grilled beef in rainy saigon

One of our most memorable meals in Saigon must be this one - succulent marinated beef slices barbecued to your own liking, dipped into a (I must add, rather suspicious-looking) sesame-soy condiment. The beef was extremely tender and seasoned with what seemed to be garlic, soya sauce, sugar among others. The 75,000 dong plate was accompanied by a plate of simple iceberg lettuce, sliced onions and tomato salad. And of course all that is finished off with glasses of ice cold Tiger. I would have loved to have more but alas, that one serving was more than enough for the 2 of us. I particularly liked the rustic-looking charcoal pot with perfectly embered coals and tiny mesh sitting precariously on top. I sat there, watching the rain, fiddling with my beef with my wooden chopsticks, sipping beer and feeling blissfully happy. What fun. Did I mention that it was raining heavily that morning? Yes, it was 11 in the morning and we were the only ones in the restaurant. We felt like the silly absurd travellers till several parties of locals came rushing in from the downpour, got off their motos and promptly tucked into their own DIY beef spread. D was amply satisfied - grilled beef and cheap beer. He couldn't have been happier. I must say this was one of the highlights of our trip. We enjoyed it tremendously.

spring in a roll

 

Like all visitors to Vietnam, I am likely to fall in love with this well-known and well-loved dish - fresh spring rolls. And what's there not to love? Lovely translucent skins, encasing fresh prawns and pork belly (to my horror, after my 2nd one). Fresh crisp lettuce leaves and herbs give this appertiser a refreshing salad in a roll. The vemicelli(tang hoon) makes it almost a meal in itself. All that goodness dipped in a piquant peanutty sauce makes it an unforgettable delight. Doesn't it just reminds you of spring? One of my favourite bites on my journey.

On the Bang Xeo trail

 

Back to the foodie escapade in Saigon... Bang Xeo - A crispy crepe-like pancake with beansprouts, mung beans (for the uninitiated its those you find in tau suan, some unpeeled shrimps and (Horror horror!) fatty pork. It was crispy on the outside, chewy in the centre. The mung beans gave a nice bite. So did the beansprouts. The accompanying herb garden was like always, refreshing. And it does wonders for the grease. Verdict? Worth the walk. Worth the porky fat. Worth every thousand dong. I can't exactly remember how much it costs, but definitely not very much. 46A was the one that everyone recommended - Lonely Planet, Noodle Pie and other web foodies, so of course, we were headed for that one. When we got there, there was another shop right opposite this one and lo and behold, 49A had very similar layouts and signboards and I guess they were hoping for unsuspecting tourists to stumble in unknowingly. Not that day - 49A was empty. 46A was roaring with brisk business. If the food's good, people will find their way there.

a colourful palate

creamy decadent green matcha ice cream... honey yoghurt on luscious red strawberries... a bowl of deep purple mangosteens... the colours just reach out into the inner senses. As a cook, I emphasise greatly on contrasting textures and tastes, especially in my salads & tapas. Colours are increasingly important to me as a foodie and cook as well.

 

Opera in Saigon

 

I must say I wasn't expecting very much from the restaurant at Hyatt. I mean, who goes to Saigon and have Italian food right? Well, we were blown away. I am a convert. We ate there twice.

The waiters were friendly without being intruding, efficient without being fussy, they were genuine and attentive. The place was simple and unpretentious chic. I was immediately drawn by the orange hues and white linen. The main focus was the open kitchen. An Italian chef (as I was told) oversaw the proceedings every night with a team of at a dozen vietnamese chefs working with full commitment. I say this as I am appalled by open kitchens in Singapore where chefs (or pretend chefs) spout Hokkien at the top of the voices - chit-chatting and talking about guests like they were stupid or deaf.

