Sweet, sour, salty, FRESH, these are the quintessential flavors of Vietnamese cuisine and a visit to Hanoi Vietnamese Cuisine branch at the Abreeza Mall last November 28 reintroduced me to the elegant complexity of Vietnamese food.
Although not as popular as Chinese, Japanese, or Korean cuisines, Vietnamese cuisine holds its own with its unique culinary combinations of meat, seafood, noodles, vegetables, herbs, spices and condiments. For Vietnamese food virgins, the flavors of Viet cuisine is similar to Coastal Southern Chinese fare but with more emphasis on the layering of flavors, the use of herbs, lime and chilies which is more prevalent in Cambodian and Thai cuisine.
“One of the unique condiments we use at Hanoi is the Vietnamese fish sauce which lends an elevated level of umami to almost every dish,” said Christian De La Paz who manages Hanoi together with his brother Raymond. “Vietnamese cuisine also uses a lot of basil, coriander and herbs to really brighten up every dish.”
Among the many popular dishes at Hanoi is Pho, a noodle soup made of a rich beef broth and topped with bean sprouts, shrimp, pork slices, herbs and finished with a squeeze of lime, some shiracha hot sauce and a dash of fish sauce.
Another Vietnamese favorite, Bahn Mi, can also be ordered at Hanoi. A fusion dish created during the French colonization of Vietnam, Bahn Mi is a healthy sandwich make of French baguette, stuffed with vegetables, herbs, and your choice of grilled chicken, grilled pork, or coldcuts.
My personal favorites though, and ones that are a perfect respite from all the binge eating this Christmas season, are the Vietnamese Spring Rolls such as Goi Cuon, and Banh Cuon. Light and healthy, the Banh Cuon is pork, mushroom, and vegetables wrapped in rice paper and garnished with deef fried onions and chopped lettuce, while the Coi Cuon is a fresh spring roll with shrimp, pork, herb, vegetable and vermicelli inside. The addition of basil elevates the taste of each spring roll.
You can also make your own spring roll when you order Hanoi’s Cha Nuong, where you can customise the amount of vegetables, grilled pork, herbs, pickles and vermicelli noodles you want wrapped in your rice paper sheet.
“Aside from the spring rolls, we are known for our crabs which we either stir-fry in butter and minced garlic or steamed.” said Raymond. And judging by the huge fatty and succulent crabs that were served, I instantly knew why.
To have a taste of Vietnam’s unique culinary heritage, why not visit Hanoi Vietnamese Cuisine today? Hanoi has two branches in Davao, their original restaurant located along Camus Street and their second restaurant at the ground level of Abreeza Mall.
