Pho
Pho Bo
There is no doubt that Pho is the most popular and well known dishes in Vietnam. A bowl of white clear noodle served with tiny beautiful medium rare beef is a perfect way to start your day. You can try Pho everywhere even in a luxurious high standard restaurant with the air conditioning or in a modest vendor lies in the passageway. But believe me, the less formal place will surprise you.
Pho is a common choice for a breakfast in Vietnam. Every morning, people pour downon the street in their motorbikes, parking alongside the sidewalk to have their steaming bowl of Pho. The good Pho stalls usually sold out around 9 so make sure you be there early to experience the best flavor of Pho.
In searching for a great number of customers like any other street food, Pho is served in many ways but usually with beef and chicken. First of all, you may want to taste the broth before putting any lettuce and fresh herbs that they give you as the side dish in. The broth is truly the star of the dish appearing clear and full of flavor. Then, put a piece of meat on a spoon of noodles to feel the soft but substantial rice noodles and the sweetness of the meat falling apart in your mouth. That is a kind of Pho you can only experience in the street food stalls.
Bun Cha
A portion of Bun Cha
In my food journey to Vietnam, Bun cha is my favorite food in Hanoi. It is so good that still appears in my dream. We stopped at the hole in the wall vendor stuffing with the locals waiting for the mini barbecues were kept in the small flames.
We looked at the sign displayed the price for 1 portion of Bun Cha which is the only item. 20 000 VND for a full plate of food is not bad at all. With the friendly gestures and a happily smile, the elder woman running the place proudly presented us plate filled with grilled pork on the top of the cold rice noodles, accompanied by a plate full of fresh lettuce and herbs as well as a broth.
“A broth” as I mentioned here is not a normal broth. It is a kind of broth that you can be addicted to right in the first time trying. The broth is the delicious mixture of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and probably some kind of secret ingredients that create a unique favor of sweet, sour, tangy and salty all at the same time. I can’t imagine of a perfectly balanced combination of flavor of the pork, noodles and herb altogether in 1 mouth - watering broth. A dish that you could eat forever even when you are about to burst.
Banh My
Vietnamese Banh My
It can be denied that French cuisine has a great influence on Vietnam food in which Banh My is the perfect example. It is actually a baguette stuffing with different fillings. Some people may think this item of food can be familiar but don’t let it deter your mind because I’m sure that Banh My will not let you down.
The feature contributes to the special of the bread is the flour. The normal baguette use the wheat while Banh My is made of rice flour which create a crispy outside with a light and soft centre. Even if you are a bread enthusiast or not you can’t resist from this unique fare.
The fillings offer variety choices of meat from chicken, grilled pork to meatballs, served with pickles, fresh vegetables along with cheese or sauces like mayonnaise, ketchup or chilli sauce. Liver pate is also a common choice among the locals. You can have it or not depend on your hobbies.
All in all, Banh My is a shocking delicious food that I do not expect from Vietnam. It is truly so good that I can offer more than one of this sandwich. In the end of the day, you only live once so don’t worry about your weight for one day just to enjoy the essence of food.Just within three weeks in Vietnam, visitors can have an interesting food journey from the high end restaurants to apparently grubby sidewalks with all the significant dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. So don’t let yourself hold you back from trying new things.
