Taster's Delight

good food, good joints, and lots of love
Apr 27
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Mien Ga Hanoi | 008 Lo B C/C Ngo Tat To, Binh Thanh District | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam In America, I never heard of or tasted bun mang vit — duck bamboo vermicelli soup. In Vietnam, I crave it on a regular basis. Recommended from a friend whose number one choice of protein is duck, this joint is actually a mien ga and pho joint but serves bun mang vit on odd number days (i.e. Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays), usually sold out by 9am.  Lean cuts of duck breast and thinly sliced bamboo are both to be dipped in a sauce of fish sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, chili, and lime. This perfectly balanced sweet dipping sauce is nicely contrasted with a salted broth made from duck bones. The choice of vermicelli noodles adds a soft and slippery texture, pleasant to slurp after the bites of duck breast and crunch of bamboo. And of course, topped with green onions, various herbs, and chili to your liking. Sounds so simple, but the owner consistently harmonizes the components of this soup so well. -Noreylee

Mien Ga Hanoi | 008 Lo B C/C Ngo Tat To, Binh Thanh District | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

In America, I never heard of or tasted bun mang vit — duck bamboo vermicelli soup. In Vietnam, I crave it on a regular basis. Recommended from a friend whose number one choice of protein is duck, this joint is actually a mien ga and pho joint but serves bun mang vit on odd number days (i.e. Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays), usually sold out by 9am. 

Lean cuts of duck breast and thinly sliced bamboo are both to be dipped in a sauce of fish sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, chili, and lime. This perfectly balanced sweet dipping sauce is nicely contrasted with a salted broth made from duck bones. The choice of vermicelli noodles adds a soft and slippery texture, pleasant to slurp after the bites of duck breast and crunch of bamboo. And of course, topped with green onions, various herbs, and chili to your liking. Sounds so simple, but the owner consistently harmonizes the components of this soup so well.

-Noreylee

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Dec 12
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No Name Joint | Dirt Road On The Left Before Cao Dai Temple | Da Lat, VietnamBased on a tip from a kind soul on Flickr, we motorbiked 10 km from the city center of Da Lat in search of rabbit meat. Situated on top of a small dirt hill with a view of the small town of Trai Mat, this joint has no menu and only serves four things: rabbit curry, rabbit blood, bbq rabbit, and rice wine liquor (not pictured) to wash it all down. We happily ordered all four. All order quantities and prices are customized to the size of your party. For a party of two, the rabbit curry cost 60,000 vnd (approximately $3 usd), the rabbit blood cost 16,000 vnd (approximately $0.75 usd), and the bbq rabbit cost 60,000 vnd (approximately $3 usd). The rabbit curry could have been a little thicker for my liking, but otherwise the flavoring was solid and served with the airiest French bread that I’ve eaten in Vietnam (also not pictured, sorry). It was my first time eating rabbit blood so I can only compare it to my experience eating duck blood. Though not as flavorful or congealed as duck blood, the rabbit blood was refreshing in its own right and served with the same condiments of lime for acid and peanuts + basil for texture. Served solely to compliment the rice wine liquor, it was nice break in between the two other rabbit courses. The star of the trio was the bbq rabbit, which was seasoned with the perfect balance of sesame and lemongrass. The bbq rabbit is grilled on top of pandan leaves as a steaming mechanism which resulted in just the right amount of smokey flavor. Overall a satisfying meal, the funnest one we had in Da Lat.-Noreylee

No Name Joint | Dirt Road On The Left Before Cao Dai Temple | Da Lat, Vietnam

Based on a tip from a kind soul on Flickr, we motorbiked 10 km from the city center of Da Lat in search of rabbit meat. Situated on top of a small dirt hill with a view of the small town of Trai Mat, this joint has no menu and only serves four things: rabbit curry, rabbit blood, bbq rabbit, and rice wine liquor (not pictured) to wash it all down. We happily ordered all four. All order quantities and prices are customized to the size of your party. For a party of two, the rabbit curry cost 60,000 vnd (approximately $3 usd), the rabbit blood cost 16,000 vnd (approximately $0.75 usd), and the bbq rabbit cost 60,000 vnd (approximately $3 usd). 

