Xin Chào, Vietnam!

 Xin Chào! I haven't said this to my readers, I have a 1/4 Vietnamese blood. Yes, I know. I look more like a Filipina but Hey! Check out my eyes! :P Kidding! Hahaha! So, I got this Vietnamese blood from my grand mother from my father's side. :) You can't actually say that I have that Vietnamese blood because you can't see it on my physical features. So sad. How I wish I was so white and skinny like those Vietnamese. =)) We are from South Vietnam not in North Vietnam. :D

I just wanted to share to you something. We used to own a restaurant at SM Megamall named Vietnam Food House. It is located in Mega A, 4th floor, near the elevator. Hahah! Sorry, I can't remember it because I was still young that time. We owned the restaurant for years!! :) But we had to close it because of some reasons.

So here are some of my favorite Vietnamese dishes! :)

Cha gio or Fried Spring roll is served as an appetizer. Its main structure is composed of ground meat, shrimp, wood ear, and vermicelli and it is rolled up in a sheet of rice paper. The roll is then deep fried, then if the rice paper coat turns into golden brown and crispy, it is now ready to serve. The sauce for this is called nuoc nam pha which is a mixture of fish sauce, lemon juice or vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, and chili pepper.

Hu tieu tom thit or Rice Noodle & Egg Noodle with Shrimp & Roasted Pork is a rice noodle soup made with pork and seafood stock.

Bun bo hue is a soup containing rice vermicelli and beef. This dish is spicy and the predominant flavor is lemon grass. It also includes beef shank, chunks of oxtails, pig's knuckles, and cubs of pigs blood. This dish can be served with served with lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, diced green onions, raw sliced onions, chili sauce, thinly sliced banana blossom, red cabbage, mint, basil, perrilla, persicaria odorata or vietnamese coriander (rau ram), saw tooth herb and sometimes mung bean sprouts. 

Goi cuon or spring roll is served as a appetizer. It is wrapped in a Vietnamese rice paper with pork, prawn, herbs, rice vermicelli, and other ingredients. The difference between Cha gio and Goi cuon is that Cha gio is deep fried while Goi cuon is not deep fried but is served fresh. It is served with peanut sauce.

Pho is served with beef (Pho bo) or chicken (Pho ga). The soup includes rice flour and often served with Asian basil, saw tooth herb, rau om (rice paddy herb), cilantro, thinly sliced green onion, lime juice, and bean sprouts that are added to the soup by the person who is dining.

So, those are my favorite dishes! :) I know, it's all mouth watering. Try eating at any Vietnamese restaurant and you'll experience the taste of Vietnam!! :)