Vietnam 2010 - Day 2

The second day started with a tour of Cu Chi tunnels. The history was interesting but the exhibits were merely recreations of the real thing. We intended to lunch at the famous Banh Xeo restaurant at district 3 but of all days of the year, it was closed for the first day of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Luckily, our cabbie spoke fluent Mandarin and recommended us a place for Bahn Cuon which is basically Chee Cheong Fun wrapped around ground pork and pork lard. A nice lunch but it was nothing to write home about.


This, I think, is some sort of fried bean cake.




Here, we were way out of downtown Saigon and away from all other tourists.


Dinner was the tourist attraction of Quan An Ngon, which is basically a congregation of food stalls in spruced up surroundings with excellent service and great value. We made up for our missed Banh Xeo here. The crepe-like pancake was nice and crispy on the edges but the centre was just a touch soggy. It’s a nice appetiser nonetheless.


The Bo Kho, which is sort of a Vietnamese take on Boeuf Bourguignon was served with a small loaf of baguette. On the surface of the flavour profile, there was definitely a hit cinnamon and star anise and perhaps cloves and turmeric too. Propping up the spices was taste of patiently caramelised tomato puree. You can actually still see the slick of red tomato oil. The unapologetically fatty beef drives home the message that we were in serious territory of deliciousness. My only qualm with this dish was the criminally under-toasted baguette.


The rice paper rolls and chicken sticks there were rather average. We also ordered a Pho and a Bun Luon (noodles with fried eel). They were both respectable though both tasted suspiciously of the cursed Maggie Chicken Stock. Seriously, that stuff is ruining great food up and down Asia.