The rabbit curry could have been a little thicker for my liking, but otherwise the flavoring was solid and served with the airiest French bread that I’ve eaten in Vietnam (also not pictured, sorry). It was my first time eating rabbit blood so I can only compare it to my experience eating duck blood. Though not as flavorful or congealed as duck blood, the rabbit blood was refreshing in its own right and served with the same condiments of lime for acid and peanuts + basil for texture. Served solely to compliment the rice wine liquor, it was nice break in between the two other rabbit courses. The star of the trio was the bbq rabbit, which was seasoned with the perfect balance of sesame and lemongrass. The bbq rabbit is grilled on top of pandan leaves as a steaming mechanism which resulted in just the right amount of smokey flavor. Overall a satisfying meal, the funnest one we had in Da Lat.

-Noreylee

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Quan Gio | Along Tuyen Lam Lake | Da Lat, Vietnam Da Lat is known for jungle meat. However there has been a recent crackdown on the sale of jungle meat in Da Lat so it was a bit harder to find such places to eat. During our search, we were driving along Tuyen Lam Lake when Anh Hong (as we later learned was his name) flagged us down and asked if we wanted to stop for coffee. Vinh replied “Hm no, we are looking for jungle meat.” To which he replied “Oh! I have that too!” Anh Hong sells three dishes: deer, wild boar, and a special fish particular to the region. We agreed to pay 400,000 vnd (approximately $20 usd) for a sampling of his dishes. The price seemed a bit steep, but we figured hey, maybe its some really special type of fish. We eventually realized that that price was an absolute steal. The special fish turned out to be sturgeon. Let me repeat, the special fish turned out to be STURGEON! Sturgeon is the type of fish harvested for their roe which is made into caviar. Specifically famous is the beluga sturgeon which produces beluga caviar, the most expensive type of caviar with prices up to $5000 usd per pound. Now obviously we were not eating exported beluga sturgeon bred in the Caspian Sea or Black Sea, but it was still a very happy accident to find a joint that serves any type of freshly bred sturgeon (in 2009, Vietnam began breeding sturgeon in the central highlands). We looked like fools that won the lottery when realizing that the Vietnamese term ca tam translated to sturgeon in English.  All three dishes were grilled by us. The deer meat and wild boar were both seasoned with sesame and a hint of sugar. The deer (middle photo) tasted like standard decent pieces of deer that we were use to eating in Ho Chi Minh City (particularly at a favorite joint called Lang Nuong in District 10) — similar to beef but tougher in texture. The wild boar (bottom photo)  was very gamey and did not leave much of an impression. The lack of excitement in those two dishes was mitigated by the greatness of the sturgeon. We were given about a dozen 4 inch by 2 inch pieces of sturgeon (top photo). Each piece was fleshy and moist — and smartly seasoned with minimal chile and onion oil so as to not distract from the natural juices of the fish. The skin was wonderfully fatty with a perfect crisp. Easily these pieces of heaven was the best thing we ate in Da Lat.  -Noreylee

Quan Gio | Along Tuyen Lam Lake | Da Lat, Vietnam

Da Lat is known for jungle meat. However there has been a recent crackdown on the sale of jungle meat in Da Lat so it was a bit harder to find such places to eat. During our search, we were driving along Tuyen Lam Lake when Anh Hong (as we later learned was his name) flagged us down and asked if we wanted to stop for coffee. Vinh replied “Hm no, we are looking for jungle meat.” To which he replied “Oh! I have that too!”

Anh Hong sells three dishes: deer, wild boar, and a special fish particular to the region. We agreed to pay 400,000 vnd (approximately $20 usd) for a sampling of his dishes. The price seemed a bit steep, but we figured hey, maybe its some really special type of fish. We eventually realized that that price was an absolute steal.

The special fish turned out to be sturgeon. Let me repeat, the special fish turned out to be STURGEON!

