Saigon Eats : Bun Bo Hue



Hue - photo courtesy of vietnamuniquetours.com



Huế is the capital city of Hue province. Between 1802 and 1945, during the reign of the Nguyen dynasty, it was the imperial city. This feudal dynasty dominated much of southern Vietnam in those times.

Now where there is royalty, there is good food, presented beautifully.  The theory is - the palace cooks and the citizenry in general do their utmost to please the king/emperor. 

And so, Hue cuisine is regarded in Vietnam as the best.

Besides phở, another popular Vietnamese soup is bún bò Huế. Key ingredients are rice vermicelli (bún) and beef (bò). It usually includes thin slices of marinated and boiled beef shank, chunks of oxtail, and pig's knuckles. Bun bo is commonly served with lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, sliced onions, thinly sliced banana blossom, mint & basil, and mung bean sprouts. Fish sauce and chili sauce can also be added to taste.

There's a restaurant chain which goes with the same name.

The one we frequent is the one in 39 Ngo Duc Ke St. (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City). It's usually full, especially during lunch time. 

We enjoy the fragrant, hearty, spicy soup and generous chunks of meat and meatpaste.

After an afternoon of shopping, my daughter and I were famished and tired, and headed there for some snack.  We sat by the window.  It was 5pm, only a few diners were inside.

There was the banh nam on the table (glutinous rice with minced shrimp wrapped in banana leaf and steamed).

We opted instead for a platter of steamed mini-cakes made from rice flour and cassava flour,  and with shrimp and meat topping/filling.  These were eaten with nuoc mam (fish sauce).

Hue cuisine is characterized by small serving sizes with a refined presentation.


We also had a bowl of soup each.  This time I tried the one with crabmeat paste.

with crabmeat paste

with beef flank and pork paste

A serving of the house yogurt refreshed and cleansed the palate afterwards.



Such a simple, satisfying meal.  The cost was quite reasonable at VND 250k (US$ 12.50) for us two.

Plus we had some free entertainment - cockfighting right by the window where we sat.

         







In case anyone is wondering why Huế ceased to be the capital after 1945 ...

On August of that year, Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated to Hồ Chí Minh, who unified south and north Vietnam. The capital of the government became Hà Nội in the north.

Nha Hang Ngon, Saigon

Ngon restaurant is our default restaurant when craving for Vietnamese food.  Housed in a colonial-style building with big windows,  the food is good,  the price is right, and the place does not feel cramped, though most times its bustling with locals and tourists.

We also like to bring guests here;  their appreciation of Vietnamese food is deepened by the experience.



Che (sweets) on earthen bowls

The restaurant boasts of variety, with different food purveyors from appetizers to main course, drinks and dessert.  The vendors used to be street vendors,  those who excelled in the local dishes they prepare,  gathered into one location.  Brilliant concept, eh?

This restaurant is much blogged and written about,  nothing new for me to add. 

Cha Gio (fried spring rolls)

Go around first and see the purveyors preparing the dishes. Dining in the courtyard and the upper floor is recommended.  The big windows and airy ambience make the dining experience more pleasant.




Bun Bo Hue noodles

Quan An Angon at 160 Pasteur St.

A Grand Start to My London Trip

It's my first trip to the UK and, as always, I'm giddy with excitement. 

London is bustling, modern yet still had that old world chic, it's interestingly diverse, very cosmopolitan.  Rome was charming but it felt old and decaying inspite of the grandeur;  it's definitely past its heyday.  Barcelona has that modern vibe and old world charm as well,  but London just felt more sophisticated and urbane.  I love it.

Everytime I go to a new city,  I love to simply walk around and feel the place as soon as I arrive.  We landed at 6am, with barely a wink during the long, uncomfortable flight;  my colleagues and I just dropped off our bags at the hotel, then hit the road.  Breakfast would be at Hyde Park, at 350 acres one of the largest parks in London and one of the four Royal Parks.  It is a 20-minute walk from the hotel.  I was told the cafe will be along the Serpentine lake.  How cool is that?!!

