Culinary Update: Finally something to write home about!

The dedicated foodie that I am has been eagerly awaiting a country with the culinary personality of Vietnam. And believe me, it did not disappoint. I miss the food already! One of my greatest regrets is that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to try more street food. It wasn’t until we left that I realized just how prime a destination Hanoi is for foreign food enthusiasts. Meals are dirt-cheap for one thing. A huge bowl of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) rarely costs more than 20,000 dong, which is less than $1.

Vietnam has quite the culinary history as well. Having been a French colony for a large part of its life, Vietnam adopted (who knows how willingly) many staples of the French culinary repertoire. Omlets and crepe-like things are common on many café menus. Baguettes can be found everywhere, from food carts and French bakeries alike, which stand next to traditional pho shops on nearly every street corner. The most delicious offspring of such an unlikely marriage is definitely the bahn mi sandwiches: from the French comes the baguette, liver pate and mayonnaise, which fuses unexpectedly and deliciously with the cilantro, chili sauce, pork slices and pickled veggies from the Vietnamese.

One of my favorite snacks, which I only discovered toward the end of our stay, was the roasted yam and steamed corn on the cob that street vendors wheeled around during the dusky hours. Who doesn’t love a soft, warm roasted yam on-the-go? No one. However, eating in transit unfortunately isn’t part of the culture in Vietnam. I attracted some awkward attention nibbling on my potato during a crowded bus ride. But I couldn’t resist. (It also could have been because I am 6 feet tall and white, but whatever.) These street snack carts are really creatively designed, complete with overhead lighting, signage, wok-like charcoal roasting pit and corncob steamer, all on wheels.

I'll admit, I didn't take this photo. Judging by the $ sign, it wasn't event taken in
Vietnam...but the food carts I saw in Hanoi were very similar to this one.

Street food is such a blessing. It’s just such a different game here. Fresh seafood is cheap and easily available, as are tons of great vegetables. Stir fry-like dishes of tofu/squid/shellfish/eggs/chicken and various vegetables are sold in buffet-style restaurants all over. These places would definitely never pass our food handling regulations, but maybe its that little element of danger that makes them extra delicious. GOD STREET FOOD RULES! Damn you FDA!

For all of you who enjoy looking at food as much as I do, here is a list of my top 10 food experiences from Vietnam – in order.

1. Pho!

Pho (noodle soup) in Hanoi is different from any of the pho I’ve had in the States. This is probably because of the significant regional differences that exist in Vietnamese cuisine. I found Hanoi pho to be simple and clean, but that’s not to say it lacked any depth of flavor. The broth is the star of the show, with ginger, garlic, fish sauce, chili, lemongrass, MSG J (a.k.a. my new favorite condiment) and tons of other delicious secrets that I will never know about. Mix-ins are simple and sparing: cilantro, scallion, and mushrooms if you’re lucky. My ultimate concoction includes as much fresh lime juice as you can get your hands on, spicy chili sauce of some kind (it varies from place to place) and plenty pickled garlic and chili slices, each of which are found on every table at nearly every restaurant in Vietnam. I’m already missing the warm, bright comfort of a huge bowl of pho in the morning. It really is a great way to start the day, even though it only keeps me full for like 2 hours…

2. Pho xiao

Not as much of a staple as pho soup, but nonetheless delicious this fried noodle dish (pho = flat rice noodles). Pho xiao is nothing extremely unique, just stir-fried noodles with beef and vegetables, usually onion, tomato and green peppers. It’s the simplicity (and probably the MSG) that makes it so good. It’s pretty greasy but every bite is indulgent and satisfying. Anna and I treated ourselves to this dish after our class presentations, and it was definitely the perfect reward.

3. Mixed fruit

While most of my tripmates went crazy for chè (see below), I preferred the incredibly refreshing and “mixed fruit” treats that my friend Ha introduced to me. They are so delicious and so simple, which seems to be the theme here. Just a salad of various cubed fruits (jackfruit, mango, papaya, Asian pear, mangosteen, watermelon, dragon fruit, strawberry, banana) topped with shaved ice (Sno-cone style) and fresh yogurt or condensed milk. It’s the best thing ever on a hot sticky afternoon, and its something I’ll never really be able to recreate.

Mixed fruit on the far left, and black rice and yogurt hidden in the back.

4. Black rice and yogurt

The same shop that sold the mixed fruit also offered this interesting treat. I’ve seen black rice almost everywhere in Asia, and the more I have it the more I like it. Ha explained it to me as the fibrous rice pieces that are leftover after the rice wine-making process. But they aren’t tough or starchy. They’re more gelatinous, but dense. Kind of like a jelly bean crossed with a barley kernel, but rice sized. And they’re sweet, but not overly. Again topped with shaved ice and yogurt. It’s just so refreshing.

