, Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese

. 9 Comments

March 27, 2008
Cuisine: Vietnamese

59B Cao Thang Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 8323312
Website: none

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Bánh khọt thập cẩm - miniature fried pancakes sampler platter (30,000 VND)

Cơm gà rôti - rotisserie chicken with fried rice (35,000 VND)

Gởi mục Thái Lan - Thailand-style squid salad (70,000 VND)

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The Astronomer and I finally made our way to Co Ba Vung Tau the other week to try the bánh khọt Wandering Chopsticks raved about. Bánh khọt are a specialty of the southern coastal city of Vung Tau and taste quite a bit like banh xeo due to their similar batters and accouterments.

Co Ba Vung Tau offers four different varieties of bánh khọt—shrimp, pork, oyster and cha ca (fish loaf). Since this was our first time trying the dish, we hedged our bets and ordered a sampler platter that included a few of each kind. To round out our meal, I went for a squid salad, while The Astronomer went for some chicken with rice.

The bánh khọt were delivered along with a large basket of herbs and greens. After our waitress poured some nuoc mam from a giant pitcher (pictured above) into our individual bowls, we proceeded to eat the bánh khọt just as Graham of Noodlepie advised:

Take a leaf (lettuce or mustard) and sling in a couple of herbs and pickles along with the bánh khọt itself. Make a small parcel and dip into the plain nuoc mam. Depending on the size of your gob and/or how much of a fat bastard you are, each green parcel should take around three bites to fully consume. It’s green ‘n’ lean and airyfairy enough that one diner could stuff in all eight cakes with ease.

Bánh khọt are simultaneously “airyfairy” and crispy. The Astronomer and I each ate four and could have easily downed twice as many if we hadn’t ordered the other dishes. We both liked the oyster bánh khọt best because of its intense flavor. Unlike the shrimp, pork and fish cake bánh khọt, the oyster variety could hold up against the nuoc mam and shrubbery. The texture of bánh khọt is really something special.

Although we came for the bánh khọt, the dish that really stood out was the squid salad. The pieces of squid were plentiful, fresh as can be and unbelievably tender. Ever since we indulged in the finest squid in the world during our trip to Phu Quoc last November, we’ve become quite the squid snobs. The squid salad at Co Ba Vung Tau magically transported us back to the sunny shores of Phu Quoc.

The Astronomer’s rotisserie chicken with rice was also well-executed. The buttery fried rice contained bits of scallions and eggs and tasted indulgent compared to the plain jasmine The Astronomer has grown accustomed to. The chicken was moist, crispy skinned and dressed in a five-spice marinade.

Ngự Viên

Published

Astronomer

on January 29, 2008

in Banh Beo, Ca Kho, Cha Gio, Chicken, Goi, Hen, Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese

. 3 Comments

January 18, 2008
Cuisine: Vietnamese

40 Ky Dong Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 8437670
Website: none

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Banh Beo - steamed rice cakes with minced shrimp, scallion oil, nuoc mam

Goi Mit - jackfruit salad with sesame rice crackers

Cha Gio - deep-fried rice paper with pork filing

Com Hen - rice with baby clams, herbs, sesame crackers, star fruit

Ca Hu Kho - fish braised in a clay pot

Sticky rice cakes, chicken sauteed with lemongrass

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The Gastronomer and I recently paid a return visit to Ngu Vien to celebrate our friend Zach becoming Ashton Kutcher. All-in-all, the event was a success: the new girlfriend looked a bit younger than I had imagined and seemed surprisingly comfortable socializing with a bunch of recent college graduates, and the food was excellent. We were sufficiently inspired to follow up the luncheon with a triple date at the Saigon Superbowl, but that’s another story.

We started off the meal with some banh beo. I would have preferred to save it for Yen Do and order something more unique—why pay more for a dish that a streetside eatery does perfectly—but I couldn’t really complain about ordering an imperial classic at a restaurant specializing in Hue food. The banh beo was served individually in small dishes. It was well-executed, but I’ve decided that I prefer the version with all the cakes together in a large platter, drowning in sweet nuoc mam.

