Having just missed the last flight to the island of Phu Quoc the decision is made, Nha Trang here we come… yet we have nearly three hours to kill until the first possible standby seats may be available. So we take, as the say on the Amazing Race ‘A Detour’, otherwise know as a stopover lunch in Ho Chi Mihn city.
Dumping the bags in storage at the terminal, and with a recommendation from an American sounding Vietnamese girl as she coded our bags, we jumped in a cab and head towards the Reunification Palace and what was promised to us as a local lunch spot “Not for tourists”, was the deal, “I eat there many times, it’s great”. Sold.
We are off, on the scooter and car horn filled streets, zig-zagging our way towards lunch, 25 minutes and a few grey hairs later we are standing out the front of an old colonial style house with a bamboo garden around the outside and what later turns out to be the prep kitchens for a large menu of simple Vietnamese dishes. Seated inside at a large thick wooden table I am excited, the food shooting past looks amazing – fresh, vibrant food – and lots of locals tucking in. Luckily the waiters are happy to play along and be patient with our guide book language skills.
Three dishes and a couple of Saigon Specials later we are satisfied, the suggestion has been fantastic. A salad of lotus stems with prawns and pork was garnished with prawn cracker spoons and had a side dish of a caramel, sticky chilli dressing. Delicious.
Next was a DIY number; some spiced prawn mince around sugar cane sticks with a plate of rice paper, some salad and herb leaves and slices of cucumber, star fruit and little squares of soft vermicelli noodles. A little bit of everything, a snug wrap and a dip into the nuoc cham dressing makes a bright fun dish, that PDC and I have instantly added to our barbeque share food repertoire .
The last dish was Banh Xeo; a favourite from the markets in Nha Trang that we experienced 3 years ago. A crispy pancake filled with meat and seafood, bamboo shoots and herbs, served folded with more fresh herbs and salad leaves and another dressing featuring chilli, fish sauce lime and sugar.
Total cost of this leg of the race
Banh Hoi Thit Heo Quay Cuon Banh Trang (DIY Rolls) 48 000 VD
Goi Ngo Sen Tom Thit (lotus stem salad) 42 000 VD
Banh Xeo (pancake) 24 000 VD
For the grand total of $12 Australian, including beers, water and tip.*
Quan an Ngon
138 Nam Khoi Nghia C3
Back out onto the street we hail a cab and head back to the airport. Mission complete, detour successful, tummies in-check and satisfied. Now to that plane to Nha Trang, and dinner to worry about.
*Out of interest, one Aussie Dollar is equal today to 15500 Vietnamese Dong.
Banh Xeo is one of our favourites and I learnt to make it at the Red Bridge cooking school in Hoi An - it's so easy!! You can even get a packet mix in the viet grocers here - but it's just rice flour coloured with turmeric. The further south you go the bigger they seem to get.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a good thing that you didn't get to Phu Quoc - the weather's stormy from May until mid August.
I had one on Victoria st a few months back and it was more omelette like and not at all crispy.
ReplyDeleteThe last I had was in Hue and this one was double the size so that sounds about right.
We have decided to brave Phu Quoc next week and see how we go, the forecast is rain but from experience in off-season before it just rains in the afternoon during nap time anyway...
Off to Dalat and coffee plantations, after a couple f more days in the sun.
Jack
Sounds like you are having too much fun. Love the Banh Xeo when they are crispy - don't wait for others to get theirs before crunching on them. Also the sugar cane prawns are good. Learned to make both of those at Dalat Palace. You lucky devils - have fun in the hills. Is the monk still there?
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