Sturgeon is the type of fish harvested for their roe which is made into caviar. Specifically famous is the beluga sturgeon which produces beluga caviar, the most expensive type of caviar with prices up to $5000 usd per pound. Now obviously we were not eating exported beluga sturgeon bred in the Caspian Sea or Black Sea, but it was still a very happy accident to find a joint that serves any type of freshly bred sturgeon (in 2009, Vietnam began breeding sturgeon in the central highlands). We looked like fools that won the lottery when realizing that the Vietnamese term ca tam translated to sturgeon in English. 

All three dishes were grilled by us. The deer meat and wild boar were both seasoned with sesame and a hint of sugar. The deer (middle photo) tasted like standard decent pieces of deer that we were use to eating in Ho Chi Minh City (particularly at a favorite joint called Lang Nuong in District 10) — similar to beef but tougher in texture. The wild boar (bottom photo)  was very gamey and did not leave much of an impression. The lack of excitement in those two dishes was mitigated by the greatness of the sturgeon. We were given about a dozen 4 inch by 2 inch pieces of sturgeon (top photo). Each piece was fleshy and moist — and smartly seasoned with minimal chile and onion oil so as to not distract from the natural juices of the fish. The skin was wonderfully fatty with a perfect crisp. Easily these pieces of heaven was the best thing we ate in Da Lat. 

-Noreylee

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Cafe 171 | 106 Phan Dinh Phung | Da Lat, VietnamDa Lat is also known for growing the best coffee beans in Vietnam. Upon the recommendation of my friend Lolita, I made sure that my first taste of coffee in Da Lat would be at Cafe 171.The owner’s name is Tran Sum (top photo) and he has a joyful smile (especially considering he is up every day at 1am to start brewing his coffee) that immediately appears at any instance of eye contact. Though open all day, majority of patrons come during Tran Sum’s working hours of 4am to 10am to sample his freshly brewed coffee. His coffee shop embodies the prototypical Da Lat coffee atmosphere — leather bound stools + small wooden tables occupied by Vietnamese early risers wearing matching leather bomber jackets, front doors pushed to the side allowing the cool morning crisp to linger inside, and a coffee bar with accompanying portable stove tops in the front of the shop.Vinh ordered the ca phe nong (black coffee, middle photo), I ordered the ca phe sua nong (black coffee with condense milk, bottom photo). Coffee is served in shot glasses. Strong, rich, and bold in flavor — such a serving size is all that is necessary. There is an obvious taste of extra sweetness in his coffee even if you order the ca phe nong because Tran Sum adds butter, sugar, salt, and mocha beans when roasting his coffee beans. Oh and most noteworthy, the coffee is served piping hot. Usually Vietnamese coffee is pre-dripped or cools down as you watch your coffee drip from the filter into a cup. Here the coffee is kept warm in a filter (metal canisters lined with socks!) until served. At 4000 vnd (approximately $0.20 usd) for the ca phe nong and 6000 vnd (approximately $0.30 usd) for the ca phe sua nong, these two shot glasses of joy contained the best coffee of my life.-Noreylee

Cafe 171 | 106 Phan Dinh Phung | Da Lat, Vietnam

Da Lat is also known for growing the best coffee beans in Vietnam. Upon the recommendation of my friend Lolita, I made sure that my first taste of coffee in Da Lat would be at Cafe 171.

The owner’s name is Tran Sum (top photo) and he has a joyful smile (especially considering he is up every day at 1am to start brewing his coffee) that immediately appears at any instance of eye contact. Though open all day, majority of patrons come during Tran Sum’s working hours of 4am to 10am to sample his freshly brewed coffee. His coffee shop embodies the prototypical Da Lat coffee atmosphere — leather bound stools + small wooden tables occupied by Vietnamese early risers wearing matching leather bomber jackets, front doors pushed to the side allowing the cool morning crisp to linger inside, and a coffee bar with accompanying portable stove tops in the front of the shop.

