Street Food
28 Nov 2007

Bánh Cam

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Oh. Dang. Just look at them…

Bánh rán is a deep-fried glutinous rice ball from northern Vietnamese cuisine. In Vietnamese, bánh means “cake” and rán means “fried.”

Its outer shell is made from glutinous rice flour, and covered all over with white sesame seeds. Its filling is made from sweetened mung bean paste, and scented with jasmine flower essence. Traditionally, the filling should be separated from the shell so that if one shakes the bánh rán, one can feel the filling rattle against the inside of the shell.

Bánh rán is very similar to a Chinese fried glutinous rice ball called zin dou (煎道), which is a standard pastry in Cantonese cuisine and Hong Kong cuisine. The Chinese version is generally slightly sweeter and does not have jasmine essence, and uses fillings such as lotus paste or black bean paste.

In southern Vietnam, a similar dish, called bánh cam, is nearly identical to bánh rán, but does not contain jasmine essence. A further difference is that for bánh cam the filling does not need to be separated from the shell. In Northern Vietnam bánh cam is different from bánh rán as it is traditionally eaten with a sugary syrup that is poured over the pastry.

While The Astronomer does the bulk of the donut eating in our relationship, I do have a few favorites. I first spied the gooey and sweet bánh cam on my morning run down Ton That Thuyet Street in District 4. Even though the donuts looked mighty inviting glistening in the sun, I couldn’t bring myself to eat one mid-run. Aside from the 4 X donut at Swarthmore, donuts and running just don’t go hand in hand.

I tried bánh cam two weeks ago on a Christmas shopping trip in District 5. The donut dealer sold her goods for 2000VND a pop, which I thought was a fine deal until I discovered that the vendors in District 4 only charged 1000VND. Insanity!

The caramelized sugar glaze atop the freshly fried dough is what makes this donut especially delightful. Unlike the light and fluffy trans-fat ridden donuts in America (i.e. Krispy Kremes), these are a bit on the dense side, so eating more than one is too much goodness for one day.

Restaurant Review
27 Nov 2007

Ngự Viên – Ho Chi Minh City

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November 7, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese

40 Ky Dong Street
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 8437670
Website: none

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Com Sen (50,000 VND)

Bo Tai Dua (50,000 VND)

Ca Hu Kho (44,000 VND)

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The Astronomer has a mad crush on Noodlepie and I can’t say I blame him.

Whenever I ask The Astronomer where we should eat for lunch, he always visits Graham’s blog to locate a tasty option. The other week he chose Ngu Vien on Ky Dong Street because Noodlepie proclaimed it as the “best all around” restaurant in Saigon.

Prices have jumped dramatically since Pieman’s days, but the food is still superb, especially the Ca Hu Kho. The flaky braised fish was served piping hot inside a clay pot. I filled my little bowl with a bit of white rice, a nice hunk of de-boned fish (skin and all) and topped it off with some syrupy caramel sauce. One bite, and I totally swooned. I haven’t been this moved by a dish since the Wagyu at Alinea this past June. The flavors were damn near perfect and I cannot imagine straying from this dish when I return to Ngu Vien.

The Astronomer chose the Bo Tai Dua and Com Sen. The Bo Tai Dua consisted of thin slices of beef, scallions and onions cooked inside a young coconut. The flavors were subtle and not coconut-y. The beef was plentiful, but not as tender as I had hoped. Compared to the insanely flavorful ca kho, this dish just wasn’t striking. Even though I personally wasn’t into the coconut beef, The Astronomer liked it very much because he appreciates milder flavors.

On the flip side, the Com Sen was subtle in a pleasant way. The dish looked like a delicate package upon arrival and we tried our best to keep the leaf intact as we ate. The rice was filled with lotus seeds, bits of pork and shrimp and a smattering of scallions and steamed inside a fragrant large lotus leaf. The rice was wonderful alone or paired with the beef and fish.

Even though Ngu Vien specializes in foods from Hue, they do a fine job executing a variety of other Vietnamese favorites as well.

Thanksgiving
22 Nov 2007

Saigon Thanksgiving: New Country, New Traditions

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For the past seven years, it’s been a New York Thanksgiving for my family. Mom would fly in from California, while I would ride the Chinatown bus from Philly to the city. We’d all stay in brother’s apartment—in the early days it was a tiny studio, these days it’s a swanky one bedroom. It’s always been in the Lower East Side. Brother labored over the turkey, while our good friends Dean and Deluca prepared the sides and dessert.

This year is going to be quite different. Mom is staying in California and brother’s flying home.

The Astronomer and I, along with our favorite Americanos, are hitting up this ridiculous event:

WAYNE’S WEIGH IN CONTEST
4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Venue: Texas BarBQ Restaurant, 206 Pasteur Street, District 3, HCM City

Where else can you be rewarded for overeating? In the gluttonous spirit of American Thanksgiving, Texas BarBQ is having a contest to see who can eat the most. We’ll weigh you when you come in and before you leave. Whoever gains the most weight wins an IPOD! Wayne the Texan will be checking for cheats – so don’t try adding coins to your pockets!”

This event is part of the restaurant’s 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner, which is a true “Turkey Time”! It’s a good deal, for the whole family. For full details and to make reservations telephone 825 1142 or 823 1459 or e-mail TexasBBQ@hcm.fpt.vn.

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