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Saturday, March 18, 2006
This Kim ate
By Keith Aparri Bacalso
Limited to just the first line of the first stanza of Sun and Moon, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Vietnamese cuisine. I’d soon find out that it is characteristically mildly sweet and with spices that never overpower the dishes’ flavor (contrasting to that of its Thai neighbor). Vietnamese food is easy on the Filipino palate, yet retains its being exotic and foreign.
My first taste was of fried fish fillet in orange sauce, being a close cousin of the locally well-liked lemon-chicken; it rid me of my lingering hesitation for adopting a new taste. Getting bolder, I sampled their baked mussels in spinach and herbs. Tahong remains a familiar taste, even as I wondered why my Filipino ancestors never thought of experimenting with herbs and spinach.
This Vietnamese take on our usual cheese topping is set to be on the shortlist of a Hai Phong diner’s favorite – delicious, and the nuts were a surprise. I couldn’t guess what next.
And I was right about the guessing. Steamed seafood wrapped in banana leaves was hot and spicy (forgivingly, thank heavens) – a thick sauce with bits of seafood (tender prawns, fish...) was by far the most foreign to my taste despite hints of curry.
Nevertheless, I never had enough, it did a very good job of restarting my appetite. There was still fried fish fillet in sweet soy sauce, viet spaghetti with salted fish, and fried tofu in sweet-sour vegetable sauce along with pineapple fried rice and fried rice with salted fish.
Chicken wings stuffed with vermicelli expanded the meats variety while cha cua, which are crispy fried spring rolls stuffed with crab meat, made more obvious the Vietnamese penchant for seafood. Dipped in thick tamarind sauce, it makes for quite a good snack, despite this being a full meal, and cha cua heavy with the crab meat.
Though I never wondered what any Kim ate prior to my visit to Hai Phong Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine in Banilad, after a taste of several dishes prepared by a Vietnamese chef (complete with the language barrier, the Filipino manager would assure me), I’d say I wouldn’t mind staying for dinner prepared by one.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 18, 2006 issue)
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