Anthony Bourdain’s famous Lunch
Lady.
Our first day in Ho Chi Minh City,
we decided to walk the whole time to completely experience the city—taking in
the views, the architecture, the lifestyle and, of course, the food.
My sister and I are big fans of
Anthony Bourdain. Thus, when visiting other places, we always make sure to
include in our itinerary the restaurants that were featured in No Reservations.
Our first Anthony Bourdain place is The
Lunch Lady.
After experiencing Ben Thanh Market and
the Reunification Palace, we walked a little over 2 kilometers
to Hoang Sa, northeast of District 1, near the river.
Along the way, the trees were fewer,
the sidewalks and the roads narrower and the buildings shabbier…and it
delighted me! I thought, “This is the real Saigon life and it’s more stimulating,
culturally”.
When my sister and I saw the river,
we turned right on an alley. The whole alley turned out to be a government
housing complex. It’s not beautiful and it’s definitely not striking but it
fascinated me without knowing why. I think I could stare at the buildings for
hours and never get tired.
Alas, we made it to The Lunch Lady.
It’s a typical noodle stall, with little chairs and tables in an open setting.
Luckily, the stall was under a big tree so we’re shaded from the heat and the
drizzle of the early afternoon. In the middle is the stall, and there stood Nguyen Thi Thanh, the Lunch Lady,
making the noodles herself.
Nguyen Thi Thanh changes her menu
every day, I guess, depending on the ingredients available on the market. But
it’s always a different noodle recipe per day so that her customers won’t get
tired of eating in her stall.
On
the day of our visit, the specialty was Hu
Tien Nam Vang which comes with a plate full of lettuce leaves and another
plate of sliced baguettes. It was served in a big bowl so we only ordered 1.
Hu Tieu Nam Vang. 35,000 VND / P70.00.
From
my research, Hu Tien Nam Vang is a noodle soup which originated in Cambodia, also
known as Kuy Teav. It’s a popular rice noodle breakfast in Cambodia. The soup
consisted of pork broth with sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish
sauce.
The
original toppings are sliced pork belly, innards and onion springs. But through
the years, a lot of versions have emerged. The Lunch Lady’s version consisted
of the sliced pork, pig’s blood jelly, liver, onion springs, pepper, nuts (that
I don’t recognize) and topped with quail eggs and large shrimps.
For
our review of The Lunch Lady’s Hu Tieu, it was not flavorful but not that bland
either. I guess we were expecting the strong flavor that usually comes in pho.
Although the soup only has a subtle flavor, the toppings make up for it. The
amount of noodles is equal to the amount of the toppings. And with that, I think
our P70.00 is well worth it.
There
are also the sliced baguettes that you dip in the soup. It’s better eaten when
the bread is soft and chewy from absorbing the soup’s flavor.
Fresh Spring Rolls. 30,000 VND / P60.00.
A
Vietnamese meal isn’t complete without the freshly made spring rolls.
Nuoc Rau Ma. 7,000 VND / P14.00.
Rau
Ma, Pennyworth in English and Takip-Kohol in Filipino, is a medicinal
herb. Its taste is similar to Wheatgrass. For the adventurous and the
veggie-lovers out there, this is a must-try. It’s refreshing and healthy. My
sister and I loved it or rather, addicted to it.
Before
finishing, we saw another customer order a different recipe
of noodles. We also wanted to try it but we were too full. So we just ended our
lunch with a picture with Nguyen Thi Thanh.
Then
off we go, happy that are belly’s bulging with authentic Vietnamese food and
satisfied with our first Anthony Bourdain food stop in Vietnam.
#23 Hoang Sa St., District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
P.S. Sugarcane Juice in Vietnam.
Nuoc Mia. 5,000VND / P11.00
All around the city, we kept on seeing Nuoc Mia (sugarcane juice) stalls. We tried one to satisfy our curiosity. I guess, after eating lunch, this is the best thing you can have for dessert while walking in the streets of Saigon. It's cheap, fresh, naturally sweet and refreshingly cold!
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This tour must be very adventurous and the food look very delicious. I am very jealous by seeing these pictures that why I have never been there in my whole life.
ReplyDeleteSoutheast Asia is really a great and cheap place to visit! The food, the sights and the culture are all refreshing. The people are also friendly!:)
DeleteHu tieu Nam Vang is not a Cambodia dish but it's Cantonese immigrants' dish. It's like BO BIA in Bang Kok is also a Cantonese immigrants' dish. The name is still the same in Vietnam. Hu Tieu shops owned by Chinese immigrants in Saigon are countless. Nam Vang is Vietnamese for Phnom Penh.
ReplyDeleteNam Vang is Vietnamese name of Phnom Penh. It's nothing related to China. The point makes clear different is some of the original restaurant like Lien Hua sets sugar bottle in the table to add into soup. This is the eating habit/culture of Thai Laos and Combodia. Nothing to do with China.
DeleteYou got yourself conflict: Nam Vang is Vietnamese for Phnom Penh.