5. Banh xeo

One of the first and most interesting street food experiences I had was with banh xeo. After a field trip to a silk market, a few of the PAs took our entire group out to lunch. I expected to have some trouble finding a restaurant big enough to fit all of us. However, instead of a restaurant, we were taken to a typical roadside food vendor on an already packed street corner just outside the market. Literally sandwiched between a telephone pole, a seafood vendor and the stove of this one-woman show of a chef, I enjoyed one of the most unique dishes in Vietnam. Banh xeo is a dish made up of various separate components and requires considerable diner input. First, a crispy crepe-like egg cake is fried up in a pan, inside of which is folded a bean sprout/carrot/baby shrimp/ground beef mixture. These little pockets of goodness are then divided up into small sections and rolled in rice paper along with fresh basil, cilantro and lettuce leaves by the diner. There is a delicious fish saucy/vinegar/chili sauce for dipping as well. Here are a few photos of the whole process.

Again, as has been the theme of Vietnamese cuisine, the flavors are bright, refreshing and (in my opinion) complex. Banh xeo is such a wonderful mixture of herby brightness and satisfying, salty crunch.

6. Banh mi

As I mentioned above, banh mi is a marriage of French and Vietnamese culinary traditions. Pate, pork or egg, cabbage, cucumber, hot sauce, cilantro and sometimes tomato smushed inside a light, crispy baguette. It’s just so full of interesting flavor. Bright and herby from the cilantro and cucumber, and salty and meaty from the pate and pork. It’s so unique and so unforgettable.

7. Snails

One of my favorite memories of Vietnam was the night my friend Kari and I ventured out to find a unique spot to eat dinner. We ended up at a little restaurant run by a mother and his son (I’m assuming). They quickly figured out that we didn’t speak Vietnamese and weren’t familiar with the food, but they were so sweet and accommodating. We pointed to the snail dish that had been ordered at a table next to us, and they took the liberty of showing us how to peel the meat out of the shell and dip it into the sauce. All we were given was a bowl of steamed snails, triangular metal picks, some tasty little pickled figs (I think…), and the wonderful sauce - so simple and yet so complex. It had the staple Vietnamese ingredients: lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and chili, along with some soy sauce and MSG I’m sure. I think I might have been a little more into it than Kari, but we had a blast nonetheless.

8. Bun cha

Another meal I probably wouldn’t have tried without having it pointed out to me by my PA friends was bun cha. It’s a little bit like banh xeo in that it consists of many separate elements that must be put together by the diner. First comes a small bowl of broth filled with grilled pork meatballs, carrot and bean sprouts. But it’s not soup. It’s much thicker. Also at the table is a communal plate of cooked rice vermicelli noodes, fresh herbs and pickled garlic and chili slices. These meatballs are meant to be eaten along with the noodles and herbs, each of which can be added to the broth at the diner’s discretion. I like adding chili and garlic to my broth too, just for a little more kick. The cherry on top is the scrumptious spring rolls that come along with the whole shebang. I’ll admit it’s tough to eat, especially when you’re not a chopstick expert. But it’s really fun.

9. Café sua da

Coffee in Vietnam is much different from coffee in the states. If you want the gory details, I’d be happy to share sometime; my group project for our International Business course was an analysis of the café sector in Vietnam. Basically though, coffee in Vietnam is much, MUCH stronger than we are used to, partly because it comes from Robusta rather than the Arabica beans. And it is brewed very differently too. I won’t go into the specifics, but it ends up being much thicker and more dense. The typical Vietnamese cup of coffee is only about 6 ounces, filled with ice cubes over which is poured an espresso-shot’s worth of coffee. Condensed milk can be mixed in to your liking. It is almost always served cold. Most hot coffee drinks that are sold are western-style espresso drinks. The iced coffee was definitely too strong for me. I ended up being strung out on caffeine for almost the entire day after having a cup at breakfast. But it is enjoyable nonetheless.

10. Chè

This is definitely the most unique eat of Vietnam, and is incredibly hard to explain for those who are unfamiliar with it. But I’ll make an attempt. It is basically like a salad/soup of sweet, glutinous jellies and beans over shaved ice and topped with coconut cream and syrup, served in a cup. Glutinous starch products like these are common all over Asia. Rice flour (or some other flour) is essentially mixed with water and flavorings, and smashed/pulled for a LONG time to activate the gluten to create a nice, chewy texture. Japanese mochi is one well-known example. They end up being a lot like the tapioca balls that are found in the bubble tea drinks that are becoming popular in the States. Anyway, these chewy glutinous balls come in literally dozens of flavors (taro, pomegranate, red bean, etc.) and sizes. Regular beans are often in che too. Red beans and mung beans are most common (and they’re sweet!).

Vietnam was so yummy. I would love to return some day. Who wants to come with me?