Another Vietnamese dish...

As mentioned in my very first post, I really enjoy eating Vietnamese food. In this post, I would like to introduce to you several other popular Vietnamese dishes that are liked by many people, this including Westerners as well.

Tonight, my parents did not cook dinner, so after coming home from uni, they took me out to eat a local restaurant called Dong Ba at Bankstown. They specialise in a dish called Bun Bo Hue, which has got to be one of my favourite Vietnamese dish, probably only second to Pho, as posted in my first post. Bun Bo Hue, known as Spicy noodle soup is a popular Vietnamese soup rice vermicelli dish. It originated in the capital central Vietnam, Hue, hence where the name came from. Its main flavour is of lemon grass and the broth is either mildly spicy, rarely very spicy and sometimes even occasionally not spicy at all.It is commonly served with mung bean sprouts, lie wedges, cilantro sprigs, rawonions and thinly sliced banana blossom.

This dish was great to have today, as the chilli from the broth, kept me warm, considering the weather was terrible today. It is known as one of the best dish to be eaten on a cold drowsy day, just like today. On another note, to people who cannot eat chilly, this restaurant also offers a non-chilli broth. The quality and the taste is still the same, however, a hint of chilli makes the dish more complete.

Vietnam is also very well known not only for main dishes such as Pho and Bun Bo Hue, but it is also very well known for the desert. Growing up in a Vietnamese family, I have tried probably most of the Vietnamese deserts that are known, and I dont know how to emphasise this, but my favourite is "Che Xoi Nuoc". Che Xoi Nuoc consists of balls made from mung bean paste wrapped in a shell made glutinous rice flour. The balls are served in a thick, sweet clear or brown liquid made of water, sugar, and grated ginger root. It is generally warmed before eating and garnished with sesame seeds.

This is got to be one of the most amazingest desert that the Vietnamese had created in the past. When eating it, it gives me this warm feeling as there is a hidden message behind this desert. The Vietnamese believe that, if this is eaten during the Lunar New Year with the family, every member in the family will remain together.

If you want to try to make these dishes, here are the best recipe that I have selected. I hope you enjoy my favourite dishes and if it's hard to make, just pop by Dong Ba to try Bun Bo Hue, or any Vietnamese supermarkets for the Che Xoi Nuoc.

Bun Bo Hue recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/bun-bo-hue-spicy-hue-style-noodle-soup-with-lemongrass-113776

Che Xoi uoc recipe: http://sites.google.com/site/ravenouscoupleprintablerecipes/che-xoi-nuoc-mochi-dumplings-ginger-sauce

Anna (42101492)