Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

04 Sep 2007

Thanh Lương – Ho Chi Minh City

Filed Under:

2 Comments

August 20, 2007
Cuisine: Vietnamese, Vegetarian

545A Ba Thang Hai Street
District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 088552286
Website: none

—

Mustard Greens with Bean Curd

Tofu with Lemongrass

Vegetarian Loaf

Canh Chua Chay – Sweet and Sour Soup

“Sardines”

“Chicken”

—

I love vegetarian Vietnamese food. My mom got me hooked in high school bringing home vegetarian lunch plates prepared by women at the Buddhist temple every Sunday. I have been on the lookout for vegetarian food in Saigon and am surprised by how uncommon it is, especially considering the large Buddhist population. Eateries that serve workers’ lunches only serve meat-less options during specific days on the Lunar calendar and full-on vegetarian restaurants are few and far between.

I dined at my first vegetarian restaurant the other week when a few vegetarian colleagues from the East Meets West office in Oakland came to town for a visit. Our local colleagues chose Thanh Luong, which is located far enough from our office to warrant a cab ride.

The Astronomer and I left the ordering up to our dining companions, but thoroughly enjoyed their selections. My two favorite dishes were the mustard greens with bean curd and the sweet and sour soup, which contained a plethora of vegetables including okra, tomatoes and mushrooms. The Astronomer fancied the mock chicken and lemongrass tofu.

Although Thanh Luong is a good thirty minute walk from our office, the food is superb so I’ll definitely be returning soon.

Restaurant Review

01 Sep 2007

Công Trường – Ho Chi Minh City

Filed Under:

2 Comments

Cong Truong has been serving up small snacks and ice cream since before the fall of Saigon. My mom, aunts, and uncles used to chill here when they were youngsters, which is such a trip and further adds to its appeal. The shop is located across the street from Hồ Con Rùa (Turtle Lake) near a busy traffic circle that’s rowdy during the day, but actually quite pleasant in the evening. My mom’s cousin Cau Hai introduced me to Cong Truong and their famous kem dua during my first weekend in the city and I try to swing by whenever I’m in the neighborhood.

The kem (ice cream) dua (coconut) is served inside a fresh young coconut and adorned with crushed peanuts, dried bananas, a bit of pineapple, and topped with a dried plum “cherry.” The coconut’s juice is chilled and served on the side.

The kem dua is more similar to a sorbet than an ice cream, which is welcomed because dairy can be too heavy in Saigon’s balmy weather. The subtle sweetness of coconut permeates the kem dua entirely and scraping the coconut’s flesh adds a texturally interesting element to the treat; further intensifying the coconut experience. The peanuts, bananas, and pineapple play off the coconut’s flavors well and add to the sundae’s complexity.

Kem dua brings a taste of the tropics to a bustling and chaotic city.

—

Công Trường
Corner of Vo Van Tan & Pham Ngoc Thach
District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon

30 Aug 2007

Vegetation Profile: Longan

Filed Under:

4 Comments

The Longan is a tropical tree native to southern China. The tree is very sensitive to frost. It is also found in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. It is also called guiyuan (桂圆) in Chinese, lengkeng in Indonesia, mata kucing in Malaysia, and quả nhãn in Vietnamese. The longan (“dragon eyes”) is so named because of the fruit’s resemblance to an eyeball when it is shelled (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris).

The fruit is edible, and is often used in East Asian soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods. They are round with a thin, brown-coloured inedible shell. The flesh of the fruit, which surrounds a big, black seed, is translucent white, soft, and juicy.

When I first arrived in Saigon, my grandpa’s younger brother Ong Ti stopped by my office to say hello. He arrived with a smile and huge bag of nhãn as a welcome gift. The nhãn were very dusty upon arrival, but I washed them thoroughly in water, removed them from their stems, and refrigerated them uncovered in bowls. For the following three weeks, The Astronomer and I were able to snack on nhãn to our hearts’ content. After years of eating canned nhãn coated in heavy syrup, it was a welcomed treat to finally taste the real thing.