A few decades ago, if asked to think of a three-letter word central to Vietnamese culture, I would say Tet — the festival of spring. Of course, for many of us, the Tet offensive of 1968 was also an indelible part of our growing up years.
The three-letter word that pops up more often now is pho — the most delicious soup that you can ever have. When we said ‘Tet’, we saluted the spirit of the Vietnamese people. Now, we laud the food of the region., which has been enriched by different communities — settlers, colonisers or neighbours — over the years.
Thankfully, Vietnamese food is now readily available in Delhi. Curiously though, it took a while for the cityto embrace the delicious regional cuisine.
For many years, the only place with a Vietnamese menu was Blue Ginger at the Taj Palace Hotel. The last few years have seen a surge in pan-Asian eateries serving Vietnamese dishes and a few restaurants with dedicated Vietnamese menus.
I still recall the pancakes with chicken — crepes prepared with rice powder and a beaten egg — that I ate at the tiny Little Saigon restaurant in Hauz Khas. And I can’t forget the pho — pronounced ‘phuh’, to rhyme with huh – I had some years ago at a restaurant called VietNom in Gurugram’s Cybercity; it has now opened a branch in Saket.
Vietnamese sandwich Banh Mi, prawn and avocado summer roll | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, who heads the Vietnamese restaurant CHÔ in Mehrauli, makes a mean pho — light in taste and with fragrant flavours. I had its pork pho, and relished the soup prepared with flat noodles, sprouts, onions, carrots and red cabbages, and flavoured with mint and coriander leaves. Belgian pork meat balls added to the taste — the pork pieces that came with the soup were deliciously fat and juicy, and so soft that they seemed airy. I then had some rice paper rolls, stuffed with avocado and prawns — the flavours and texture of which did an appetising duet together. I dipped them in the sweet and tangy nuoc cham sauce, and a thick hoisin-flavoured peanut sauce.
The banh mi sandwichis another Vietnamese favourite of mine. CHÔ’s version bursts at the seams with chicken, sprouts and greens, among other ingredients. I smeared it with a buttery Japanese mayo, and found it delightful.
The sandwich is one of the legacies bequeathed by coloniser France, along with baguettes and various kinds of crepes and rolls. The crepes are different from their European counterparts because of the use of rice paper — it is not heavy like a flour-based batter, and enhances the flavours of the ingredients.
What makes Vietnamese food so special is that it is cooked with a light touch, and exhibits a remarkable balance of flavours — with sweet, sour and bitter all living in harmony together. No wonder pho is like chicken soup for the soul.
CHO, 5/1, First Floor, Ambawatta One Complex, LHS Kalkadass Marg, Mehrauli
For reservation, call 9311902818
Meal for two costs Rs.2,500 plus Tax (without alcohol) and Rs,4,500 plus Tax (with alcohol)
