Friday, December 25, 2009

BBQ in Nhatrang, Vietnam











Breakfast at Nhatrang Yasaka ends at 9am every morning. That means a mad dash out of bed just to eat every morning! Happy to catch a bowl of Beef Pho [rice noodle with beef and soup] and settle in the cool garden surrounded by bonsai horticulture of all kinds. 

By the third morning, I was awake enough to discover my new favourite [below]  - somewhat like cheong fun with beef. [Don't know what it's called cos I was too busy chatting with the servers about their holidays and forgot to ask!] The rice skin is extremely tender and delicate. Dipped in a sweet and spicy sauce ... [pause to breath]... it's takes my breath away! It's a dish that encapsulates the character of the Vietnamese spirit - gentle in substance, genteel in presentation, gratifying in its simplicity, and eaten with a generous dose of fresh herbs that include mint leaves [mint leaves are served with almost all dishes], it's a recipe for gastronomic revival in the morning!


A very attractive and petite Vietnamese 'chef' also makes a mighty ham omelette that has the longest queue each morning. One of my daughters said very frankly, "Not the kind you can make, mummy." Yep, I'm not in the running for any kind of omelettes. We didn't see the pretty chef on our fifth morning and I actually felt her absence! Glad she came in with a big smile and the garden buffet was happy again.