Restaurant Review
14 Jan 2008

Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn – Ho Chi Minh City

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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.

Saigon
11 Jan 2008

Vegetation Profile: Vú Sữa

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Milk fruit is known to be a popular tropical fruit indigenous to Cambodia (phlai teuk-doh koh) and Vietnam (vú sữa). The underbelly of the leaf is a greenish purple hue, while the top is a deep green. The smooth, round plant contains sticky white latex and can grow to about 200 grams in weight.

There are two types of milk fruit: purple and white. The exterior of the compound fruit is either white or deep purple when ripe and light green when unripe. A creamy white flesh lies beneath the skin and tastes juicy and sweet.

Their fragrantly sweet white flesh to taste and milky white juice (a little like congealed milk) are probably what gives them their name, although the skins of the young fruit oozes a milky sap when cut.

The most popular way to enjoy the fruit is to squeeze the tough fruit until it becomes tender, so that the juice mixes with the meat of the fruit. A small hole is then cut at the top so the juice can be sucked out. While enjoying the fresh food, be careful not to eat the few seeds embedded in its flesh.

On our taxi ride back to District 4 from the airport, I asked The Astronomer if there were any fruits at the apartment. He replied no. So, instead being dropped off at our apartment, I asked the cabbie to stop at the fruit stand where I procured a papaya and The Astronomer picked up tangerines and a pomelo. I always aim for five-a-day.

As the fruit lady packed up our selections, I asked her what the greenish/pinkish orbs were. She replied vú sữa, which translates kinkily to milky boob. Hubba hubba. Before we could object, she sliced one in half and handed The Astronomer and I each a spoon so we could dig in. The customer service in this country is unbeatable.

It was juicy, but tasted pretty plain and not particularly sweet or tart. Since it was my first taste of vú sữa, I wasn’t sure if I had a great one or an average one. I’ll have to try another while they’re still in season.

Airplane Food
10 Jan 2008

EVA Airlines

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Timezones are crazy. I boarded a flight to Taiwan at LAX on the evening of the fourth and arrived in Saigon on the sixth. January fifth never existed! Crazy, right?

But enough talk about international datelines and whatnot, here’s what I ate on board my flight! Once again, EVA Airlines came through for me with high-fiber meals. However, they weren’t as tasty as those on my flight to the states because two of the three meals originated in LA. Everyone knows Taipei makes better high-fiber meals.

The first leg of my flight took off at 11 PM. Everyone on board was served a fourth meal soon after reaching our cruising altitude. My main entree was a gravy-topped steak, buttered noodles and steamed broccoli and carrots. Sides included a non-whole wheat roll (boo!), an iceberg salad with one cherry tomato and cucumber slices, and pieces of honeydew and cantaloupe. Dessert consisted of two Oreo cookies.

I passed on the steak because meat at midnight is worse than meat in the morning. The noodles were heavily buttered and decent, while the carrots and broccoli were mushy, but edible. I skipped the white bread because it lacked the fiber I had specifically requested. The fruit and veggies were fine; the honeydew and cantaloupe were surprisingly sweet for being out of season. As always, the Oreos did not disappoint.

A couple hours before reaching Taipei, we were served breakfast. I received a plain omelet with sauteed spinach and mushrooms and a roasted tomato. Sides included a mini-croissant, banana and strawberry yogurt and fresh fruit (pineapple and grapefruit).

The omelet would have been much tastier with the vegetables incorporated into it and a little Tabasco sauce. The fruit and yogurt were both fine. The warm and flaky croissant was easily the tastiest part of the meal. EVA Airlines outsources a mean croissant!

The meal served on my flight from Taipei to Saigon was excellent—Taipei really does know how to make tasty high-fiber fare. The main entree was curry chicken with brown rice and steamed celery and carrots. Sides included another white roll (boo!!) and some fresh fruit (guava, orange, grapefruit). For dessert I had three chocolate cookies with dried cranberries.

Everything but the white bread was spot on. The curry had just the right amount of spice and the chicken was very tender. The fruits were excellent and the cookies once again contained an unknown “crunch” factor that really made them delicious (and hopefully fibrous).

Those on board without special dietary needs, were given Russian strawberry ice cream for dessert. The stewardess gave me one too, even though I had already polished off three cookies. I never knew Russia imported ice cream. Can strawberries even grow in Russia? No matter. It was good. And it’s good to be back in Saigon!