Next up was some goi mit and a plate of cha gio. The cha gio were hot out of the frying oil and quite tasty, but once again I would have been happy to wait and get them streetside. Served warm, the goi mit was really a standout. Less juicy and much heartier than most fruit-based salads, the dish’s flavors melded perfectly. The crunchy sesame crackers were an ideal vehicle for the mixture of jackfruit, pork, shrimp, and basil. We gobbled it right up.

In another foray into central Vietnamese cuisine, we decided to try the com hen. We’ve been told that this dish sucks in Saigon because the clams aren’t fresh, and indeed Ngu Vien was unable to recreate Hue’s magic. However, it was the best effort I’ve tasted around here–a worthwhile side dish.

Ever since our first meal at Ngu Vien, the Gastronomer has been raving about the ca hu kho, and she couldn’t resist ordering it again. It didn’t disappoint—although I find the plethora of small bones in the fish annoying, I would order it just to be able to pour the extra sauce on my rice.

Finally, we decided to try the chicken with sticky rice cakes. I really loved the little sweet pillows of fried sticky rice, and the chicken was delicious as well, if not particularly memorable. I’ve been impressed by the consistency of Ngu Vien’s cooking; I can’t help comparing it to Com Nieu Saigon, where the occasional horrendous dish nearly ruins the memory of the better ones.

While not entirely devoid of the typical Vietnamese eccentricities, the service at Ngu Vien is solid. They generally give you time to look over the menu without a waitress waiting awkwardly hovering over you, and the food comes in discrete courses rather than all at once. On this occasion we had a bit of trouble getting our white rice to arrive, but it was pleasant getting to savor a couple of dishes that actually felt like appetizers.

If I had a complaint, it would be that the place is somewhat lacking in atmosphere. It’s clean but not beautiful, and it has been nearly empty on both of our visits. This saddens me, because the food is terrific. Maybe toning down the neon signage and building a roof over the tables drove away their Vietnamese clientele. Or perhaps there are better crowds at dinner. In any case, I would choose the Ngu Vien experience over the gorgeous decor and hit-or-miss cuisine of the new Com Nieu Saigon any day. We’ll certainly be back.

Nhà Hàng Phố Hội

Published

Gastronomer

on September 13, 2007

in Banh Gai, Canh, Cao Lau, Chicken, Hoi An, Restaurant Review, Seafood 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

Banh Gai - 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.

Fair Feathered Friends

Published

Gastronomer

on August 14, 2007

in Chicken, Pho, Restaurant Review, Saigon, Vietnamese and Xoi

. 0 Comments

In America, I looked to websites like City Search and Chowhound for restaurant critiques and suggestions. However, in Vietnam, I’ve pretty much been on my own. While Saigon foodie websites exist, they’re mostly aimed at visitors and tend to recommend places near touristy areas that I’m far from. Without any sort of diner-driven guide through Saigon’s culinary landscape, The Astronomer and I more or less hungrily stumble into eateries that look semi-clean or ask random locals (i.e. mechanics) for recommendations. Thus far, our method has yet to lead us astray and stomachaches have been few and far between for The Astronomer and non-existent in my case. Woot.

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Whereas my favorite animal to eat is the pig, The Astronomer’s is the chicken. He was on cloud nine last week when we visited two restaurants specializing in the white meat.

The first chicken-centric restaurant was Quan An Dao Lan located at 92 Dien Bien Phu Street in District 1. We found Dao Lan after a visit to the pharmacy. The menu offers mien ga (piece of chicken), pho ga (chicken pho), bun ga (vermicelli noodles with chicken), xoi ga (sticky rice with chicken), and chao ga (chicken porridge) at three price points—10,000 VND, 20,000 VND, and 40,000 VND—depending on the quantity and cut of meat included. The Astronomer ordered a bowl of pho ga for 10,000 VND, while I had the 10,000 VND xoi ga.

