Menupedia

Menu #8: Broken rice (Cơm tấm) 

Sounds like a weird name for a dish, but the name comes from the fact that the rice is made from damaged/ broken rice grains during the milling process.  The rice is usually served with grilled pork chops and bì (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shredded pork skin), accompanied with a fried egg, cucumber, tomato and pickled vegetables.

Menu #8: Grilled pork and noodles (Bún chả)

Another famous Vietnamese dish originating from Hanoi that’s served in most restaurants is bún chả.  It’s simply a plate of rice noodles (bún), fresh herbs, bowl of cold broth/ dipping sauce (based on fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar), and grilled pork meatballs.  Mix everything together and enjoy!

Menu #8: Noodle Soup (Phở) 

Probably the most ordered dish in a Vietnamese restaurant…it’s so simple and tasty!  White rice noodles (which is the pho) in beef broth, with thin cuts of beef (for the classic version), then add fresh garnishes of bean sprouts, coriander, mint, thai basil, spring onion, wedge of lime and it’s ready.  Additional dipping sauces like fish sauce, hoisin sauce or my favourite, sriracha, can be added.

Menu #8: Green papaya salad (Gỏi đu đủ)

The Vietnamese version of the papaya salad usually contains shrimps and pork as an addition to the shredded papaya, with sprinklings of herbs and peanuts.  The dressing is distinctively tart from the lime juice and chillies base.  The texture and taste is addictive.

Menu #8: Grilled pork sausage / meatballs (Nem nướng)

Take some ground pork with some pork fat and marinade for a while with spices, shallots, garlic, fish sauce.  The meat can be made into skewers or as meatballs, then grilled and eaten as an appetizer on its own with dipping sauce.  It can also be added as a filling in rice paper roll - nem nướng cuốn (as pictured), or a filling in baguettes - bánh mì nem nướng, or served with vermicelli - bún nem nướng.

Menu #8: Minced beef wrapped in betel leaf (Bò lá lốt)

Take minced beef that’s mixed with garlic, shallots, various spices and wrap it in betel leaf and grill it... simple and delicious.  Eat it on its own as a starter with dipping sauce, or it can accompany a main vermicelli dish.

Menu #8: Vietnamese Pancake (Bánh xèo)

Vietnamese pancake is very crispy and so a bit of a mess to eat, but is delicious mix of flavours and textures.  The pancake batter is made from rice flour, water, turmeric powder, and in Southern regions coconut milk is added.  The pancake is filled with pan fried minced pork, prawns, bean sprouts, spring onion, and served with leaves, mint, basil, pickled carrots and daikon.  The dipping sauce is also key to this dish and is made from diluted fish sauce to give a sweet and sour flavour. 

Menu #8: Summer rolls (Gỏi cuốn)

Summer rolls are a popular starter at Vietnamese restaurants, and typically made by rolling prawns, pork, vermicelli noodles, salad greens and herbs in rice paper.  They are served fresh and at room temperature with a hoisin style dipping sauce.  

The fried variety of spring rolls is also delicious and called Chả giò. 

Menu #8: Vietnamese cuisine

I associate Vietnamese food with the creative use of fresh herbs (basil, coriander, lemongrass, mint, bird’s eye chillies) and fish sauce, although, there are regional variations in the ingredients used.  The north is restricted by the colder climate so that dishes tend to use less meat, fish, vegetables, and black pepper is used instead of chilli to create spice, with more influences from Chinese cuisine. Dishes from central Vietnam uses more extreme spices, particularly in Hue, where the cuisine is also influence by its royal history so that the cuisine is more complex and served in smaller portions.  The warmer south means a more varied selection of meats, vegetables, fruits and spices are used, and the dishes are heavily influence by Thai cuisine by being sweeter from adding sugar or coconut milk, and spicy from the use of chillies.  We will be seeing some colourful dishes that exemplify Vietnamese cuisine.

Menu #7: Yangnyeom Chicken

KFC...Korean Fried Chicken! Korean fast food at its finest.  The chicken is not only fried once, it’s fried twice so it’s crunchier, and then seasoned with a sticky sweet and spicy sauce (i.e. mainly gochujang - Korean red chilli pepper paste, ketchup, garlic), and dusted with sesame seeds. 

Menu #7: Samgyeopsal

This is my idea of fatty heaven - pork belly, unseasoned, grilled right in front of you, often with garlic and mushroom and kimchi too.  The grilled pork is then dipped in either a chilli and soy based paste, or a sesame oil based sauce for flavour.  Sometimes it’s also eaten wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves.  Great with some soju to wash it down.

Menu #7: Gogi-gui

Finally we get to salivate over delicious Korean BBQ.  If you're in Korea, expect your BBQ to be a permanent fixture on your table.  The most well known BBQ meat category is the bulgogi ("meat and fire"), which is usually a prime cut of beef like sirloin that has been marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, pepper.  Short beef ribs called galbi and pork belly called samgyeopsal are also popular.

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Menu #7: Tteokbokki

This is the quintessential Korean street snack made from chewy rice cake cooked in a broth of fermented chilli paste, spring onion, sugar and some recipes include anchovies. The dish is often be accompanied with fish cakes and a hard boiled egg. There are now many variations, including fried rice sticks on skewers.

Menu #7: Bibim guksu

This noodle dish is made from wheat flour and eaten cold. Whilst there are many cold noodle dishes in Korea, this is one of the most popular because of its distinct spicy flavour, and it is typically garnished with a boiled egg, shredded pickled daikon and cucumber.  

Menu #7: Japchae

These are translucent noodles made from sweet potato and is typically stir fried in sesame oil with vegetables and sometimes beef, and flavoured with soy sauce and a bit of sugar to sweeten the taste.

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