Com Binh Dan
07 Aug 2008

Saigon Zoo

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I initially titled this post “Seeing Animals, Eating Animals,” but changed it because it sounded so very unappetizing and after all, this blog is all about being palatable. Everyone seems to love to hate on the Saigon Zoo for one reason or another, but take it from a girl whose hometown is San Diego (site of the World Famous San Diego Zoo), the place isn’t too shabby. The animals seemed well fed and their environs weren’t terribly cramped (with the exception of the alligators). To be perfectly honest, The Astronomer looked far hungrier than any of the animals we saw during out visit. Zing!

The face of a happy Vietnamese elephant. The animals in the zoo are accustomed to being fed by visitors so they come really close to the parameters, which was very good for viewing the texture of the elephants’ skin.

A local boy tried to feed the elephants Vietnamese JELLO (thach). Using my best Thuy Tonnu impression, I lectured the boy on the importance of not feeding animals human food.

A deer-like creatures with very large ears. It’s a little frightening how close I got to some of the animals.

After wandering for a bit, it was time for snack! The park is dotted with food stands and deep-fried meat on a stick appeared to be the zoo’s specialty. The Astronomer ordered the fried pork dumplings on a stick with hoisin sauce. Eating animals in between seeing animals was sort of difficult for me to reconcile, but The Astronomer had no qualms about it. He commented that the texture was nice and crispy.

The petting zoo reminded me of the NOFX album cover for “Heavy Petting Zoo,” especially with that odd monkey statue in the center. The grossest sight during our visit occurred here—while one goat was pissing, another met the stream with its goatee. We laughed a bit, but then wanted to vomit.

Uno hippo. Which reminds me of one of the greatest T-shirts ever made…

Ostrich.

The alligators were packed to the max and hardly moved. At one point we thought that they might be fake, but then one moved and then we knew for certain that they were the real deal.

The monkeys had the coolest pad in the zoo. They’re located on an island with lots of trees and are able to swing about without barriers. If you look closely, there are two black monkeys and a yellowish one dangling in the background.

Two rhinos.

My favorite picture from my visit! Even at a very public place like the zoo, the locals make sure to have their daily siesta. Do you love it?

The Astronomer could not resist a plate of com suon nuong on our way out of the zoo. How awesome would it be if all the theme parks in America served Vietnamese-style grilled pork chops? So awesome.

Restaurant Review
04 Aug 2008

Cepage – Ho Chi Minh City

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And speaking of Cepage (22 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1), I had lunch there not too long ago with my editor Fiona and Hawkins. It seems like we’re always lunching together! The Astronomer was on a business trip to Hanoi and thus unable to dine decadently at midday with us.

Chef Andreas Ertle heads the kitchen at Cepage and specializes in Asian fusion cuisine—I think the term “Asian fusion” was meaningful sometime in the mid 90s, but has since been overused and become cliche. Let’s just say that Chef Ertle mixes local ingredients with Western techniques.

Cepage offers a little something called The Black Box for lunch on weekdays. Priced at 130,000++ VND, the three-course meal is a mystery to diners until the food arrives. I love gimmicks!

Our three-course lunch started with a mushroom soup with beef tongue. I could identify the mushroom broth right off the bat, but I needed the Chef’s assistance with the beef tongue. I initially thought they were just bits of mushroom! The light, yet creamy soup was definitely enhanced by the bits of slightly chewy tongue. Have I mentioned lately how much I love animal odds and ends?

Our second course was a filet of flaky white fish crusted with seasonings. It was placed upon a bed of sauteed bok choy with a foamy lemony sauce. Since this item wasn’t on the menu and the servers weren’t knowledgeable about the dish’s ins and outs, I was left in the dark about the details.

What I can tell you is that the fish was prepared to perfection. The seasonings (whatever they may be—I think there was some paprika) were just right and didn’t overwhelm the fish’s delicate flavor. My favorite part was the lovely crust on the fish’s exterior that was created by the seared spices.

Our final course was a cheesecake paired with a raspberry puree and shards of white and dark chocolate. Whereas cheesecakes traditionally have graham cracker crusts, this one had a base of plain white cake. The cake’s texture was as smooth as butter and the flavor was enhanced by the fruity puree.

Black Boxes add an exciting twist to routine lunches, but there are a couple drawbacks. Personally, my list of dislikes is very short, so chances are whatever the kitchen brings out I’ll be pleased. However, pickier eaters may have a hard time handing all control over to complete strangers. The only negative aspect from a food blogger’s perspective is that I didn’t know exactly what I was consuming due to the lack of menus and clueless waiters. Overall, The Black Box was an exciting and delicious meal.

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Cepage is also a great late night venue and serves up stiff sake martinis. Here’s a photo to commemorate my first real martini (i.e. with olives and without sugar along the rim).

Restaurant Review
04 Aug 2008

Hanoi Eats on Saigon Streets

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As the self-proclaimed Gastronomer, I’m usually the one introducing friends to unknown eateries and the one in charge of coordinating group meals. However, Hawkins recently turned the tables and planned an awesome lunch at a hidden away bun cha joint in District 1. The two-story restaurant is located in a tight alleyway off of Le Thanh Ton Street next door to Pho 2000.

The Astronomer, Hawkins and I met at noon thirty, placed our order downstairs and found an open table on the second floor. Since this was Hawk’s second time dining here, he knew what the goods were and insisted on a portion of banh tom ho tay and nem cua bien in addition to three portions of bun cha.

The bun cha here is light on the ground meat patties and heavy on pieces of grilled pork. The meats are served dunked in a well-seasoned fish sauce vinaigrette that’s adorned with pickled slices of carrots and green papaya. Although I prefer more patties and less hunks of meat, this was a solid rendition of Hanoi’s specialty. Down the street at 8 Ly Tu Trong is another restaurant serving excellent bun cha.

The nem cua bien (crab stuffed egg rolls) were crispy and delicious, especially dunked in the vinaigrette. While The Astronomer took the time to wrap them up in lettuce leaves and garnish them with herbs, the nem looked so tasty as is, so I skipped out on the greenery and just popped ’em in my mouth.

Here’s a look at the innards (and my dining companions). The nem cua bien weren’t as crab-intensive as the ones at the crab shack, but still totally awesome.

The banh tom ho tay (batter and fried sweet potatoes and shrimp) were just as good as Hawk promised, but I was too stuffed with grilled meats and nem to truly enjoy them.

It’s tough to find quality down-home restaurants amongst the glitz and glam of District 1, but it’s so good to know that they’re still around! The bun cha restaurant is flanked on one side by Cepage (a high-end Asian fusion restaurant) and on the other by a Pho 24 competitor. With rents and inflation rising at unprecedented rates throughout the city (and country), I wouldn’t be surprised if this eatery was booted out of its location by next year. Eat it while you still can!