The xoi ga was comprised of a bed of plain white sticky rice topped with pieces of shredded chicken and fried shallots. The xoi came with a small bowl of chicken broth sprinkled with onions and cilantro. Although the broth was meant for sipping, I preferred to dunk my sticky rice in it, while I dipped my chicken in a salt, pepper, and lime juice mixture made by a restaurant staffer. I was pleased with my selection and look forward to trying the 20K and 40K renditions in the future.

The Astronomer dug his pho too—the broth, noodles, and chicken were all delectable. He is curious to try a 40,000 VND bowl of pho, which is an exorbitant price for a bowl of noodles in Saigon.

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Our second chicken adventure of the week was at Su Su, a little shack located next to our office on Tu Xuong Street. Su Su makes a mean fried chicken using a drip method I’ve never seen before. Rather than deep frying a la KFC (which, by the way, is all the rage in Saigon), the restaurant uses a nifty concoction that rains hot oil on the meat. The chicken comes out crispy on the outside and moist and hot in the inside. Genius. The chicken is served on a platter with red fried rice (red due to tomato paste), fresh tomato slices, basil, and a vinaigrette made from chicken drippings. The wing platter (canh) goes for 19,000 VND, while the leg platter (dui) goes for 20,000 VND. Su Su was out of dui during our visit, so we both got canh. The only thing that would make this place tastier is if they served gizzards. Mmm, boy.

The Workers are Coming Home

Published

Gastronomer

on August 9, 2007

in Canh, Chicken, Com Binh Dan, Mam Chung, Saigon, Street Food, Thit Kho and Vietnamese

. 0 Comments

With the help of Rad and his wife, The Astronomer and I scored a spacious three-bedroom/two-bathroom apartment on the 9th floor of a high-rise building in District 4 soon after we arrived in Saigon. Although its a bit far from the touristy-action of District 1, we’re settling in nicely and discovering lots to like about the place everyday.

We moved into our new space on our third day in Saigon. After spending the morning unpacking, we headed out to explore our ‘hood and to find some grub in the afternoon. Clueless about our new surroundings, we stumbled into a small, residential neighborhood with narrow streets. With the assistance of a woman selling che (a genre of Vietnamese desserts) on the street, we found a home selling Com Binh Dan—cheap eats for laborers/workers. The woman running the joint had a kind face and her food looked pretty darn good, so The Astronomer and I decided go for it.

Com Binh Dan almost always consists of big plate of rice, some sort of boiled or pickled vegetable, canh (soup), and a selection of meat dishes. From the extensive choices available, I chose the thit kho (braised pork with eggs), dau hu kho (braised tofu), and mam (fermented fish and pork). I opted not to have any canh. The rice was a little dry, but all the dishes tasted just like grandma’s cooking. Mmm!

The Astronomer chose a piece of curry chicken, fried chicken, and dau hu kho. He didn’t like the pickled mustard greens and bean sprouts that came with his plate, so he passed them on to me. The curry chicken was his favorite, while the fried chicken was only so-so.

The Astronomer and I ate our lunches at the woman’s house on low plastic chairs and a slightly taller table. We shelled out 17,000 VND ($1.06) for our meal. We returned a few days later for lunch, but this time we took our meal to go, which was a much better choice.

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After such a pleasant experience with Com Binh Dan in our neighborhood, we decided to try a place near our office located off of Ba Tháng Hai street in District 10. I once again had thit kho, while The Astronomer had dau hu xa (tofu with lemongrass). We both had small bowls of canh. The food here was not nearly as flavorful as in our neighborhood and the ratio of rice to meat was fit for a famine. What really icked me out was the skinny cat sitting underneath our table; this was easily the worst meal we’ve had since our arrival. The cost of this meal was 16,000 VND ($1).

The workers are hungry, not desperate.