Vietnamese food that isn't PHO?!

Let's get a little cultural and adventurous. When you say Vietnamese food. We say Cabramatta and Canley Heights. We're not always keen to head in the westerly direction but you'll be kidding yourself if you think you're enjoying authentic Vietnamese cuisine in the city (there are few exceptions)! This could be the next road trip with friends!

As suggested by mum, we paid a little visit to Huong Xua on 208 Canley Vale Road for a slightly different kind of Viet food.

The restaurant specializes in dishes with Oc which is Vietnamese for sea snails! A little French vibe oui? Well that made ordering a tad easier - just order the specialty.

And the reason we wanted to share this food outing was to show that there's more to Vietnamese cuisine than good ol' Pho soup and noodles! We're not hating on the Pho (we couldn't flick past it on the menu) but we just wanted to show something new. Pho we will save for another day don't you worry!

We ordered Bun Oc (pronun. Booo-m Op), not in the soup for but as dry form (you can choose between the two) which came with vermicelli noodles and bowl of soul with the sea snails to dip with a side salad. Everything tasted fresh and light - it was really satisfying. 

We also called for pork Hu Tieu (pronun. Who Teew) in soup form (thin flat glass noodles in pork broth) which the noodle was just a little chewy just as it should be and the broth was light but deep in flavour at the same time!

Here’s a little step by step on how to eat your Bun Oc (kind of like Oreo - dip and enjoy!):

How else do you end a Vietnamese dinner out than with the traditional dessert Che! We only had to cross the road before we were seated outside with our orders taken. There was simply only one choice on our minds: Che Thai

I'm not sure about the English translation but I can tell you what's in it: cubed fruit salad, agar jelly, mung bean, durian, lycée, sweet coconut milk and topped with shaved ice

Usually durian is too hard core for me but I can always manage it here only for some reason! Che Thai is always a personal fav of mine (I’m not even sure how it gets the ‘Thai’ in its name – just don’t take it too literally) and here is the best cafe I’ve had it at.

We were beaming inside by the end of the night – such great Vietnamese food to explore all the time even for us Viet sistas.Until next time!MVPD

Yum Cha 101

Another stray away from the usual cafe lunch scene is a trip to Chinatown for some authentic yum cha with a group of friends.
Yum cha is just one of those things you just need to try (a food adventure and catch up all in one!) so hopefully I can tempt you to book a date soon!

I recently went to The Marigold in Haymarket Chinatown to rekindle my love for yum cha with some snaps to share of my fav dishes (and also the newbies I've discovered!).

Lightly fried steamed rice rolls with satay sauce
This was new to me, not my cup of tea as much as I tried.

Siew Mai (p. seeeew my)
The pork mince is stuffed in wonton sheet is my #2

When we could, yum cha was our every-now-and-then Sunday brunch treat (we began on the baby high chair) to wind down with the family, sipping on our bubble milk teas that we bought on the same street! But with a group of friends you feel more adventurous and dare to try more strange dishes.

Seafood Spring rolls
They come with any filling, you just have to
inquire.
Not my go-to dish since mum makes
 the best ones at home :)

Banh Cuon (viet title)
We always request these steamed rice  rolls/cake
with prawn. These can also come with
BBQ pork :O Served with Vietnamese
fish sauce is delish!

I always appreciate a friend who knows how to order their yum cha! It's been great for broadening my yum cha experience!

Your classic steamed pork bun - enough said

These egg tarts are always too much on the eggy side
for my liking but they're so popular

Some other dishes that went too fast I couldn't take a picture of were the Prawn Dumpling and Deep Fried Taro Puffs!

Deep fried taro puffs with duck filling
A bit strange when you bite and see purple (taro)
but nice anyways!

Ha Cao (prawn dumplings)
My #1 go-to yum cha dish

Equally as important as the dishes are the condiment sauces! Its best to eat with the sauce served specially with the dish but don't be afraid to add a little dollop of chilli sauce to be really authentic!

Mango pancakes are the best way to finish yum cha!
The pancake is filled with light Creme and chopped mango!
The mangoes are always the just right - sweet, never sour like the supermarkets!

I definitely left the restaurant in a good mood!
If you're feeling a little empty right now, chances are you're missing a little yum cha in your life!

MVPD xx