Looking for Cheap Vietnamese Cuisine? Davang Delivers

Noodles with coconut milk, cucumbers, lettuce, water sprouts and pork

A few weeks ago my husband and I were at a loss for dinner choices. So, I plugged in vietnamese and Phoenix in the old Google to see what we got. Davang Coffee Shop looked promising although I wondered about the coffee shop thing. It turns out you can be treated to a quite filling and delicious dinner for under $20 and that was for both of us.


Thai Tea
I was delighted that they sold my Thai tea. I know it’s not totally authentic, but it felt cool to see the same brand that I pick up at the Chinese Cultural Center. They also sell boba tea, which I am known to indulge in on occasion.

Toppings for soup: Basil, water sprouts and chilis
My husband ordered a meatball soup which was tasty, but he did add lots of hot sauce and the chilis. I don’t think their items are particularly spicy, so if you are used to Thai cuisine than just add any of the sauces they have on the table. They also offered sauces for dipping the spring rolls.

Spring rolls with shrimp and pork
Okay, these spring rolls were very tasty and pretty healthy but the texture had us giggling. They are very… tacitly similar to male genitalia. Maybe I’m very middle school in this area, but it made for some good fun while waiting for our main courses, which wasn’t that long of a wait mind you. I was amazed by how perfectly the shrimp was cooked and the lettuce and mint were perfectly crisp. Of course they were just gorgeous to look at.

Sticky noodles with coconut milk
My dish was a little to milky for me. I know that sounds crazy, so why did I order the one with coconut milk? Well, I love coconut milk and I love peanuts and cucumbers so I thought this was a good choice. I did, however, finding myself adding a lot of hot sauce to get more than just the creaminess of the coconut milk. Even after mixing it up it still seemed over powered by the milk. I just pushed as much of that aside as possible and voila, it’s all good. I probably wouldn’t get this again but would be thrilled, I’m sure, with any of the other noodle dishes. Really, anything here is going to be good and the staff are friendly and efficient.
Davang gave us good food, a good time and all for under $20 so this is a real find! It is located at 4538 North 19th Avenue in Phoenix and is the west side of the street in a strip mall. When you’re hungry and poor, this place is sure to bring a smile.

TnT’s Excellent Vietnam Food-Venture

Adventure comes in many forms. We trek, we kayak, we scuba dive. We go spelunking one week and swim with whalesharks another. We climb mountains (or at least try) and cross deserts on camels (even if we sometimes fall off). We hang out with exotic tribes, overnight in lost monasteries, and explore the world’s most exotic destinations. To us, the true meaning of adventure means discovering what’s out there.

So when we got to Saigon and found large numbers of travelers living off of egg fried rice, I nearly had an aneurysm . How can people come to Vietnam and only eat fried rice? It’s a sin, a tragedy, a crime against food-humanity. After much soul-searching (and five months in the Philippines), our mission was clear: to explore the phenomenal food of Vietnam and introduce it to our readers.

During our time in Vietnam, we will alternate between typical TnT blog postings and Food-Venture postings which will document our daily food discoveries along the way. Enjoy, and start planning you trip to the closest Vietnamese restaurant.

Phong Vinh Vietnamese Restaurant

I’m always on the look out for delicious Vietnamese food and its very hard to stray from my usual which is Tra Vinh. However, when learning that the owner of Phong Vinh is related to the owners of Tra Vinh I thought I’d better give it a try. The menu is very extensive, but there are heaps of pictures to help your decision.
Goi Cuon Tom Thit (Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls with Pork and Prawns)

$5 approx.
These came out a minute after ordering and that’s my kind of vietnamese restaurant.
Goi Cuon Chao Tom (Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls with Prawn wrapped Sugarcane)


$5 approx.
These came shortly after.
Che Thai (Iced Thai Drink)


$4.50
Iced Thai drink packed with longan, sea coconut, mixed jellies and coconut milk. Topped with shaved ice and Durian. Note: If you don’t like durian please advise the waitstaff not to put it on top. Even if you try to scoop it off afterwards, the smell still lingers. It was still delicious and thirst quenching though.
Banh Ouc Chao Tom (Rolled Rice Flour Noodles with Sugarcane Prawns)