Equestrienne in Hyde Park

On the way, I started soaking in the sights around me -- the posh apartments with flowers on the window sill, the beautiful architecture of the Museum of Natural History, the Royal Albert Hall.  Hyde Park is indeed big;  it  the very green park teeming with joggers, bikers and even elegantly-dressed  equestrienne.  In true English fashion, the weather was fickle with the sun and a light drizzle alternating while we walked,  it was also quite cold.  It felt strange - summer but we were all bundled up, for me summer means shorts and halter tops!



Lido cafe

After what seemed like a circuitous route inside the park,  we reached Lido cafe.  What a lovely place!  My spirits quickly soared.  We chose to sit outside, where we could watch the ducks on the lake.  (There was ongoing construction across the lake, most likely related to the upcoming Olympics. The triathlon will be held in Hyde Park.)  As we chatted and shared food,  the clouds parted and the sun shone. 


Serpentine lake behind me

What a grand start to my London trip. 



My BEST Brownies

Brownies. True comfort food for me.  Over the past month, my daytimes have been  filled with meetings, even during lunchbreaks!  I get to check and respond to emails, make presentations and all that stuff, only in the evenings.

Feeling stressed,  and guilty as well (the kids just started summer holiday and I've been working mostly),  I decided to bake brownies. It could lighten my guilty conscience. 

Maybe the feelings of love and good intentions that were poured into it helped make those brownies truly terrific – moist, fudgy  and super chocolatey. Not far from the brownies I buy in Voelker or L'uisine (and friendlier to my wallet!).

My kids tell me they're "awesome" and "yummy".  Their actions speak louder than words - they've been devouring it.

What I used and did :
Berry Crocker’s Ready Mix Brownies - Dark Chocolate

-  mixed per pack directions (with ½ cup melted butter, ¼ cup water and 2 eggs)

Plus 3 tbsp of Van Houten unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 egg (for more fudgy, cake-like brownies)

I made 3 trays 

      1st tray - plain

      2nd tray - I added chopped Lindt dark-chocolate-mint

      3rd tray - I topped with chopped toasted cashew nuts

I baked the brownies at 170 degrees Centigrade. After 20 minutes, I turned off the oven.  (I actually forgot to take them out as I was checking emails. Felt so relieved the brownies still turned out great.)

The kids and I have been playing a game (similar to taboo) this morning,  munching on them continuously,  especially the younger boys.  Guilty conscience now officially relieved.

Saigon Eats : The Elbow Room

Saturday afternoons are my me-time. Reading a book, taking a nap, getting a massage, or catching up with friends.  I had a great time today with my friend R.  the trust and openness we have towards each other makes our conversations truly enjoyable.  There's confidence  that what's been shared between us remained between us.

Since I could not say anything about what we talked about, I'm wiring about the cafe instead.

The Elbow Room is a delightful little place along Pasteur St.  I liked the ambience, it was quiet and relaxing (except for when a young Japanese boy who threw a tantrum and started screaming and kicking).  The deco was simple but charming. The service was almost flawless,  the servers were attentive but not intrusive.

From what I had, I'd day say the food is nothing to rave about. Not bad but nothing very noteworthy either. I chose the Elbow Room smoothie, it was not smooth at all, it had loads of icicles; the coffee was good and the vanilla syrup made it taste a bit more special;  R swears by the spicy shrimp pasta though. 

To be fair, I havent tasted must of the food in the menu.  I plan to come back with the kids for brunch;  the Chef's Specials and the all-day breakfast seemed interesting.

 

Easy Beef Stroganoff

When the kids don't finish their packed lunch, I worry they don't get enough nutrition. I want them to have good food, something easy to gobble up during lunch break, while chatting with their friends. (They play & chat more than eat!)

I found a crockpot beef stroganoff recipe at Cooks.com. It was nutritious, easy-to-prepare, and easy-to-eat. The ingredients are quite simple too!  (I get intimidated with recipes with a long list of ingredients.)

