Lunchtime in Saigon

Saigon is a portable city. Inhabitants move ceaselessly about on motorbikes. The functional mobility of rickshaws and food carts is well-understood. Many pedestrians run one-man operations. For some, the money maker is a shoe-shine kit. For others, it's a rack of sunglasses or a tray of Zippos. This guy was selling fresh young coconuts, the tops of which he chopped off "to order," so to speak. He then stabbed the opening with a bright, plastic straw. We stopped and bought one on our way to get lunch from a yet to be determined place and drank the ice cold juice in a patch of shade.

We settled at 33 Nguyen Trung Truc at a place called Xua Va Nay. Wooden tables on the sidewalk seemed to reach out to us as we walked by. One was vacant. Tra da (iced tea) and menus were brought over when we sat down. Tra da is served everywhere. It seems to replace tap water. It's a subtle, floral tea that takes on the slightest hint of yellow and a sense of pride with its humble ability to pair with the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors that define many Vietnamese dishes.

Goi bo ca phao (95,000VND - $4.50), pictured above, is a beef and eggplant salad. Three types of eggplant are popular in Vietnamese cuisine. The one here is pickled (ca phao), has white skin, and are the smallest of the lot. The salad makes a perfect lunch dish; refreshing and light, but heavy with flavor. Basil, mint, and greens are dressed in a standard Vietnamese vinaigrette of fish sauce, garlic, chilies, sugar, and kumquat juice.

Goi Ngo Sen Tom Thit (90,000VND = $4.30) - Sweet and sour shrimp, pork, and lotus root salad. Another refreshing salad made a bit heartier with pork and lotus root. Rice crackers were a great vehicle for eating the salad. The contrast in the two salads was a reminder of the versatility and breadth of Vietnamese cuisine.

We walked two blocks southwest and digested in Cong Vien Tao Dan, or Tao Dan Park. This is one of many, beautiful landscapes found throughout. Along with its beauty, the park is famous for a statue of Ho Chi Minh that stands at the entrance.

Xua Va Nay | 08 6686 5266 | 33 Nguyen Trung Truc - Saigon