$10
Usually when I go to a new vietnamese restaurant I always try the Pho to test the authenticity. However, I rarely come across this childhood favourite on a menu. A tasty prawn paste, similar to the texture of thai fish cakes, carefully wrapped around a stalk of sugarcane and is then grilled or deep fried. The patty remains moist and sweet this way. It is served with a generous serving of noodles and nuoc cham. I had to order another serve of the nuoc cham as it was so yummy.
Nuoc Cham is a dipping sauce also known as ‘fish sauce’ commonly served with Vietnamese dishes.
Com Tam (Broken Rice with Pork Chop, Pate and Egg)

$12 approx.
This is to date, is the biggest serving of Com Tam, I’ve seen in Perth. It was tasty too. Somewhere under the mountain of delicious bi is a crispy fried egg and marinated pork chop.
Bi is shredded pork skin and may sound unappetising, but it’s crunchy, textual, nutty and goes great in rolls, rice dishes and noodle dishes – I could eat it by itself!
Bo Kho Noodles (Stewed Beef Noodle Soup)

$12 approx.
Ex-Fatty’s friend had the Bo Kho Noodle soup with combination noodles at no extra charge. There was a mixture of egg noodles and rice noodles. She couldn’t finish it.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable meal. The portion sizes were huge, food was great and the staff did not mind us hanging around for a chat afterwards.

sugar - preserved fruit of Tet holiday in Vietnam

In Vietnamese New Year party, beside traditional dishes, no family can forget to make a tray of "Mứt Tết”, a cup of tea, betel and areca ready to entertain their visitors.
 

“Mứt Tết” refers to fruits or vegetables that have been prepared and canned for long term storage. The preparation of preserved fruit traditionally involves the use of pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used as well. There are various types of fruit preserves made in Vietnam, and they can be made from sweet or savory ingredients.

“Mứt” is made from all sorts of fruit, including mandarin oranges, apples, banana, coconuts, persimmons and breadfruit. Vegetables like patatoes, carrots and squash are also turned into “Mứt”, as certain types of blossoms.

The most famous variety of “Mứt” is made from rose petals or peach blossoms. The raw materials are cleaned and peeled, then soaked in sugar and cooked until dry. Other types of “Mứt” have the sticky consistency of jam. Some varieties, like “cu lac” (peanut jam) are covered with a thick layer of sugar, but most have thin layer of sugar.

The colors are often quite intense and people serve different types of “Mứt” together, arranged in a colorful display.

In Hanoi, Hang Dieu or Hang Duong Streets in Old Quarter are famous for shops that sell “Mứt”. Preserved fruits are masterpieces in these shops. They make all kinds of preserved fruit such as ginger, waxy pumpkin, apple, orange, lemon and carrot in various shapes and colours. 

To welcome Tet is to welcome the spring. However, in January, which is spring time, the weather in Vietnam is still cold. It is a good idea to warm up with a cup of hot tea and a slice of preserved ginger with golden yellow colour and a special flavour...

Chicken noodle soup recipe

My friend Simon says that there's a lot of confusing and misleading online chatter about chicken phở these days. If you've had the original beef phở then you're bound to want to explore the chicken version, which is slightly lighter in flavor, but delicious still.

Making noodle soup is an art form that take a bit of time, but most of the time is passive cooking. I encourage you to try making your own bowl so that you may savor and appreciate a well-crafted bowl.Try it out and contribute comments so that we can build a nice body of content on this wonderful Vietnamese chicken noodle soup!



 Chicken Pho Recipe (Phở Gà )

While beef phở may be the version that most people know and like, chicken phở is also excellent. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in phở gà (pronounced "Fuh Gah")within the Vietnamese American community, and a handful of restaurants are specializing in the delicate noodle soup. Some of them use free-range gà chạy or gà đi bộ (literally “jogging chicken” or “walking chicken”), yielding bowls full of meat that has a flavor and texture reminiscent of traditionally raised chickens in Vietnam.

If you want to create great chicken phở yourself, take a cue from the pros and start with quality birds. If you have never made phở, this recipe is ideal for learning the basics. It calls for fewer ingredients than other phở recipes, so you can focus on charring the onion and ginger to accentuate their sweetness, making a clear broth, and assembling steamy hot, delicious bowls. While some cooks flavor chicken phở broth with the same spices they use for beef phở, my family prefers using coriander seeds and cilantro to distinguish the two. To compare chicken with beef phở, see my beef pho noodle soup recipe.

Tea with longan and lotus seed

 Tea with longan and lotus seed is considered as the Vietnamese quintessence...

