Delicious Vietnam #1 – The round up

Rice paper is the star ingredient in this roundup. But we also have lots of grilled meat and a dessert, review and reflection on Vietnamese cuisine and restaurants! What a fabulous recap we have for the first edition of Delicious Vietnam!

Without further delay, let’s take a look at all the entries. For ease of navigation, I’ve separated entries into three categories: {Recipes} + {Review & Reflection} + {Surf & Spot}

{RECIPES}

Bo La Lot (Beef in Betel Leaf) by Cynthia from Kitchen Slave, Vancouver, BC Canada



Cynthia has done a great job making Bo La Lot, one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes in the West. In her words, “the lemongrass and curry powder gives an underlying fragrance” … “and the betel leaves lend an herbal and floral aroma to the meat.” The recipe is simple enough for everyone to try

Steamed vegetable rolls by Gattina from Kitchen Unplugged, Barcelona, Spain



Here is an unusual recipe using rice paper rolls! Instead of serving it fresh or deep-frying, Gattina chose to steam these beautiful rolls. This is such an excellent way to serve vegetables rolls when the weather gets colder.

Juicy rice paper pork rolls by Radha from The Dancing Kitchen, Hongkong



Another great use of rice paper rolls! Here, juicy meat patties, herbs and walnut are wrapped and steamed. The two entries have convinced me to attempt steaming my rice paper rolls next time!


Banh my thit (pork rolls) by Amy from Cookbook Maniac, Sydney, Australia



From the land of down under, Amy joins us with a fabulous dish – mini banh mi thit (pork rolls). The size is just right (so cute!). And the fillings of meat and sween-sour pickles are just perfect.

Nem Nuong (Vietnamese grilled pork skewer) by Yen from Food for Four, Sydney, Australia



The Vietnamese answer for BBQ! Yen from Food for four has managed to recreate these lovely skewers at home. And they are so versatile! Eat them with noodles, served with bread or used as fillings for rice paper rolls.

Vietnamese Chicken Cabbage Salad (Goi Ga Bap Cai) on Sesame Rice Cracker (Banh Trang Me) by TS and JS, Eating Club Vancouver, Canada



I can say so proudly that recipes for Delicious Vietnam are so healthy (and delicious!). Take a look at this refreshing chicken salad and you will understand. I really like the fact that TS and JS choose to serve their salad on rice cracker. Great idea!

Shaking beef (Bo Luc Lac) a` la ‘Slanted Door’ by Lauren Trinh from Besides Pho, California, USA



I have eaten a fair share of Bo Luc Lac (Shaking beef) but haven’t tried to make my own just yet. So I’m totally thrilled to see the recipe for this dish from Lauren. Instead of serving the 'shaking beef' with the traditional watercress salad and salt and pepper dip, Lauren served it on a bed of mache and a lovely vinaigrette. A great way to introduce Vietnamese food to even the most difficult eater (trust me, I know a few).

Mochi Dumpling in Ginger Sauce (Che Xoi Nuoc) by Hong & Kim, from Ravenous Couple, Los Angeles/ Arizona



Gorgeous entry from my partners in crime, Hong & Kim. (Oh, this is, by the way, the only dessert dish of the whole round up, so savour it people!)

While mochi dumplings in syrup is popular all over Asian countries, this version has the perfect balance of “sweet and savory flavors and textures”. The filling for a dessert dish has green onion in it! Strange? Indeed. But it’s equally delicious, too.

Smoked Duck Rice Papper Rolls by Penny from jeroxie (addictive & consuming), Melbourne, Australia



I think I have said it before, Vietnamese food is incredibly versatile. Keep your ingredients fresh and simple, it is easy to recreate a Viet dish with new ingredient. In this case, Penny has sone a fabulous job pairing smoked duck with rice paper rolls, salad and noodles. Love it!

Vietnamese grilled pork chops, Suong Nuong by Christine from Kits Chow, Vancouver, Canada



For those who are lucky enough to have summer coming, here is another great BBQ recipe for you! Tender and juicy pork chops, which is nicely caramelized. Served with simple sweet-sour salad, you can’t go wrong.

{REVIEW & REFLECTION}

“On Vietnamese Food” by Gretchen from Culinaria Libris, Greater London (Kent), England




Beautiful piece of writing reflecting Grechen’s thought on Vietnamese cuisine. I love her description “Here is how I would sum up Vietnamese food: it has depth like a George Gershwin rhapsody combined with intensity like a Gene Kelly dance number. In other words, Vietnamese food is a showstopper!” It really is! Included in Grechen’s post is her favourite Viet cookbook and local restaurants.

http://missadventureathome.blogspot.com/2010/05/nem-nuong-ninh-hoa-rosemead-ca.html



Review of a popular Viet restayrant in CA, USA. (There's a photo of empty plates of banh beo as the strongest proof!)

Dreaming of pho – Food writing by Tammy from La Vie Cevenole, France

An excellent piece of food writing on pho! So glad to see that pho has become comfort food not only for the Vietnamese but almost everyone. This piece of writing is a proof, and also the constant call for pho appeared in my tweets.

Vietnam on a plate – review of a cuisine tour by ms Baklover from Foodscray Food Blog, Melbourne, Australia



I recently met Lauren, a Viet food lover, who is lucky enough to love in the “Vietnamese hub” in Melbourne. To join us, she documents a food tour called “Vietnam on a plate”, run by Maribyrnong City Council. Do take a look at this entry! Lauren has taken the time and effort to take photos and write up information on a lot of Asian vegetables. (We are quite lucky in Australia, aren’t we?)

Thoughts on a basic home-cooked Vietnamese meal by Thy Thy from Cooking Practice, Italy



If you want to know what the Vietnamese eat at home (not the restaurant food), do read this entry. We love our vegs and rice! And yeap, the normal everyday meal almost always have rice, vegetable broth and a meat (or seafood) dish. I just love Thy Thy’s description “Somehow, since the day i left Vietnam, i preferred something much more simple, something that i know for sure my mom, my friends, and my loved ones in Vietnam are eating everyday in their daily meals.”

Vietnamese cookbooks review – Anh from A food lover’s journey, Melbourne, Australia

Cookbooks are essential part of learning about a cuisine. In recent years, there are a lot more excellent cookbooks on Vietnamese food. I did a mini review of my favourite Vietnamese cookbooks for those who are interested.

{SURF & SPOT}

Some interesting Viet food related links that I spotted.

Pikelet and Pie – food blog of an Aussie now living in Hanoi

Post on food experience in Vietnam by a food writer


{Delicious Vienam #2}

.. is hosted by Ravenous Couple! I’ll update the information once they post the details for next month Delicious Vietnam.

I hope you enjoy the first roundup, and will join the fun for the months to come!

(If you are interested in hosting this event, please do not hesitate to contact me!)