Ho Chi Minh – AKA Saigon

Have you even been to a county and then suddenly had the epiphany that you now understand what the reference is in regards to things back home?! I have! For all you nerd who need examples (I’m talking about a particular friend – and he knows who he is), there is a restaurant back in Calgary that is called Pho Pasteur. I never knew what the “Pasteur” was in reference to. Ok, I still don’t know what the actual word means, however, there is a very famous Pho (Noodle soup) restaurant here in HCMC (Ho Chi Minh City) on Pasteur street. Coincidentally that restaurant is one of the best places in Calgary for Pho and one of the best places for Pho in HCMC. Must NOT be a coincidence, which solidifies my theory that nothing in life is a coincidence! Everything happens for a reason, and as I travel I’m finally gaining insight as to what some of these ‘coincidences’ mean. Better late than never!

I signed up for a cooking class today. I figured I better have something to bring home to my friends, and since I’ve already packed far too much on my trip, and I’m not about to lug around souvenirs all around the world to bring to my friends I better not show up empty handed…especially if some of them are going to put me up while I integrate myself into the work world again..heh heh. So my resolve was to sign up for a cooking class in every country I go to, (almost all) so that I can make some delicious goodies when I go back and earn my keep!

Saigon Cooking Class by Hoa Tuc. I googled in search of some authentic Vietnamese cuisine taught by some amazing chefs and I found two. I’m not knocking the other company, which might be great, but I decided to go with Hoa Tuc based solely on their web site. That’s how I’ve been making all my decisions, hotels, tours etc. It’s not the best way to do it, as I’m learning, however it’s A way to do it..!! They are located in District 1 in this small alley off of Hai Ba Trung street. Never underestimate a small opening in Vietnam. I’ve learned it might seem like a small opening, however it most likely leads to a large open space or cave (Halong Bay), which of course was the case. I walked through the alley, and it’s not quite even an alley, just feels like one, and it opened up to a large atrium with three restaurants tucked behind it.

Everything in their own neat bowls..just like on TV!

Hai Ba Trung seems to be the street where a few very well-known restaurants are located. However of course these are all restaurants that are frequented by ex-pats, and you aren’t paying $30,000. VND for a bowl of Pho. They aren’t even terribly expensive, a main would be anywhere from $150,000. – $300,000. VND, which is about $7-15 a plate, but sure seems expensive when I’m use to eating a bowl of Pho or vermicelli for $30,000. VND which is about $1.50. These are mainly restaurants with a western flair. Irish Pubs, Italian, Spanish tapas, French fusion, and Cafes with delicious wafts of freshly baked bread with sumptuously melt in your mouth delicious, buttery centers and the perfectly crispy crunchy exteriors matched delectably with the strong pungent sharp bitter taste of the strong coffee they serve here.

I arrived and thought I was at the wrong place as I was expecting a few others to be present for the class. I lucked out and got a private lesson as apparently everyone came during the morning session…pays sometimes to be a late riser! The chef came out to introduce himself and let me know that class would start in 7 minutes. 7’s an odd number, but ok, I wasn’t keeping track anyway. I sat patiently as they set the table filled with some goodies.

We started with the traditional Fried Spring Roll with seafood and taro. I had made spring rolls prior, but now I realize I have made them ALL wrong! These were delicious morsels of tastiness, fried to the perfect golden brown tenderness accompanied with some fresh herbs and a piece of lettuce. Turns out what we north americans think of as garnish is actually part of the tasty experience. I also learned how to make Nuoc Mam (fish sauce) the proper way. I previously had been winging it, and tasting it along the way to make sure it tasted proper, turns out I was missing lime juice and vinegar. Half the ingredients, although no one thus far has complained so it must not have been that awful!

Look Ma, I made these, and the dipping sauce too!!

Then onto shredded banana blossom salad with chicken and finally traditional Pho with beef stock. All which after concocting myself I got to eat. By the time I got to the Pho I was already full! So absolutely delicious and authentic and fresh, just the way I have come to associate that of Vietnamese food. They even gave me a complimentary dessert. I believe it was papaya mixed with creme fraiche and a few other ingredients that only that restaurant makes in all of Saigon. Perfectly tart, sweet and light enough to compliment a great meal. That’s the one great thing about Vietnamese food, it never leaves you feeling heavy like most Western foods does. Also the whole myth of eating asian and feeling hungry after a few hours is NOT true. I was definitely full for the evening…*burp*. They even gave me a neat little small folder with all the recipes printed on them JUST in case I forgot how to make it..great experience and definitely worth the bucks! ($45) to be exact.

I even made the hot pepper garnish!!

Pho

After three hours of cooking and eating I decided I needed to walk some of it off…or rather even to digest what I had eaten.

HCMC is..a rural third world country on the verge of becoming a very charming tourist friendly city. In my opinion. There are much more English-speaking places and people, however some customer service standards need to be worked on. I’m not talking about the food stalls that offer home-made meals for mere dollars, as the non speaking english vendors add to the charm of this city and any city for that matter. That goes hand in hand, however if you’re going to charge Western prices for your meals, hotel services, then your standards should coincide otherwise you’re just taking advantage of tourists. Not good business sense if you ask me, but I guess no one is really asking me.

I end my day with a work out in my hotel gym (I splurged for two nights – and working out helps me balance) and a swim in the pool. I went down in my gym attire and on my way back up to my room, the elevator door opened and three generations of a Vietnamese family happen to be in the elevator. I walked in, and one of the gentleman was standing right in front of the buttons, so I waited and paused for a moment. The older gentleman, loudly said “UP”. I said “yes, excuse me”. The younger man turned around to look at me, as many people do when they find out I’m not Vietnamese (I never thought I looked Vietnamese until EVERYONE here thinks I am and speaks to me in Vietnamese), and he just stared at me. The older man uttered some words in Vietnamese to his son, and grand-daughter, and the only words I heard were…”Brunei”, to which they got off the elevator on their floor and the feisty in me couldn’t help but to poke my head out the elevator and say “I’m CANADIAN, but thanks for asking!!!”.

I get this a lot..no one really distinguishes WHAT I look like, I look Vietnamese so everyone here talks to me in Vietnamese first off and telling me that I look Vietnamese. Then I run into a lot of Chinese who speak Mandarin, who yell at me in Mandarin, to which I politely reply “I don’t speak (fill in the specific language they speak her). Some Mandarin speaking dude even followed me the length of the swimming pool in which I was doing a lap (ok a very POOR lap of swimming) yelling to me in Mandarin to which again I politely said “I don’t speak Mandarin”. I even get funny looks from Europeans when I speak perfect English. Thankfully I can distinguish the different languages, although I can’t ACTUALLY understand what they are saying, I only can tell what language it is, thus making my sentence of “Sorry I can’t speak..” end well enough so they understand to stop talking to me.

I’m in Asia and I don’t feel as though I quite fit in and when I’m in North America people KNOW I don’t fit in due to the way I look…so where do I fit in? That’s another story and blog all together….

My small wine from my mini bar has kicked in, and it’s time to get a decent night sleep to only start these shenanigans all over again in the morning!!!

~ by Smiling Heart on March 19, 2010.