Here's my version :

    1/2 k beef strips (sirloin)
    1 small onion, chopped
    1clove garlic, chopped
    3 tbsp liquid seasoning (I use Knorr or Maggi)
    1 small can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, 1/4 cup water
    1 small can sliced button mushrooms

Marinade the beef strips in liquid seasoning and pepper for 30 minutes.  Put all ingredients except the mushroom in the crock pot;  rinse the soup can with some water and mix it in to help dilute the sauce. Cook in high for 2 hours, stir every 30 minutes. Add the sliced mushroom and cook in low for another hour.  Serve hot.

The meat's really tender, and the sauce flavorful.  Great with steamed rice or sliced baguette.

Here's the original recipe; sour cream is added before serving.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1727,157187-234204,00.html

Sunday Lunch at Ngon Restaurant

We usually go out for lunch on Sundays.  It's a simple way of breaking the monotony of the week, especially for the kids.  After all, Sunday is rest day.

We like Vietnamese food. Simple, flavorful, with lots of greens/veggies so healthier, I suppose.  One of our favorites in Saigon is Ngon restaurant in Hai Ba Trung St.

The restaurant is in a colonial French villa, with high-ceilings and tall windows;  though usually crowded, the place is airy and charming, especially at night. 

It's different from the older Quan An Ngon.  Both are very popular with tourists, with similar concept of having some of the best streetfood in Saigon housed under one roof.  The kids liked to go around the food stalls, watching the food being prepared - steaming soup which servers ladle from huge cauldrons to bowls, greens and fresh herbs, glutinous rice dishes with various types of fillings, skewered chicken/beef/pork being barbecued...

Vietnamese fastfood,
with the dishes assembled upon ordering



Che (sweets/desserts) in earthen pots,
mostly cooked in coconut milk



We went there for lunch today.  It's our maid's day-off, and I wasn't in the mood to cook. The place was bustling as usual.  Cha gio as starter, then we each had noodles or rice as main dish and a dessert - the bill came up to less than VND 600k/US$60. Quite reasonable and we all felt full and satisfied.

Cha Gio (Vietnamese fried spring roll)



Steamed rice with porkchop
and shredded porkskin

 

Cambodia : Eats in Siem Reap

Khmer food is similar to Thai and Vietnamese food.  Noodle soup for breakfast,  main dishes with coconut milk like fish amok (a very popular dish), soups made flavorful with lemongrass, ginger and other spices, pork-chicken-beef-seafood bbq. $5-$6 per meal per person is a workable budget (typical meal, not fine dining :)

I'd like to share some of our food experiences in Siem Reap.   

Besides Touich (which I've written about), we liked Blue Pumpkin Cafe. An all-white environment, with white sofas fluffed with big pillows. We had snacks while I read a travel guide book and M & H checked the photos they've taken. We went there twice and tried the fresh spring rolls, sandwiches, mini pizza and ham-n-cheese quiche. Pretty good. The ice cream was, to me, pricey at $1.50 per scoop. Of course, the ambiance is part of the price.

The open-air dining area near Pub Street (across Red Piano) is not to be missed. Only for dinner, I think it only comes alive at night. The stalls were offering mostly Khmer food and yummy bbqs. We tried beef, pork ribs, chicken, calamari, which were served with some greens and your choice of sauce. (M was looking for crocodile meat, there was none. One stall had dried snake meat, M said it would be tough & chewy). $25 for 4 adult eaters and 2 young kids is quite reasonable; admittedly, we were all not that hungry when we ate there.

Khmer Kitchen is also a good place to eat. We went there with friends, the place was packed with tourists. We had the Khmer sour soup (shrimp and fish),  deep fried pork ribs and chicken with ginger. Service was slow, but the food was good (though the chicken with ginger have very few pieces of chicken). Most dishes were priced at $3 each. Our bill, together with mango shakes for the kids and a beer for M, was $35.  Reasonable.

