Posted by Cathy Danh, April 30, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Living in Saigon, I’m constantly adding new Vietnamese words to my vocabulary. It’s fascinating how some terms stick straightaway, while others, regardless of how many times I run into them, refuse to integrate into my lexicon. For instance, I can’t seem to remember the words for menu, even though I ask to see one practically every day. However, just one tasty encounter with soft-shell crabs was all it took for the words cua lot to be forever seared into my mind. I guess the part of my brain that processes new information is directly connected to my taste buds.
I visited Quán 94, a restaurant specializing in crabs, a few weeks back with a travel journalist named Peter. I was so stoked about the place after my initial visit that I returned less than a week later with a posse of friends because great food begs to be shared.
A section of the restaurant’s entryway functions as a makeshift kitchen, and the soft-shells are prominently displayed front and center. There’s something strange and yet strangely appealing about seeing the crustaceans alive and kicking prior to consuming them.
Continue reading »
Posted by Cathy Danh, March 7, 2008 at 8:30 AM
There are some very interesting meats available for consumption in Southeast Asia. I’ve seen bugs, ostriches, dogs, snakes, bats, and even cats for sale. While I draw the line at domesticated animals and insects, I’ll pretty much eat everything else, just as long as it was prepared with love, looks appetizing, and smells good.
With the year of the rat in full swing, a group of friends and I recently ventured outside our comfort zones to try a Mekong Delta specialty—mouse.
The breed of mice served in local restaurants are not native to the city and are in fact from the countryside. These mice resided in rice fields and feasted on whole grains prior to meeting their makers. If this were America, the words “grain-fed” and “organic” would be touted on the restaurant menus serving up these little guys.
Continue reading »
Posted by Cathy Danh, February 18, 2008 at 2:45 PM
One would imagine that in a society where roughly 85% of the people are practicing Buddhists, vegetarian restaurants could be found on every corner. While this may be true in some parts of Asia, it is certainly not the case in Saigon, where eateries specializing in com chay are few and far between.
Exceptions to this general trend appear on the first and fifteenth of each Lunar Calendar month, when all Buddhists shy away from meat. On these particularly auspicious days, nearly all workers’ lunch establishments (com binh dan) serve vegetarian options.
Continue reading »
