Vietnamese cuisine has never been more popular in the Valley, and pho is rightfully having a moment. Azcentral.com, an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix, has picked best other essential Vietnamese dishes that you should try.
According to Azcentral.com, one of the best food you should try in Vietnam is Bo luc lac (Shaking beef). Bo Luc Lac is a stir fry that tosses chunks of beef with garlic, black pepper and onions in a sweet, caramelized sauce - usually soy sauce, often bolstered with fish sauce, oyster sauce or Maggi seasoning. It’s a sizzling crowd pleaser that will feel completely familiar to fans of Americanized Chinese fare.
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| Photo by Orderinchaos |
Azcentral.com also picked Banh xeo (Rice crepes) as one of the best food in Vietnam. In addition to being one of the tastiest things on the menu, banh xeo also happens to be the most fun to eat. Turmeric-scented rice batter made with coconut milk gets pan-fried to create a thin, crispy crepe that's then folded around fillings like bean sprouts, pork or shrimp. The key is the accompanying plate of greens.
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| Photo by Jason Hutchens |
In addition, Bo kho (Beef stew) is one of the best dish in Vietnam. Just one of many dishes that display a heavy French influence, bo kho feels like a European beef stew that wandered through a Vietnamese spice market. It can range from a light soup with chunks of beef to a thick, rich stew heavy with tomato. A good bowl always explodes with the scent of lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise.
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| Photo by collect on the internet |
Canh ga chien (Fried chicken wings). Given the wide popularity of buffalo wings, it’s a wonder these haven’t gotten more attention. Fried to a golden crisp, they’re often tossed in chile sauce, garlic sauce or salty-sweet caramelized fish sauce.
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| Photo by collect on the internet |
Chao tom (Sugar cane shrimp) is minced shrimp that’s seasoned — most often with garlic, sugar, fish sauce and shallot — and shaped into a cylindrical patty around sticks of sugar cane before it’s grilled or fried. The patties slip right off the sugar cane (too fibrous to eat, but tasty to gnaw on), and are often wrapped up with herbs and lettuce like banh xeo.
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| Photo by collect on the internet |
Ca kho to (Caramel braised catfish). In Vietnam, caramel is often used in a savory context, and it works. Here, catfish steaks arrive in a clay pot bubbling with a salty fish sauce-based caramel that’s scented with garlic, onions, black pepper and chiles. Tender and sweet, this is a fish dish that catches many by surprise.
It is not natural for Vietnamese cuisine to receive international acclaim. Instead of learning through the travel magazine pages, try it once to experience it yourself, travel to Vietnam and enjoy its true value.