Viroth's and Green Star were in our list,  but did not have the opportunity to go there.

When going on holiday, I think it's worthwhile to do some homework on good places to eat. In Siem Reap, make sure the tuktuk driver is very clear on where you want to go. Many tuktuk drivers (and guides) would recommend restaurants to tourists (maybe its similar to the practice in other countries where they get some commissions for bringing in customers). No problem with us as long as we give our consent.  (We had a not-so-good experience for lunch on our first day. We told the tuktuk driver where to take us, but he brought us somewhere else. We just let it go;  if we insisted on moving to another place, we may not catch the 1:30pm shuttle to the Silk Farm. The place's name is Orchidee Restaurant, if I recall correctly. The prices were on the high side given the quality of the food...We paid the the same amount for our dinner in Touich! Well, charge it to experience.).

Cambodia : Our Amazing Meal at Touich

We are not foodies,  but when visiting a new place, trying the local cuisine is in the agenda. Good food certainly is part of an amazing holiday, right? (Also, food can be quite expensive in touristy places; eating in the right places can certainly help us spend wisely.) Touich restaurant was voted no.1 in Trip Advisor. We gotta eat there!

 I made a dinner reservation and was told we'll get a complimentary pick-up. They'd send a tuktuk I thought. 

To our pleasant surprise, an old topdown green military jeep came to pick us up  (the owner's, I believe). Wohoo! The place was slightly off the beaten track, the ride was kinda rough, as we passed a dark dirt road with potholes. The kids loved the ride.

Nipa roof. Colored lights. The place was simple and quaint yet quite charming.

We were shown to our table by a waiter with a bright and welcoming smile.

Grilled squid

Beef fillet

He recommended the banana flower salad as starter,  for the main course, the beef filet and the red snapper from the grill.  We also ordered grilled squid and braised eggplant with pork. The rice was served with steamed vegetables. Everything tasted fresh, seasoned just right and cooked perfectly.





Grilled red snapper

 The red snapper encrusted in sea salt was the star of the meal. The waitress had to perform a cute little ceremony as she served it - she tapped the fish loudly with a spoon to crack the salt, then deftly removed the skin. Novelty for the kids :)

The place was quite busy, yet the crew had smiles all the time and came over to check if we enjoyed the food (a far cry from what we usually experience in Vietnam). After our meal, I inquired if they had desert, the waiter said they didn't but would check if his wife made some Khmer cakes. (There was none, but it was such a nice, thoughtful  gesture.)

Gorgeous food, charming setting, wonderful service. We recommend Touich resto to anyone who visits Siem Reap.

Simple and Healthy Fruit Salad

My son D hates cream,  he hates the taste.  It was a surprise to me then when, a couple of weeks back, he asked "Mom,  can we make fruit salad again?"  The one with the cream?!  He enthusiastically nodded with a big grin on his face. 

I wasn't able to make some then;  these past couple of weeks,  someone in the family got seriously sick,  and I was too tired to do anything in the kitchen. That sickness in the family served us a wake up call for us to eat healthier.

With an hour to spare and knowing I have all the ingredients in the pantry, I prepared fruit salad for tonight's dessert,  and made it healthier  -  instead of cream, I used strawberry yogurt.  Here's my simple recipe.

   2 big cans of mixed fruits  

   2 packs of strawberry yogurt

   3 tbsp of condensed milk
   1/4 c grated cheddar cheese

what I had in stock

Strain the mixed fruits for half an hour.  In a big bowl, mix the yogurt,  cheese and condensed milk together; add more condensed milk if a sweeter salad is preferred.  With a wooden spoon, mix in the mixed fruits and refrigerate. 

I added mango slices before serving; everyone in the family love mangoes and they are in season right now.  We love nata de coco in our fruit salad,  but I can't find good nata de coco in the supermarkets here in Ho Chi Minh City.  Nevertheless,  this was wiped out in no time.