This Readers’ Poll was inspired by a thoughtful post by Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen.
17
Apr
2008
16
Apr
2008
Filed Under:
April 4, 2008
Cuisine: Vietnamese, Vegetarian
54 Truong Quyen Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Phone: 8242816
Website: none
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Pho Chay (15,000 VND)
Com Tam Bi Cha Thit Nuong Chay (front – 20,000 VND)
Com Tam Bi Cha Thit Nuong Chay (back)
Bi Cuon Chay (3,000 VND per roll)
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If you’ve ever thought to yourself:
“Man, I love com tam bi cha thit nuong, but I feel so guilt-ridden eating three types of pork in one sitting. I sure wish there was a vegetarian version…”
Head to Phở Chay Như immediately.
gas•tron•o•my reader Michael recommended this eatery to me months ago and I finally got around to trying it recently. Thanks, Mike!
The Astronomer and I started with the restaurant’s signature dish, pho chay (vegetarian pho). Up until this point, we’ve been quite disappointed with the vegetarian interpretations of our favorite broth and noodle dishes because they’re usually a little watery and worlds away from the real deal.
What sets the pho chay here apart from other versions is its spot-on broth. The essence of star anise and charred onions thoroughly permeates the soup, bringing about a very accurate and familiar pho flavor.
Although we came for the pho, we left enamored by the com tam bi cha thit nuong. All I can say is, I can’t believe it’s not butter!
Every element of this dish looked so real, crazy real. Taste-wise, the saucy slab of barbecued pork was the least believable. However, the bi, cha, and nuoc mam could have fooled me.
Lastly, we each had one bi cuon, which are spring rolls made with bi. Another excellent use of mock meat. Bravo.
15
Apr
2008
Sometime during college, I developed a killer sweet tooth due to the vast amount of desserts available after every meal in the dining hall. My mom never stocked the shelves with junk food while growing up, so I sorta kinda went buck wild living away from home. Hence, this terrible habit.
This constant need for a sweet fix spells bad news back at home, but luckily in Vietnam candies and desserts are made from fruits, legumes and seaweed, so I feel dramatically less guilty for indulging.
Granted, coconut milk is fatty and there’s more than a few tablespoons of sugar in a cup of che, but man, it could be so much worse.
One of my favorite genres of Vietnamese sweets are candies made from dehydrated fruits such as limes, mangoes, ambarella and tamarind.
Covered in sugar crystals and chili flakes, these candies are spicy, sour and sweet.
My favorites are coc cay (spicy ambarella), me tac (tamarind), and me mieng (whole tamarind). They’re sold by weight and are generally displayed around town in huge plastic jars.
Since I have little to no self-control, I limit myself to 100 grams of each variety on any given visit.