Street Food
18 Dec 2007

Xôi Lá Dứa

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Even though I haven’t dedicated any postings to xoi lately, I’m still very fond of the sticky staple. In fact, I’ve recently started carrying money with me on my morning runs in order to grab some xoi for breakfast. I love multi-tasking.

I’ve encountered many different varietals of xoi while running down Ton That Thuyet Street in District 4, and will try every last one before long. First up, xôi lá dứa.

Sweaty, out of breath, and shirtless, I ordered 4,000 VND of xôi lá dứa from the dealer. I was expecting her to hand over a nice hunk of green sticky rice, but instead she surprised me with a little layering action.

First, she grabbed a banh trang (rice cracker) and placed it on a newspaper/plastic sheet. Then she scooped some pandan-flavored and colored xoi on top of the cracker. Next, she spread on some dau xanh (mung bean paste) on top of the xoi. Lastly, she sprinkled on some mui me (salt and sesame seed mixture) and dried coconut on top of the mung bean paste. She bundled up the xoi using the newspaper/plastic wrapper and included a gelato spoon and a packet of granulated sugar.

When I got back to my apartment, I skipped out on stretching and abs and dug right in. The heat from the xoi softened up the rice cracker to the point where the two textures were barely discernible. The bulk of the xoi’s flavors came from the mui me mixture because the unsweetened shredded coconut and mung bean paste were fairly neutral. I didn’t sprinkle on any extra sugar, but in retrospect, I probably should have because salty plus sweet equals wow.

A good xoi, but the flavors just didn’t POP.

Saigon
17 Dec 2007

Vegetation Profile: Cà Phê

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Coffea (coffee) is a genus of ten species of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs or small trees, native to subtropical Africa and southern Asia. Seeds of this plant are the source of a stimulating beverage called coffee. The seeds are called “beans” in the trade. Coffee beans are widely cultivated in tropical countries in plantations for both local consumption and export to temperate countries. Coffee ranks as one of the world’s major commodity crops and is the major export product of some countries.

This past weekend in Saigon, there was a large coffee festival at Tao Dan Park in District 1. The event was organized by a few central highland provinces to showcase their exquisite coffee. The festival also provided an opportunity for local coffee brands to introduce their products (i.e. instant coffee) to the public.

I’m not much of a cà phê drinker, but Vietnamese people in general love the stuff. The preparation of choice is cà phê sữa đá, which consists of Vietnamese coffee, sweetened condensed milk and ice.

One of the highlights of the event was a giant archway made of ground coffee and coffee beans.

Restaurant Review
14 Dec 2007

Bánh Mì Cá Sardine

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There are countless banh mi vendors in Saigon selling sardine sandwiches, but the absolute best version is made at a hip deli named Ta Banh Mi Thit.

Ta Banh Mi Thit falls under the genre of Vietnamese-owned eateries that are designed with western aesthetics in mind. They have a professional-looking logo, matching uniforms, a menu with pictures and the staff even wears gloves! Even though I usually try to avoid pretty places like these, their bánh mì cá sardine keeps me coming back.

Priced at 13,000 VND, the bánh mì cá sardine is more than twice the cost of the ones sold street side, but the quality and flavors cannot be matched. The baguette is made in-house and toasted to a crisp. The canned sardines, which come packed in a tomato sauce, are gently heated and kept whole. The best part of the sandwich are the sauteed onions, which are scattered on top. Throw in some fresh cucumber spears, cilantro and pickled carrots and daikon, and you’ve got a killer sandwich.

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259 Le Thanh Ton Street
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Phone: 8229703

369 Nguyễn Thượng Hiền Street
District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
Phone: 2406007