Vinh ordered the ca phe nong (black coffee, middle photo), I ordered the ca phe sua nong (black coffee with condense milk, bottom photo). Coffee is served in shot glasses. Strong, rich, and bold in flavor — such a serving size is all that is necessary. There is an obvious taste of extra sweetness in his coffee even if you order the ca phe nong because Tran Sum adds butter, sugar, salt, and mocha beans when roasting his coffee beans. Oh and most noteworthy, the coffee is served piping hot. Usually Vietnamese coffee is pre-dripped or cools down as you watch your coffee drip from the filter into a cup. Here the coffee is kept warm in a filter (metal canisters lined with socks!) until served. At 4000 vnd (approximately $0.20 usd) for the ca phe nong and 6000 vnd (approximately $0.30 usd) for the ca phe sua nong, these two shot glasses of joy contained the best coffee of my life.

-Noreylee

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Sep 12
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Che Cart | Dien Bien Phu Alley Way, Binh Thanh District | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Every night whether rainy or clear skies, my neighborhood che lady wheels out her cart. She settles into her claimed spot in a little alley off Dien Bien Phu, conveniently just steps from where I live. Each night she offers a different version of che, which is a Vietnamese dessert that typically relies on beans, sticky rice, and tapioca (can be served hot or cold). I look forward to Wednesday nights when she serves banana che. Another favorite is the hot soy bean curd with coconut milk flavored che, which is usually served every other night. All flavors are served in a tiny bowl and costs 4000 vnd (approximately $0.20 usd). Order your flavor of choice, sit on a child sized colored stool, and enjoy the sweetness of this adored woman and her home made che. -Noreylee

Che Cart | Dien Bien Phu Alley Way, Binh Thanh District | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Every night whether rainy or clear skies, my neighborhood che lady wheels out her cart. She settles into her claimed spot in a little alley off Dien Bien Phu, conveniently just steps from where I live. Each night she offers a different version of che, which is a Vietnamese dessert that typically relies on beans, sticky rice, and tapioca (can be served hot or cold). I look forward to Wednesday nights when she serves banana che. Another favorite is the hot soy bean curd with coconut milk flavored che, which is usually served every other night. All flavors are served in a tiny bowl and costs 4000 vnd (approximately $0.20 usd). Order your flavor of choice, sit on a child sized colored stool, and enjoy the sweetness of this adored woman and her home made che.

-Noreylee

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Tea Station | Corner of Hai Ba Trung + Dinh Cong Trang, District 3 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Some are ideas in Vietnam are just so genius. Riding a motobike in Saigon heat can be pretty rough at moments. Staying hydrated is important no? Once you spot a tea station, pull your motobike over to the curb, and order your choice of tea (flavors include chrysanthemum, winter melon, Chinese herbs, etc). Usually a young teenager runs over to you, hands you a refreshing glass of tea, and waits for you to finish drinking. Return the glass, pay 3000 vnd (approximately $0.15 usd), and continue driving to your destination. The popular tea stations are fully staffed and packed with a significant number of motobikes all clustered together. I prefer ordering my choice of chrysanthemum tea from a one man show tea station — less busy, a friendly smile, and a seat in the shade if I want a break from sitting on my motobike.  -Noreylee

Tea Station | Corner of Hai Ba Trung + Dinh Cong Trang, District 3 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Some are ideas in Vietnam are just so genius. Riding a motobike in Saigon heat can be pretty rough at moments. Staying hydrated is important no? Once you spot a tea station, pull your motobike over to the curb, and order your choice of tea (flavors include chrysanthemum, winter melon, Chinese herbs, etc). Usually a young teenager runs over to you, hands you a refreshing glass of tea, and waits for you to finish drinking. Return the glass, pay 3000 vnd (approximately $0.15 usd), and continue driving to your destination. The popular tea stations are fully staffed and packed with a significant number of motobikes all clustered together. I prefer ordering my choice of chrysanthemum tea from a one man show tea station — less busy, a friendly smile, and a seat in the shade if I want a break from sitting on my motobike. 

