Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Saigon

25 Mar 2008

Vegetation Profile: Rau Muống

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Ipomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic tropical plant grown as a leaf vegetable. Its precise natural distribution is unknown due to extensive cultivation, with the species found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Common names include water spinach, swamp cabbage, water convolvulus, water morning-glory, kangkung (Indonesian, Malay), kangkong (Tagalog), tangkong (Cebuano), kang kung (Sinhalese), pak boong (in Thai: ผักบุ้ง) (Thai), rau muống (Vietnamese), kongxincai (Chinese: 空心菜; pinyin: kōngxīncài; literally “hollow heart vegetable”), home sum choy (Hakka), and ong choy or tung choi (Cantonese pronunciation of 蕹菜, ngônkcôi; pinyin: wéngcài).

Ipomoea aquatica grows in water or on moist soil. Its stems are 2-3 m or more long, hollow, allowing them to float, and these root at the nodes. The leaves vary from sagittate (typical) to lanceolate, 5-15 cm long and 2-8 cm broad. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, 3-5 cm diameter, usually white in color.

In Vietnam, it once served as a staple vegetable of the poor (known as rau muống). In the south, the stems are julienned into thin strips and eaten with many kinds of noodles, and used as a garnish as well. Over the course of time, Ipomoea aquatica has developed into being an ingredient for many daily vegetable dishes of Vietnamese cuisine as a whole. Rau muống is one of the tastes that remind Vietnamese people of their simple and peaceful rural hometown life.

If Vietnam were to declare an official vegetable, I have no doubt that it would be rau muống. Rau muống is served in homes and restaurants across the country and unlike your average nutritious green, this one has no trace of bitterness.

The most popular preparation of rau muống involves boiling them until softened and then sauteeing them in oil and copious amounts of garlic (rau muống xào tỏi). With a squeeze of lemon juice and the addition of tomatoes, the water that the rau muống is boiled in can be served as a bland, but passable soup.

Another reason why rau muống is so popular is because it’s seriously dirt cheap. For 1,000 VND, I took home a huge bundle that was more than enough for two meals.

Street Food

24 Mar 2008

Bánh Chuối Hấp

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Although it was just a marketing campaign by Chaquita, I really do think that bananas are “quite possibly, the world’s perfect food.” Besides being packed with oodles of nutrients, bananas are low-maintenance and deliciously versatile.

I love bananas squished between a peanut butter and honey sandwich, I love them gooey and caramelized atop vanilla ice cream, and I especially love them in the form of bánh chuối hấp.

Bánh chuối (literally “banana cake”) is a sweet banana cake or bread pudding from Vietnam. Although its exact ingredients may vary, it is usually made with ripe bananas or plantains, coconut milk, sugar, white bread, shredded young coconut, condensed milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. In the finished dish, the cooked banana often appears purplish-red in color.

Can you believe that Wikipedia has an entry for bánh chuối? Incredible.

The version I had of bánh chuối was steamed (hấp) and generously doused in a sweet and salty coconut milk with tiny tapioca pearls and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. The accoutrements highlighted the banana’s natural sweetness and slight zing. At 2,000 VND a pop, bánh chuối is indeed good, clean and tasty fun.

Restaurant Review

21 Mar 2008

Au Parc – Ho Chi Minh City

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9 Comments

March 12, 2008
Cuisine: French, Mediterranean

23 Han Thuyen Street
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 8292772
Website: none

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Hummus served with crudites, grissini and flat bread (45,000 VND)

Fresh tuna salad with wasabi and ginger mayonnaise on baguette (65,000 VND)

Ham, Cheddar cheese and salad classic on baguette (70,000 VND)

Carrot cheesecake (60,000 VND)

Chocolate nemesis cake (50,000 VND)

Raspberry and apple crumble (50,000 VND)

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Au Parc is arguably the most popular expatriate joint in the city. While I usually stick to local Vietnamese eateries that are cheap and good, curiosity sometimes gets the best of me. I visited Au Parc the other week with The Astronomer, Zach and Thomas to try some fish sauce-less offerings from their Mediterranean and North African menu.

Thomas and I shared a serving of hummus to start. The portion was meager and the hummus tasted dangerously average. Although it’s been years since my Swarthmore days, I still compare foods that I encounter to that of my college dining hall. The food at Sharples wasn’t anything special, but because the menu repeated every two weeks for four long years, the flavors are forever seared into my palate. The hummus at Swarthmore’s salad bar had a lot more kick than the one served at Au Parc, which is a shame. The crudités and breadsticks were harmless, while the flat bread was actually quite appealing.

For my entrée, I ordered a “fresh tuna salad with wasabi and ginger mayonnaise on a baguette.” The sandwich was supposed to be served on a house made bagel, but the restaurant was fresh out by the time I dined. However, the baguette made a fine substitution.

Truth be told, I was expecting “fresh” tuna salad (i.e. not Chicken of the Sea) and was disappointed when the sandwich arrived. However, after a couple of bites, I completely adored the creation. The wasabi-tinged fish chunks along with the arugula provided a double punch of wonderful spiciness, while the baguette was moist and substantial. The sandwich was served with a lovely cucumber, tomato and herb salad.

The Astronomer’s ham and cheese sandwich was a bit of a letdown. Each component was humdrum, which resulted in a decent but boring sandwich. Zach’s roast beef and Thomas’ pastrami were more or less the same story.

While the sandwiches can be hit or miss at Au Parc, the desserts are for the most part winners—just don’t pay much attention to the menu descriptions.

Zach’s carrot cheesecake, adorned with an oozy passion fruit syrup, was not so much carroty as orangey. Although the flavor was completely off, the texture was right on and the graham cracker crust was nice and buttery.

Thomas’ chocolate nemesis cake was a decadent and gooey delight. I stole only a few bites but could have definitely eaten the whole thing solo. If I were on a diet, this cake would totally be my nemesis.

The Astronomer and I shared a raspberry and apple crumble, because raspberries are The Astronomer’s favorite fruit and it’s been ages since he’s enjoyed them. We were disappointed to find that the crumble contained apples and raisins, but no sign of raspberries. Major detail aside, the crumble was warm and tart and paired well with the vanilla ice cream.

Glad I got that out of my system. Now, pass the fish sauce!