the burping dog chomps its way through...
Hue
Making our way south, the burping dog stopped at Hue, once the capital of Vietnam and now the final resting place of the Nguyen emperors. Apart from its walled citadel which was designated a World Heritage site in 1993, Hue is also famous for its culinary specialities and it is said that Hue cuisine is the best in Vietnam. A city like that, who could resist? :)
Bun bo - Just as Hanoi has its pho bo, Hue has its bun bo -- a spicy lemongrass-scented beef noodle soup to which you add raw veggies, a twist of lime and chili paste.
Comment: Nothing beats a good bowl of pho bo, but bun bo can hold its own!
Rating (out of 10): 8 burps!
Banh khoai - A tasty afternoon snack, the ban khoai is a small crispy pancake topped with beansprouts, shrimp and lean pork then folded in half. Before the bird flu hit, a quail's egg would also be cracked over the sprouts and pork....it was really cute. It is served with a tasty sauce (made from peanuts, sesame, soy beans and...umm...liver), pickles and lots of fresh veggies including sliced green bananas, sliced unripen figs, lettuce, spearmint and fish mint. It's like a mini version of Hoi An's banh xeo, but a little less oily and with a different, tastier sauce!
Comment: Yum yum yum! Except for the fish mint which tastes funky...blech!
Rating (out of 10): 9 burps!
Ban Loc & Ram It - More Hue snacks. Ban loc is a dollop of manoic flour dough containing a tiny shrimp and slice of pork, that's steamed in a banana leaf. Ram it (also called banh ram it) is two dollops of glutinous rice flour dough, one fried and one steamed, then stuck together and sprinkled with some dried shrimp flakes. Apparently, ram refers to one dollop and it refers to the other! Just don't ask us which is which! Both come with a dipping sauce.
Comment: Pretty bland...
Rating (out of 10): 2.5 burps!
Making our way south, the burping dog stopped at Hue, once the capital of Vietnam and now the final resting place of the Nguyen emperors. Apart from its walled citadel which was designated a World Heritage site in 1993, Hue is also famous for its culinary specialities and it is said that Hue cuisine is the best in Vietnam. A city like that, who could resist? :)
Bun bo - Just as Hanoi has its pho bo, Hue has its bun bo -- a spicy lemongrass-scented beef noodle soup to which you add raw veggies, a twist of lime and chili paste.
Comment: Nothing beats a good bowl of pho bo, but bun bo can hold its own!
Rating (out of 10): 8 burps!
Banh khoai - A tasty afternoon snack, the ban khoai is a small crispy pancake topped with beansprouts, shrimp and lean pork then folded in half. Before the bird flu hit, a quail's egg would also be cracked over the sprouts and pork....it was really cute. It is served with a tasty sauce (made from peanuts, sesame, soy beans and...umm...liver), pickles and lots of fresh veggies including sliced green bananas, sliced unripen figs, lettuce, spearmint and fish mint. It's like a mini version of Hoi An's banh xeo, but a little less oily and with a different, tastier sauce!
Comment: Yum yum yum! Except for the fish mint which tastes funky...blech!
Rating (out of 10): 9 burps!
Ban Loc & Ram It - More Hue snacks. Ban loc is a dollop of manoic flour dough containing a tiny shrimp and slice of pork, that's steamed in a banana leaf. Ram it (also called banh ram it) is two dollops of glutinous rice flour dough, one fried and one steamed, then stuck together and sprinkled with some dried shrimp flakes. Apparently, ram refers to one dollop and it refers to the other! Just don't ask us which is which! Both come with a dipping sauce.
Comment: Pretty bland...
Rating (out of 10): 2.5 burps!