The Quick Snail

Here's a simple 'n dirty lil' stir-fried seafood dish- ốc len xào dừa. Sea snails cooked with a coconut milk sauce and topped off with libido killer rau răm. Chase with libido enhancer Sài Gòn beer. Perfect match.

Shells so perdy you almost wanna get all fairfax and make yourself a string necklace.


Stay Oceanic.

Country Cock 'n Balls

Over working in the Mekong Delta the other day, locally known as miền tây. In the countryside lots of things are different. Farming is the main (practically only?) economy, helmets are optional and fluorescent purple and orange designer knock off shirts reign supreme in the fashion world. They also eat a more 'rustic' diet, if you will. This isn't saying that Saigonese won't chow down on a fertilized duck embryo or young grilled dog ribs- but in the countryside sustenance isn't always guaranteed with such meager salaries. Not the time to be picky about your peas and carrots.


Just a little 'Bình Dân' spot serving up the local speciality of the Đồng Tháp province, Lẩu gà nòi. Lẩu is a table side hot-pot, most popularly paired with seafood. The gà nòi is a hot-tempered breed of Vietnamese chicken similar to a gamecock. They run around as they please and some varieties of gà nòi are raised for cockfighting. Just be sure to check for metal spikes before slurping down your bowl.


Your bubbling pot of cock parts and local veggies. Usually eaten with Bún (rice vermicelli), today we ate with Mì gói (instant noodles).


A nice plate of chopped up gà nòi. I really like the sprinkled fried shallot flakes on top. Shows me they really care about presentation. Anyways I'm no vet so don't ask me what all these scraps are, I just have a feeling nothing is wasted. Those white kidney-looking pair of nuggets resting on top of this mound of offal, take a guess. I told you this chicken was a male right? Well, the lady I was with kept saying 'the eggs of the male chicken'. I was thinking to myself, 'males have eggs'? I found out eventually that I was eating gamecock nuts. The flavor was like a mild pate, but the texture was a bit offensive. I liken the insides to semi-soft tofu, and when your teeth broke through the outer skin it was an experience not to dissimilar to snacking on gushers for the first time. Either way, finished 'em both, cause if you only eat one they say only one of yours will function properly. Can't be havin' that.


Stay Squeamish.

Lets Roll

Most people think of gỏi cuốn (fresh Spring Rolls with shrimp and lettuce) when they think of Vietnamese cuisine. Yes, this is a good indicator of the eating culture here; light, healthy and filled with fresh vegetables and seafood - but I'm actually not a big fan of Spring Rolls. I feel there's another roll in the neighborhood that brings more of a punch to the table. His ancestors may have called China home, but today he's got his green card and makes a steady income in the socialist republic of Việt Nam.

Hi. I'm bò bía. Have you meet my sweetheart?

This snack originally derived from the Fujian province of China. There it's called Popiah and the wrapping is a thin wheat-flour 'crepe', while upon entering Việt Nam several years ago it underwent some changes at customs. The wheat flour wrap was substituted with - go figure - rice paper, and the name turned into bò bía, so it sounds all Vietnamese like. Many of the fillings changed as well.

So what's wrapped up in there? Like R-Kelly at a quinceanera, I know you're just dying to get inside. For starters, steamed strips of jicama (củ sắn), thin slices of dried Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng) - [essentially a dried form of the grilled sausages (香腸) I ate in Taiwan], baby dried shrimp (tôm khô), crushed peanuts (đậu phộng), lettuce (xa lát) and basil (rau quế). A dipping sauce of fermented soybeans called Tương accompanies the bò bía. Don't forget the fried shallots and chili pepper. There's just so much packed into this snack you can't really pin down a specific flavor, but I honestly appreciate the fishy/saltiness the dried shrimp bring. The jicama should still have a slight crunch to it, not too mushy. Send them back to the kitchen if that's the case.

How can you resist the lady's charm? bò bía can be found in the Chợ Lớn district of Hồ Chí Minh and randomly throughout the other districts.


When you don't want a meal, when you're noodled or riced out - reach for bò bía, then reach for the heavens. 1.500 - 2.500 VND a roll (8 - 14 cents).


Stay Snackable.

When in doubt, wing it..

Another one of those super popular 'quán ăn' dishes that goes great with beer. In the States, chicken wings are damn near mandatory when watching football. In Việt Nam, they don't watch American football, but the boys will drown you in beer if you ask kindly. This one's called 'cánh gà chiên nước mắm', or fried chicken wings with fish sauce. You can find this dish at most all casual restaurants where liquor is served, but today I'm grubbin' the version whipped up by the cook at my work. She's got it down.


First, chicken wings are marinated in fish sauce for that salty flav, then fried until a bit crisp. After removing the wings from a the oil, a sauce is made from sugar, fish sauce, black pepper and crispy fried garlic. Toss the fried wings back in the pan and cook until the caramelized sauce glazes those wings with sticky/salty ecstasy.

A different flavor sensation than your usual American style barbecue wings but go ahead and sample. Sunday's will never be the same.


Stay impromptu.

Hail to the King

ALL RISE! Say hello to the Durian, known in Việt Nam as sầu riêng.

It's the Lebron of the East! Known throughout Southeast Asia as the 'king of fruits', isn't it obvious why? The beast is covered in spikes and has a smell that bans it from subways in Singapore. Says food writer Richard Sterling:

"..its odor is best described as pig-sh*t, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away."

Chill buddy. I think most people exaggerate the odor but hey, I might just be more immune. Yeah, it's an acquired aroma, but nothing like the back end of a swine. Nevertheless, people out East appreciate the beauty of this fruit, and pay top dollar for freshly harvested Durian.


Don't F with this fruit. It can kill you. King does what it wants.


Crack open the outer shell and behold 4 to 5 compartments housing large seeds as well as the infamous flesh [edible part]. There's actually tons of varieties of King D., so you may get big or small seeds, with a flesh color ranging from pale blond (above) to bright yellow. Eat 'em all.


The texture is creamy like custard. Once in your mouth it's complexity to the fullest. The flavor is pretty much indescribable. Sort of like a velvety, rich...no words. Don't let the smell dissuade you. It's pure global within.


Stay pungent.