The food was flawless. The appertisers - we had the cold and hot platters were well executed and gave us enough nibbles to wake our tastebuds. It didn't hurt that it was less than US$10. Crab ravioli, lobster fettuccini, truffle risotto, panna cotta, Italian wine. Yum. I could go on describing. But, I will reserve my praises for my favourite dish of the night - the panna cotta, espresso panna cotta with fried lavoche. It was melt-in-the-mouth heavenly. With enough bitterness from the espresso and the right amount of cream and gelatine, the fried lavoche added the perfect crispy bite to every velvety mouthful.

A wonderful restaurant in a very classy hotel. I'm definitely going back.

A little encouragement

Its really a great feeling when a fellow food blogger quotes a line or 2 from my little modest blog. Here's the short post from noodlepie. (Hey, its short, but its an encouragement for me, nevertheless)

As found on noodlepie, yesterday.

Saigon nooked

Never ceases to please me whenever I find a blogger who not only trawled this wee blog, but bothered to make a note of some places they deemed worthy of checking out. Many thanks
nook bistro.

"I must say the highlight of our trip to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) must be the food. It was the first time we didn't do a single touristy thing - no museums (though we did plan for it almost everyday, we didn't materialise to the end), no Cu Chi tunnels (which I heard is an absolute must-see for all visitors to Saigon) and no temples. Just purely gastronomic excursions..."
Read more.

Probably the sagest advice you'll ever hear about travel to Saigon. Forget all the usual tourist nonsense, there's nothing in this city that compares to the food you find in the sheds and on the streets.

 

Missy Saigon

Its been a really busy week. I can't imagine I'm working part-time. The 3 days a week feels like 6 days a week. Go figure. Despite all the busy-ness, I am allowing myself to take time out to blog, surf and read a few pages of the new novel I acquired. Though I do wish I could put in a few chapters, rather than the measly 3 pages every other day. Not in the mood for many words today. More on the grub the next time.

If I have to personify Saigon, it simply has to be a grand old lady - unchanged, unhurried and elegantly dressed. Here are some shots of Missy Saigon.

the sunset view from our hotel window. stunning. I was captivated by its stillness. its unwillingness to allow time to slip by.

we walked pass it every day, breathing in its grandeur and colonial past. the opera house. this grand old dame stands proudly undisturbed as motos and pedestrians whiz by.

the very pink church. we chanced upon it on our way to eat the famed banh xeo (more on that the next entry)

P.S. its PS Cafe

Its just one of those lazy weekends... the weather's too hot to be out there. The sun is merciless in July (and June, August and every other month). I refuse to leave the house in the afternoon unless I have to. All I want to do is to snuggle in bed with the air-condition at full blast after a cold shower. No city shopping for me, or worse, heartland shopping. Or worst still, squeezing with the entire neighbourhood of yuppies, aunties and screaming children at American franchised coffee chains having coffee and being unable to hear oneself think. With the sun scorching down, no sane soul is out there. They are all in here. Just thinking of Junction 8 gives me a headache. Is there nowhere to go to get away from it all? There is hope yet.

Yesterday, D and I dropped by PS Cafe at Harding Road. I insisted we go look for it and have a cuppa after reading about it on several local foodie blogs (like Chubby Hubby, Monomania) We had our usual
saturday morning brekkie at Pek Kio Market. D wanted to head down to Queenway Shopping Centre to look for a new pair of spectacles. So it was kinda on the way.
PS Cafe is an excuse for any recluse, a detour from the hustle and bustle of city life, an oasis of calm for the hurried. The style is very much what D and I like. The mismatched chairs, the worn out timber flooring; some with paint, others without. The laidback style which doesn't try too hard. The service is efficient and professional without pretension. We loved it. Though I must add that the brekkie dishes are in the 15 dollar to 22 dollar range, I won't mind coming back on a weekend morning just to get away from the crowds. I asked to take a peek at the dinner menu and wasn't too impressed with the selection. I have tried the dips and crisps at Paragon and loved it to bits. I do hope they change the menu periodically. With a great setting and so few items on the menu, it will be a real shame to have to repeat orders on subsequent visits.

Next entry: Saigon continued.