Archive for the 'Mi Xao / Hu Tieu Xao' Category

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Mì & Hủ Tiếu Xào

Published by Gastronomer on January 21, 2008 in Mi Xao / Hu Tieu Xao, Restaurant Review, Saigon, Street Food and Vietnamese. 2 Comments

January 13, 2008
Cuisine: Vietnamese

140 Vo Thi Sau Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: none
Website: none

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Mi Xao Don (15,000 VND)

Mi Xao Mem (15,000 VND)

Hu Tieu Xao (15,000 VND)

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Located in the same alley as the pho cuon and bun cha join t I visited a month ago, this stall specializes in mi (noodles) and com (rice) dishes prepared in a wok.

Zach, The Astronomer and I ordered every mi dish off the menu with the exception of mi goi xao bo, which is packaged Ramen noodles stir-fried with beef. I don’t doubt that the dish is a fine creation, but it’s a little too “semi-homemade” for me.

The mi xao don was comprised of thin egg noodles dunked in hot oil and fried to a crisp. The nest of crunchy noodles was topped with a saucy mix of liver, beef, squid, bok choy-like greens and garnished with cilantro. The Astronomer thought there was too much liver and not enough of anything else. This preparation was probably my least favorite of the three because I like my noodles soft, but The Astronomer embraced the different textures.

The mi xao mem was your average plate pan fried noodles and dressed with the same saucy mix as the mi xao dong. The noodles were too soft and as a result, lacked the bite-factor that I want in my pan fried noodles. See: Ting Wong in Philadelphia.

My favorite of the three was the hu tieu xao. Wide rice noodles seared in garlic and topped with the ubiquitous saucy mix. Whereas the mi xao don was too crunchy and the mi xao mem was too soft, the hu tieu xao was baby bear.

These alleyway noodles were good, but not great. In a city full of greatness, I most likely won’t be back for more.

Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn – Ho Chi Minh City

Published by Gastronomer on January 14, 2008 in Com Dap / Com Nieu, Mi Xao / Hu Tieu Xao, Rau Muong, Restaurant Review, Saigon, Sup, Thit Kho and Vietnamese. 5 Comments

January 9, 2008
Cuisine: Vietnamese

6C Tu Xuong Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 820-3188
Website: none

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Sugar Apple smoothie, Pepsi (Tet edition)

Crab and Asparagus Soup (20,000 VND)

Squid Stuffed with Meat (55,000 VND)

Thit Kho Nuoc Dua (40,000 VND)

Rau Muong Xao Toi (30,000 VND)

Com Dap (20,000 VND)

Mi Xao Mem Hai San (50,000 VND)

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Back in July when The Astronomer and I first arrived in Saigon, my aunt and uncle took us to Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn for dinner. Since we were guests, we left the ordering up to our hosts. Our meal was fairly unmemorable because their selections didn’t exactly suit our tastes.

Since our first visit, I read an interview with Anthony Bourdain in The Guardian where he proclaimed Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn as “the one place visitors shouldn’t miss” -

Com Nieu Sai Gon, a restaurant run by the impressive Madame Ngoc, is my favorite place in town. Everything is good – and travelers who’ve followed up on my recommendation to eat there never return unsatisfied. They specialize in clay-pot-baked rice which, after shattering the crockery, they spin, sizzling hot, through the air over the heads of the customers then dress with sauce and scallions. Always my best meal in Saigon. Just order “everything” and eat yourself silly.

I’m on the fence about Bourdain in general, but he convinced me to give Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn a second go. The Astronomer and I, along with our friends Thomas and Zach, returned last week to eat ourselves silly, or something like that.

For the past month, the restaurant has been operating in a refurbished space behind the original Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn. The new digs are seriously beautiful—dark wood, subtle decor, exposed brick walls and comfy chairs. Easily the most well-designed space I’ve seen in all of Saigon. With such a gorgeous interior, we had high expectations for the eats to come.

Zach and Tom started off with the crab and asparagus soup, which they both thought was done well. I find this style of soup a little too gelatinous and mild.

The squid stuffed with meat arrived next. We were expecting something like this, but instead we received chicken taquitos cut into small pieces. Whatta let down! The kitchen should have focused on the entree rather than the garnish. Who needs blossoming carrot and turnip flowers when the actual dish sucks? It’s as if they made these little doodads to distract diners. This was far and away the worst thing I have eaten in the country.

After a rough start, our remaining selections were all executed well. However, like our first experience, nothing was truly memorable. The thit kho was under-seasoned and lacking in the thit department. The morning glory sauteed in garlic was fine, but any fool can execute this dish. I must admit that the com dap was delicious with its combination of scallion oil, nuoc mam and sesame seeds over crispy rice. The seafood pan-fried noodles were good as well, with a fair ratio of protein to carbohydrates.

Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn is the perfect eatery for those squeamish about street food or in dire need of AC and pretty surroundings. I think Zach summed it best when he said, “I’d go here again, but only with my parents to pick up the bill.” Agreed.

Eating in Phú Quốc

Published by Gastronomer on December 5, 2007 in Goi, Hu Tieu Dai, Mi Xao / Hu Tieu Xao, Nem Nuong, Phu Quoc, Scenes, Seafood and Vietnamese. 9 Comments

The Astronomer and I just got back from the most kick-ass vacation ever! Phu Quoc Island off the coast of Vietnam and Cambodia is paradise on earth. Seriously. Clear turquoise waters, abundant sunshine, sandy beaches, and seafood a plenty. Heavenly.

We arrived last Friday morning and flew home Monday afternoon. In between, we sunned on the beach, snorkeled, read, relaxed, and ate extremely well.

After checking in at our hotel and dropping off our luggage, we walked into town in search of lunch. The Astronomer was starving and impulsively chose Thuy Duong at 25 Nguyen Trai Street. The place was infested with flies, which killed my appetite, but The Astronomer ordered a bowl of hu tieu dai muc anyway. When the bowl arrived, it looked SO good that I had to order myself one. The noodle dish was comprised of a pork-based broth, a transparent and chewy noodle (hu tieu dai), bean sprouts, fresh scallions, and lightly cooked squid (muc). Everything tasted so fresh and the squid blew our minds. I think the squid in Phu Quoc has forever ruined squid elsewhere for me.

After lunch, we headed to the market to look around and score some more eats. I bought lots of fruit, while The Astronomer procured cookies (banh kep) and a barbecued meatball sandwich (banh mi nem nuong. The sandwich was good, but his heart remains true to the banh mi thit nuong in District 4.

Dinnertime brought more delicious squid! We stayed close to home and ate at our resort—Kim Nam Phuong. We ordered squid sauteed with garlic and ginger (top row, right) and a plate of pan fried noodles with squid and shrimp. The dishes were stellar all around. I love how seafood is completely satisfying and not too filling.

For breakfast the next morning, I ate fruit and cereal, while The Astronomer ordered a pineapple crepe from the resort. We ate our selections beach side, ah… The Astronomer thought the crepe was a bit dough-y, but a great way to start the day nevertheless. After breakfast, we decided to upgrade our lodging and moved to the Tropicana Resort.

After we set up our new digs and lounged around in the sun, we headed to the Troicana’s sweet beach front dining deck for lunch.

The Astronomer ordered fish with chilies and lemongrass, while I ordered a squid salad. The fish was a bit spicy for The Astronomer, while I found my salad average. The Tropicana may have nicer bungalows, but the chefs at the Kim Nam Phuong are superior.

The following day, The Astronomer and I went on an all-day snorkeling excursion along the southern islands of Phu Quoc. The sites were postcard perfect and the food on board was expertly prepared. The best dish was the squid sauteed with pineapples and tomatoes. This was hands down the most wonderful squid I have ever tasted. Who would have thought squid could melt in one’s mouth? I really don’t think I could ever order calamari at an Italian restaurant ever again. Another great dish was the fried fish, which was covered with red chili flakes.

Now that I’m back in Saigon, I will be dreaming about the fruits of the sea in Phu Quoc until I return.

Dai Duong – Da Nang

Published by Gastronomer on September 25, 2007 in Da Nang, Mi Xao / Hu Tieu Xao, Restaurant Review, Seafood and Vietnamese. 0 Comments

September 2, 2007
Cuisine: Seafood, Vietnamese

Bai Tam My Khe
Da Nang, Vietnam

Phone: 0511940989
Website: none

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Grilled Clams with Scallions, Tomatoes, Onions (35,000 VND)

Lemongrass Snails (40,000 VND)

Thin Egg Noodles with Squid, Tomatoes, and Spinach (40,000 VND)

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Before flying back to Saigon, The Astronomer and I had a dinner date with Cathy. She took us to her favorite seafood eatery located yards away from Da Nang’s China Beach. The view and food at Dai Duong were both stellar. It doesn’t get any fresher than eating seafood by the sea.

Cathy recommended that we order the grilled clams. She had them once prior and found them delightful. The clams were smothered with sautéed onions, scallions and tomatoes, which brought about subtle flavors that didn’t drown out the clams’ natural goodness—another excellent call by Cathy.

I initially ordered an eel dish, but the restaurant was fresh out. I opted instead for snails. The snails were de-shelled, humongous, and seasoned with deliciously long strands of lemongrass. While some may find the texture of snails overly chewy, I really dig it. The snails were The Astronomer’s and my favorite dish of the evening.

For the carbohydrate portion of our meal, we had steamed white rice and a plate of stir fried noodles. The noodles were a bit on the mushy side, but the tomatoes and squid delivered a double punch that saved the dish.