Though this entrée is quite normal in an aluminum tube 39,000 feet high above Vietnam, I am not so sure it would fly in America. First off, I had eschewed the fish for chicken in hopes bird served on a plane would be a lot different than miles below on the street. Now I am not […]
Oi zoi oi loosely means oh my God in the northern Vietnamese vernacular. This is a phrase reverberating all across the rice paddies to describe just about any situation that might arise. Actually come to think of it, life in Vietnam is one giant oi zoi oi to one extent or another. A random menu selection […]
Yes, I will admit it. The first time I heard this dish’s English name passed my ears, cringes of horror and revulsion bubbled up from deep within. My brain was imploring my feet to run for the hills but morbid curiosity drew me right in. Snails and young banana. Are you thoroughly turned off now? Stick with […]
For weeks now my coworkers have raved about a pork and noodle dish available on Phu Quoc Island early in the morning. The purser calls ahead to the airport station manager who then arranges for the food to miraculously appear planeside during the 25 minute ground time. Now how’s that for service as early as […]
Squid is fast becoming one of my favorite proteins over here. The abundance of it inspired my latest article for Tuoi Tre newspaper. Here is a link and the text follows: http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/city-diary/not-just-calamari-anymore-1.76046 Let’s venture offshore deep into Vietnam’s sparkling seas to take a closer look at an ocean going friend very much at home in […]
Yes, you are reading correctly, and no I am not trying to punk you by passing off this artificial American goodness as something Vietnamese. I know what is dancing around your mind right now but please bear with me here. This factory made nastiness is a symbol of how far my food tastes have evolved and how […]
A dollar bowl of bún thịt nướng is my favorite breakfast, and these grilled meats and vermicelli noodles from the old lady behind my apartment tower are one of the best perks of living in this neighborhood. I’ve sampled attempts to recreate this dish in Atlanta, all over Saigon and many points in between and […]
The same restaurant bringing us that delicious wild boar serves up an appetizer not quite a meal but at the same time deserving a mention of its own. Restaurants all across America bring a basket of bread and butter to occupy that time between placing an order and receiving the entrée. Làng Nướng Nam Bộ […]
Picture it…A restaurant down a side street off traffic choked Cach Mang Thang Tam Street deep in Saigon’s District 10. OK. So it sounds like anywhere in Saigon, right? Well, not so fast there for this semi-open air barbecue mecca called Làng Nướng Nam Bộ veers far off the normal trail in the best of […]
The journey to this plate of homemade orange chicken twisted and turned along a highly bizarre road. This all began a week ago when I mentioned to friends my inexplicable cravings for a plate of Panda Express orange chicken. Yes, that’s the Panda…the one and only at a mall food court or airport near you. […]
Down The Street and Back Again 