Healthy Leafy Tasty - Vietnamese Regional Dishes

Regional Vietnamese cuisines are scattered around the city of Ho Chi Minh, so if you have very limited time and still want to have a food adventure, this is the city to explore.  There are abundant choices from northern to southern provinces' specialties, here are some of the meals I have tried:

Bún bò Huế with other dishes

On my second visit at Hoang Ty Restaurant (Tan Binh district), this is another branch near flyover near airport:

Bánh canh Huế: Pork Soup from Hue city

Bánh canh

Have you tried eating in a restaurant which is right along the railroad track? This is a unique experience with Com Tam CALI.  This restaurant is known for their grilled pork chop rice platter. What is special is they use "Cơm tấm"  or broken rice. This is a Vietnamese dish made from rice with fractured rice grains.

It is served with grilled pork (either ribs or shredded) plus the Vietnamese dish bì (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shredded pork skin) over broken rice.

The rice and meat are served with various greens and pickled vegetables, along with a prawn paste cake, trứng hấp (steamed egg), and grilled prawns.

The pork rice set is a good combination with this refreshing juice.
 

A typical lunch in a Phở shop (beef noodle) -

Beef slice was tender, and the broth is quite bland, I had to squeeze some lemon on it, to bring out the taste of beef.

Another unique eats around Tan Binh Area, is this Danang Fish noodle soup - street hawker. 

Bún cá Đà Nẵng

This soup stock is made of pumpkin, hence it taste a bit sweet, with a generous portion of fish meat. Total cost is less than 2 Sgd!

Lunch with Phnom Penh noodle soup (Hủ tiếu Nam Vang)

Hủ tiếu Nam Vang is one of the most popular noodles soup dishes in Saigon. Nam Vang is Phnom Penh - it's the capital of Cambodia, but why is it here in Saigon?  Because the stall is owned by a former Chef of the Cambodia's royal family.

One thing unique is the Hủ tiếu noodle which has zig-zag strand. The soup has a unique savory taste which is difficult to describe.  Hence I let you try it for yourself.

Another roadside eatery is the Hủ tiếu thập cẩm.

Their specialty is the Duck noodle soup cook in Chinese style tasty broth.  You have choice of the duck meat , whether it is roasted:

Or just a normal braised cook duck leg.
 

Both cooking style have the same tender meat, almost falling off the bones.  My only dislike is that the duck skin is not cleaned well, you can still see bits of feather left.   I personal prefer the well roasted duck leg, instead of braised.
 

Breakfast in a Hoi An specialty restaurant.  The dishes we tried are Cao Lầu and Mì Quảng Soup.

Cao Lầu is my favorite for its rich sauce with Ngoh Hiang flavor.

Mì Quảng is sour and spicy flavor with chicken and pork meat.

Aside from eating from restaurants, we had opportunity to visit local house which graciously provided us a sumptuous feast -

The steamed fish stuffed with minced pork mixed with vermicelli and black fungus, laid on a bed of carrots, and topped by fried spring onions.

Cá hấp

The freshly fried spring rolls, which has a crunchy skin, is one of my favorite.

Chả giò

Fresh beef slices cooked, by soaking for few seconds in a boiling soup which is made up of vinegar and coconut water and some spices -

Bò nhúng giấm

Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of dairy and oil, complementary textures, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. With the balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide.

To navigate while on location download this article from GPSmyCity.com.