Who doesn’t adore Vietnam’s bánh mì baguette? Light and crusty.
Time to “re-acclimatise” to Aussie food (fly home from Vung Tau tonight) so lunch is a good ol’ snag & egg in a roll. With tomato sauce.
After a month of mostly preservative-free Asian eating, Aussie food can give you a hard kick in the belly.
Read the ingredients label: we tend to consume the entire Periodic Table at every meal.
That’s the “price” of convenience food …
(This tastes good, btw)
You beauty!
Dinner tonight. That’s 750 grams of Vietnam crayfish to crave.
I shook his hand (antenna) in the tank first, to make sure he was a fine specimen.
Now into the pot, then onto the barbie, and bon appetit.
1.2 mmillion dong (AUD$75), in Vung Tau. Same price in Nha Trang and DaNang.
If you think fresh seafood is still cheap in South-East Asia, you’re dreaming.
Demand from China has put paid to that. (You can see why the Qantas CEO prefers a planeful of Tassie live lobster, to economy passengers.)
You’ve seen it a thousand times, on a dozen visits, probably nibbled it – but never really stopped and “experienced” it.
South-East Asian food is like that. You may reckon you’ve seen it all but no, there’s always a surprise.
Vietnamese call this grapefruit. It’s a type of pomelo, and it varies in taste, appearance and name, according the area where it’s grown.
This one might be nam roi or doan hung; its juice is sweet and with a lingering acidic after-taste.
It is bursting with “healthy”.
When have you eaten enough?
The sweetness lures you into yet another mouthful, while the hint of acid sharpness suggests otherwise: ahh, the absorbing contradictions, that is travel in South-East Asia.
Fast Food Wars: the smokey, heat of battle in Vung Tau, Vietnam.
Pitched on each side of the street, it’s Cóm 25k versus Cóm Tàm 25k.
Maccas v Hungry Jack’s? KFC v Red Rooster?
Both sell the grilled, ultra-thin chicken cutlet with egg, rice, vegie and a squirt of sweet chilli syrup.
Delicious, too.
Let’s call it a draw, and we’re all winners …
Vietnam devotes much effort into beautifying the beachside parks and gardens.
This is the “Back Beach”, in Vung Tau; the same for Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hoi An – at destinations up and down the Vietnam coast.
Vietnam soft shell shrimp (prawns).
Not to my liking but it keeps popping up, in Vung Tau, Nha Trang – across this fascinating country.
Steamed, grilled, sweet, fried. Not one to shy away from a challenge, by the end of this journey I will have acquired an appreciation, or, having given it my best shot, I shall withdraw with honour.
This night’s street-stall version is a big prawn, deep fried in peanut oil with a very tasty batter, and the prawn meat is firm and delicious.
A pity there’s a barrier of “crunchy” shell between the two.
Crunch, crunch, crunch …
Vietnam Lunch: the young bloke next to me was eating a plateful of these, with rice.
Being of daring spirit and with a yearn to learn, I had to try one too. Delicious!
Similar to a Cantonese ham sui gok, it is a light, hollow, doughy “puff” coated in baked rice “bubbles” (a la crispy rice crackers) and, I presume, pan fried.
These being hollow, you could have a lot of fun experimenting with various fillings such as paté or mince, or do vegetarian with diced tomatoes and onions; maybe a sweet version with raisins and citrus peel, and serve hot with vanilla bean ice-cream.
(I’ve impressed myself with these ideas. What am I doing, pretending to write? I should be pretending to “chef” …)
Vietnam lunch is a “one with the lot”.
A big queue was happening at this Nha Trang street food stall – building labourers, office workers, they were pulling up on their motor scooters; the family running the stall were working like clockwork, filling take-away containers and ladening plates.
They all seemed to be ordering rice with a bit of everything. So I did, too! Smart move.
The meal was pork done various ways, chicken, boiled/stewed pigeon eggs, vegetable, crunchy fried shrimp (yes, I crunched them – shell, head and all), and other bits and pieces.
Generously spoon on some SE Asian home-made sweet chilli syrup, and tuck in …
Traditional Vietnamese wedding near nha Trang: what an honour to be invited, by Dung to the wedding of one of her work staff.
They are so courteous and friendly.
Two fun & friendly hours of eating, speeches, eating, singing, eating, hand-shaking, eating, pics, eating …
(videos to come)
Chà com tâm is a cold “pie” made with broken rice, cucumber and eggs – this version tastes also of mushrooms and salty fish sauce, adorned with red chillies.
It’s like quiche Lorraine … shall we call it “Quiche Nha Trang”?
On the topic of “broken rice”, one evening I chatted to an American in the Muster Bar in Vung Tau who was building a factory on the Mekong River, in partnership with a local, to export “broken rice”.
There’s big bickies to be made in the non-perfect rice grain trade …
Haxtrax 