 With longan and lotus seeds, the Vietnamese can create a kind of special-flavor tea. It is considered the quintessence of the heaven and earth. The tea is aromatically fragrant with an original flavor.

Containing longan fruit pieces and lotus seeds, this kind of tea is fragrant with a full-bodied taste. The original and naturally flavored beverage is rich in glucose, sucrose, proteins, and other minerals. Longan flesh is sweet and contains niacin, which aids metabolism and keeps the skin, nervous, and digestive systems healthy. Lotus seeds can treat nervous depression and sleeplessness.

Longan and lotus tea is a nourishing drink with natural sweetness. When both of the ingredients combined, it is effective in fighting against anemia and fatigue, and boosting energy levels. Or in other words, they are good in building blood and regenerating Qi. It has a pleasant taste and high nutritional value, and is recognized as valuable medicinal herb.

The flavoured tea is tasty and refreshing; and can easily satisfy your thirst as well as refresh your minds. The rich composition of natural nutrient factors entails the tea with healthy characters, which makes you keep up your spirits among the clean, free and happy mood. If you would like to make a cup of the flavoured tea yourself, you are able to try the simple direction as follows:

Ingredients:

12 lotus seeds, washed and cooked

10 longan fruit pieces, pitted

5 cups of water

Method:

1. Boil and simmer ingredients in 5 cups of water for 45 minutes until the liquid is fragrant and tasty.

2. Serve warm.

When you are in Vietnam, this kind of tea should be a must try of Vietnamese local product. The taste is excellent and it is a health drink. It could help ease sleep problem if you drink a cup of longan and lotus tea before going to bed.

“Cơm Việt” – a different taste!

If you have ever tried “Cơm Việt” (Vietnamese plain boiled rice), you will find the difference from the boiled rice in other countries!

In an ordinary meal of Vietnamese people, together with a variety of different dishes, Com or plain boiled rice is an indespensable one, the most popular food at the main meals of the day (lunch and dinner).

Different cooking method makes “Cơm Việt” different!

In Vietnam, Com is made from different kinds of rice, typically fragrant rice is used, such as Tam Thom and Nang Huong. The main ingredients of Vietnamese plain boiled rice are commonly as follows:

- 1 cup of rice.

- 2 cups of boiling water.

- 1 teaspoonful of salt.

So, how can you make the boiled rice really delicious? If you have chance to see how Vietnamese people make a good pot of boiled rice, you will notice that its process is not so difficult. Firstly, pick the rice over, taking out all the bits of brown husk; fill the outside of the double boiler with hot water, ans put in the rice, salt and water, and cook forty minutes, but do not stir it. Then take off the cover from the boiler, and very gently, without stirring, turn over the rice with a fork; put the disk in the oven without the cover, and let it stand and dry for ten minutes. Then turn it from the boiler into a hot dish, and cover.

Other rice–made foods...

Beside the above-mentioned recipe of “Cơm Việt”, the Vietnamese people created many other rice-made foods, such as: rice ball, fried rice, rice gruel, steamed glutinous rice. Among them, making a rice ball (“Cơm nắm” in Vietnamese) is so interesting! “Cơm nắm” is a Vietnamese rice dish pressed into cylinder or sphere shape, which is sold in small alleys in Hanoi by vendors. This dish is very familiar with Vietnamese people. “Cơm nắm” has become a cheap but delicious rustic gift. When being fed up with nutritious food like vermicelli or “phở”, people often look for a frugal dish like “Cơm nắm” served with roasted sesame and ground nut.

Do you think it is easy to make a rice ball? A lot of people may say “Yes”, and you can obey the following simple process to make perfect a rice ball. To begin with, you boil the rice in a rice cooker. Please bear in mind that you have to make rice balls while the rice is hot or else it will not stick together. Next, you wet your hands and put a pinch of salt on your palms. Then, you put rice on your hand and wad up the rice and shape like cylinder or sphere. “Cơm nắm” is served with not o­nly sesame but also other things, such as stewed fish, simmered pork or salted shredded meat. However, salted roasted sesame (and ground nut) is still the first choice. The dish is so delicious that you surely would like to taste more than once... The rice is white clear, soft and used to be wrapped in a green banana leaf, which is so attractive. However, its cover is replaced with a plastic bag or paper. The salted sesame is roasted light brown and grated, which has an appealing fragrance. “Cơm nắm” is cut into slices and served with this sesame or/and ground nut. The sweetness of rice combining with the buttery taste of sesame is so unique that can not be found anywhere in the world