Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

09 Oct 2008

Bánh Xèo – Ho Chi Minh City

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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

Street Food

07 Oct 2008

Nui Xào Bò – Stir-fried Pasta with Beef

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It’s more or less common knowledge that the French introduced baguettes to the Vietnamese during the colonial era, but a lesser know French culinary influence are Western-style noodles like spaghetti, penne and macaroni. Known as nui in Vietnamese, the word is derived from the French nouille.

Growing up, whenever mom or grandma prepared steaks or chops, the juicy slabs of meat were always accompanied by noodles (most often spaghetti) rather than rice. Sometimes the noodles were simply stir-fried with garlic, butter, pepper and soy sauce, and other times they were cooked a bit more elaborately with onions and tomato paste. My grandma also like to slip some star-shaped pasta into her chicken and beef soups.

The major difference between pasta as we know it and Vietnamese nui is the employment of rice flour in the latter, because semolina isn’t native to Vietnam. Italian brands of pasta like Barilla are available in most of Saigon’s grocery stores, but their prices are often three times higher than locally produced nui.

The lovely plate of nui xao bo pictured here was made by the Lunch Lady’s younger sister, who works under the same shady tree. The noodles were sauteed with thin slices of beef and thick slices of onions in oil, fish sauce and a smidgen of tomato paste. Side items included fresh tomatoes, iceberg lettuce and a condiment-sized bowl of soy sauce.

The Astronomer and I encountered nui dishes most often at venues serving mi xao don (crispy noodles with gravy). We also encountered nui combined with fried eggs at a snack shack on Ky Dong. Personally, I like to prepare nui with eggs and pork floss. Flossy flossy indeed.

Restaurant Review

06 Oct 2008

Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ – Vietnamese Fried Chicken

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The fast food landscape in Saigon is dominated by KFC, a questionably finger lickin’ good American fried chicken import that can be found on every one of the city’s major arteries. KFC is incredibly popular with Vietnamese youths and the rising middle class because it represents modernity and Western tastes (not to be confused with good taste). The establishments are also spic and span, air conditioned and offer free parking and Wi-Fi—amenities that are becoming increasingly important to locals. While I haven’t eaten at KFC in years, I’m pretty sure the Original Recipe hasn’t changed one bit since the last time I dug into a 10-piece bucket.

District 3’s Su Su restaurant specializes in cơm gà xối mỡ, a type of Vietnamese fried chicken that’s loads better than the Colonel‘s, but doesn’t draw the kind of crowds and birthday parties it ought to. I would most definitely rock the big 2-7 at Su Su if I were still in Saigon. What’s unique about Su Su’s chicken is the style in which it is fried. Hot grease is unleashed upon wings (canh) and thighs (dui) to order, and they’re served dangerously piping.

The chicken is prepared al fresco, which causes the air outside the eatery to smell like an intoxicating brew of bubbling fat and seared spices. This unique frying technique yields chicken with crispy skin and moist meat.

The fried chicken is served on a platter with a scoop of com do, a mild tomato-flavored rice, rau ram (Vietnamese coriander) and slices of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. There’s also a savory dipping sauce made of drippings, soy sauce and garlic that really brings the chicken and rice up a couple of notches. A minor tweak that would make Su Su even better is the addition of gizzards to their menu. Although gizzards may be a turn off to many, I love their chewy, unyielding texture.

And speaking of awesome fried chicken, my mom makes a killer lollipop fried chicken. Check out her recipe here.

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Su Su
59 Tu Xuong Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City