-Noreylee

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Vietnamese Coffee | Ham Nghi + Khoi Nghia, District 1 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Depending on where you go, a cup of coffee in Vietnam costs anywhere from 6000 vnd (approximately $0.30 usd) at a street side stop to 50,000 vnd (approximately $2.50 usd) in a high end cafe. My favorite cup is from a sweet old lady who sells coffee out of her yellow styrofoam box on a street corner. I prefer ca phe sua da (Vietnamese ice milked coffee cup on the right, 8000 vnd). Order ca phe da (Vietnamese plain coffee cup on the left, 6000 vnd) if you want a stronger cup of coffee.  -Noreylee

Vietnamese Coffee | Ham Nghi + Khoi Nghia, District 1 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Depending on where you go, a cup of coffee in Vietnam costs anywhere from 6000 vnd (approximately $0.30 usd) at a street side stop to 50,000 vnd (approximately $2.50 usd) in a high end cafe. My favorite cup is from a sweet old lady who sells coffee out of her yellow styrofoam box on a street corner. I prefer ca phe sua da (Vietnamese ice milked coffee cup on the right, 8000 vnd). Order ca phe da (Vietnamese plain coffee cup on the left, 6000 vnd) if you want a stronger cup of coffee. 

-Noreylee

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Sep 01
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Pho Dau | Alleyway of 288/M1 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 3 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Pho dau opens around 5am and closes once they sell out, usually by 11am. This bowl of northern style pho is the business — pipping hot + aromatic* broth, tender pieces of rare beef, noodles with the perfect bite, and simple flavoring agents of green onions + cilantro + chile. Oh and the most delicious lingering aftertaste! Compared to southern style pho which uses more flavoring agents (i.e. cinnamon, rock sugar, ginger, etc.), northern style pho uses minimal star anise and typically tastes less sweet so order a side of beef fat + bone marrow (yes, bone marrow!) to add extra flavoring to your liking. At 50,000 VND (approximately $2.50 USD), this is the most expensive bowl that I’ve eaten in Vietnam but absolutely worth it. -Noreylee *According to Vinh.

Pho Dau | Alleyway of 288/M1 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 3 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Pho dau opens around 5am and closes once they sell out, usually by 11am. This bowl of northern style pho is the business — pipping hot + aromatic* broth, tender pieces of rare beef, noodles with the perfect bite, and simple flavoring agents of green onions + cilantro + chile. Oh and the most delicious lingering aftertaste!

Compared to southern style pho which uses more flavoring agents (i.e. cinnamon, rock sugar, ginger, etc.), northern style pho uses minimal star anise and typically tastes less sweet so order a side of beef fat + bone marrow (yes, bone marrow!) to add extra flavoring to your liking. At 50,000 VND (approximately $2.50 USD), this is the most expensive bowl that I’ve eaten in Vietnam but absolutely worth it.

-Noreylee

*According to Vinh.

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Mar 20
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Ibu Oka | Babi Guling Special Request | Bali, IndonesiaA pig is slowly roasted on a pyre of coffee branches for approximately 5 hours early in the morning after being bathed in coconut oil +  stuffed with shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, and chiles. The result is a platter of babi guling spesial (approximately $2.50 USD): various pig parts (moist rib + shoulder meat, freshly prepared blood sausage, crispy pieces of skin + fried offal) topped with a liver sauce + leftover stuffings and accompanied by a side of greens + white rice.So does this joint live up to the hype? Sure, the dish was delicious. The pork is tender, juicy, succulent. The skin has the just the right amount of fat lining. The blood sausage + fried offal were eh, but nice added texture. The liver sauce was perhaps a bit too sweet, but fine if you get it on the side to dip at your preference.Oh, but this post isn’t about that famous dish. There are only three other items on the menu: babi guling different (essentially babi guling spesial with double the amount for approximately $4 USD), daging babi guling (extra pork for approximately $3 USD), and kulit babi guling (extra skin for approximately $3 USD). I have no problem with simple menus. But as a Pilipina-American who grew up loving lechon + sisig, I was shocked that one of the most renowned places in the world to eat pork had no menu item using the pig head. Come on, the head is the best part of the whole pig! So I decide to ask.Me: Hello do you sell the head meat?Waitress: (blank stare) What?Me: The cheeks, the nose, the ears, the brains, the eyeballs?Waitress: (blank stare) You want to eat the eyeballs?Me: Well he does (points to the boyfriend), but I want to eat the other stuff.Waitress: (blank stare) Let me ask.She returns in a few minutes, beckons for me to follow her, and leads me to the kitchen station where a new roasted pig with the head still attached has been brought. The butcher chops the head off, begins piecing out the parts I asked about, and eventually hands me my special request of pig face parts. The butcher also throws in bonus clumps of fat lining + face skin (oh yes). Arguably a better deal at $5 USD, this platter came with more skin + meat than if you ordered a regular platter with extra dishes of skin + meat.We were very happy to eat our special request. As predicted, the cheeks were my favorite part and the eyeballs were Vinh’s favorite part. So much so, that we came back the next day to eat it again before we left Ubud. I will bet that this special request will be on the menu by the end of this year.-Noreylee

