![]() A cashier takes your money (aboutĪ dollar a serving), her colleague fills a bowl with noodles and chopped Hillside of scallions on the counter, and a giant cauldron puffing out fragrantĬlouds of steam like some benevolent dragon. The onlyĭecoration is the food itself: hulking slabs of brisket suspended from hooks, a The room has a clock, twoįans, three bare lightbulbs, and a handful of communal tables. Gia Truyen, on Bat Dan Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, doesn’t look like muchįrom the outside-or from the inside, for that matter. With only a few scallions and a bit of cilantro cooked into the broth and Southerners sprinkle fresh herbs and bean sprouts on top, but a Out with rice noodles and one or more varieties of raw or cooked beef, tendon, Taking root in an earthy, long-simmered beefīroth - shot through with clove, ginger, and star anise - the soup is filled The most renowned of these is Vietnam’s de facto nationalĭay but especially for breakfast. ![]() In the heat of summer, Hanoians favor cockle-warming dishes suited to farĬhillier climes. Moist, moody afternoons, when mist hangs over the streets like smoke from aĬooking fire, Vietnam’s gorgeous old capital feels more intimate than it Seattle, this is a city that becomes itself under cloud cover. Spent roughly 100 days in Hanoi over the past 12 years, and I don’t recall ever Like a recording of a recording of a cassette that was left out in the sun. After the wonder that is Vietnamese produce, the stuff back home seems These are tastes that sate, soothe, and just as often shock youĪwake - particularly the pungent greens and herbs that figure in almost everyĭish. Mam (fish sauce) to the bottomless depths of a stock that’s been burbling Flavors and textures are deftly arranged so each note rings clear,įrom the piercing highs of chili paste and nuoc In, say, a plastic bowl with a Tweety Bird logo, on a flimsy table on the Nuance, carrying a complexity that is all the more surprising for its being served Ornamentation (except in Hue more on that later) - this is a cuisine rich with Though it is often described as “honest” and “direct” - cooks resist fussy Vietnamese cooking is fresher, healthier, lighter, and brighter than,įor instance, Chinese or Indian or French, three of its closest relations. Scarlet-red chiles, deep-purple shrimp paste, and endless jungles of vivid If only for the colors alone: turmeric-yellow crêpes, sunset-orange crabs, ![]() In Vietnam, you’d eat all the damn time, too. Shelling prawns, trimming basil into woven baskets.Īny lane in any Vietnamese city at any time of day and you’ll find someĬontented soul crouched over a bowl of broth or rice. Whole ride not collecting tickets but preparing lunch: cooking noodles, (An American traveler bought one, thinking it was aĭecorative fan.) In the bar car the train conductor and his staff spent the One vendor came aboard and walked the aisles, Station stop, vendors rushed up to the windows proffering homemade treats: A recent train ride from Hue to Hoi An, food was everywhere in sight.
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