Five Must-Try Vietnamese Meals
Vietnamese cuisine is a beloved staple in Australia. The food is so popular you can enjoy the bright flavours and unique parings nearly everywhere. Vietnamese cuisine has strong French influences due to their occupation of Vietnam during the French Colonial Period.
After the French left Vietnam, their influence on the cuisine continued to fuse with culinary staples and became immensely popular and well absorbed into the Vietnamese culture.
Baguette Me Not is an excellent example of such fusion. The popular eatery creates dishes inspired by traditional Vietnamese cuisine. However, the chefs at Baguette Me Not put their innovative spin on the meals, effectively taking the food to a higher level. Patrons who enjoy a traditional Vietnamese meal rave about their dining experience at Baguette Me Not.
What Makes a Traditional Vietnamese Meal?
Vietnamese food is more about creating a harmonious balance than expensive ingredients or fancy presentation. The family meal is an integral part of life in Vietnam. There is an emphasis on the meal being meaningful and enjoyable for all who partake.
A typical Vietnamese meal contains several staples. These include,
- Fluffy Rice
- Meats such as pork, poultry, or beef
- Seafood may take the place of other proteins in some regions
- Eggs
- Vegetables
- Soup
- Numerous dipping sauces
- A variety of pickled vegetables
- Fresh fruits or other sweets
Five Vietnamese Dishes You Must Try
While specific details of Vietnamese cuisine can vary depending on the region of the country, these five dishes are representative of food in Vietnam.
1. Mi Vit Tiem
Braised Duck Soup with chunky egg noodles is a hearty and flavourful soup that leans on its Chinese influence while embracing the spices and methods of Vietnamese cooking.
The duck marinates in soy sauce and is fried until the skin is crisp. Next, it is added to bone broth to finish cooking. In addition to the duck and noodles, mushrooms, bok choy, scallions, black pepper, salt, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and star anise, round out the ingredients that are a part of this beloved soup.
Its preparation is reasonably complex and time-consuming. Mi Vit Tie can takes between three and eight hours depending on who you ask. The result is a nutrient-rich broth filled with tender duck, hearty noodles, and vegetables, all infused with essences of spices.
2. Bun Cha
This traditional Vietnamese dish made of grilled pork and white rice vermicelli originated in Hanoi but is popular throughout Vietnam.
The dish is made by shaping minced pork into meatballs and grilling them. The meatballs are traditionally served in a dish of dipping sauce. On the side, there are noodles, carrots, pickled papaya, cucumber, and bean sprouts. As with many Vietnamese dishes, several types of dipping sauce and herbs are plentiful accompaniments to the meal.
Bun Cha gained international attention in 2016 when American President Barak Obama joined renowned chef Anthony Bourdain to enjoy bun cha at Bun Cha Huong Lien, a popular street food shop.
3. Pho
Probably the best known of Vietnamese dishes, pho is a soup comprised of noodles, bone broth, and an abundance of fresh herbs. However, there are numerous versions of pho that include beef, chicken, seafood, pork, or a combination of these along with the noodles and herbs.
North Vietnam and South Vietnam have distinctly different versions of pho. In the north, the broth is simple and clear, and the noodles are wider. You will also find a large serving of green onions in the pho from the north. Southern pho has a bold broth, thin noodles and comes with a large variety of fresh herbs.
There is plenty of variety when enjoying pho. You can add the herbs you like as well as mushrooms, bean sprouts, and various sauces until you have the taste you are seeking.
4. Com Tam
A dish beloved by fans of Vietnamese food, com tam translates into broken rice, which is the main ingredient in the dish. Broken rice is rice that was fragmented during the milling process, and it is nutritionally sound as well as very inexpensive.
Traditionally, com tam is served with grilled pork ribs, a fried egg or a Vietnamese steamed omelette, lightly fried scallions, assorted vegetables, pickled vegetables, and fish sauce. You may receive a light salad along with your com tam as well. Breaking the egg yolk over the rice is a widespread practice among those who enjoy com tam.
You will find variations of com tam as some areas began to adapt the dish to better suit westerners.
5. Bahn Mi
One of the most popular and universally enjoyed Vietnamese dishes is ban mi. The dish gives a clear nod to the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine.
The humble sandwich begins on a fresh baguette. From there, the fillings are only limited by your imagination. Typically, the baguette has fillings such as meat (often pork), pickled vegetables, egg, pate, scallions, cucumbers, and various sauces. You can find Bahn mi in nearly every region of Vietnam, even the remote locations.
Baguette Me Not serves highly acclaimed Bahn mi along with a selection of other Vietnamese food such as salads, bowls, tacos and more. The atmosphere is fun and friendly, and you will want to come back again and again. Reach out to Baguette Me Not for more information about their unique and delicious food.