Ibu Oka | Babi Guling Special Request | Bali, Indonesia

A pig is slowly roasted on a pyre of coffee branches for approximately 5 hours early in the morning after being bathed in coconut oil +  stuffed with shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, and chiles. The result is a platter of babi guling spesial (approximately $2.50 USD): various pig parts (moist rib + shoulder meat, freshly prepared blood sausage, crispy pieces of skin + fried offal) topped with a liver sauce + leftover stuffings and accompanied by a side of greens + white rice.

So does this joint live up to the hype? Sure, the dish was delicious. The pork is tender, juicy, succulent. The skin has the just the right amount of fat lining. The blood sausage + fried offal were eh, but nice added texture. The liver sauce was perhaps a bit too sweet, but fine if you get it on the side to dip at your preference.

Oh, but this post isn’t about that famous dish. There are only three other items on the menu: babi guling different (essentially babi guling spesial with double the amount for approximately $4 USD), daging babi guling (extra pork for approximately $3 USD), and kulit babi guling (extra skin for approximately $3 USD). I have no problem with simple menus. But as a Pilipina-American who grew up loving lechon + sisig, I was shocked that one of the most renowned places in the world to eat pork had no menu item using the pig head. Come on, the head is the best part of the whole pig! So I decide to ask.

Me: Hello do you sell the head meat?
Waitress: (blank stare) What?
Me: The cheeks, the nose, the ears, the brains, the eyeballs?
Waitress: (blank stare) You want to eat the eyeballs?
Me: Well he does (points to the boyfriend), but I want to eat the other stuff.
Waitress: (blank stare) Let me ask.

She returns in a few minutes, beckons for me to follow her, and leads me to the kitchen station where a new roasted pig with the head still attached has been brought. The butcher chops the head off, begins piecing out the parts I asked about, and eventually hands me my special request of pig face parts. The butcher also throws in bonus clumps of fat lining + face skin (oh yes). Arguably a better deal at $5 USD, this platter came with more skin + meat than if you ordered a regular platter with extra dishes of skin + meat.

We were very happy to eat our special request. As predicted, the cheeks were my favorite part and the eyeballs were Vinh’s favorite part. So much so, that we came back the next day to eat it again before we left Ubud. I will bet that this special request will be on the menu by the end of this year.

-Noreylee

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Dec 06
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Cuc Gach | 92B Thach Thi Thanh, District 1 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Sometimes it all comes together when you visit a restaurant for the first time — you fall in love with the decor, the ambiance, the concept, the staff, and of course the food. The owner is a former architect and named the joint after a type of brick made of a specific dirt used to build houses in the countryside of Vietnam. -Noreylee

Cuc Gach | 92B Thach Thi Thanh, District 1 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Sometimes it all comes together when you visit a restaurant for the first time — you fall in love with the decor, the ambiance, the concept, the staff, and of course the food. The owner is a former architect and named the joint after a type of brick made of a specific dirt used to build houses in the countryside of Vietnam.

-Noreylee

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