Vietnamese Food Beyond A Hot Bowl of Pho

No talk about Vietnamese food on which Pho could be ignored. A bowl of Pho is the icon of the Vietnamese food culture, say as curry to Indians or Ramen to Japanese ━ but have you ever wondered what else is there, other than Pho? because I did.

I did when I hadn’t liked Pho yet, years ago when I was in Vietnam, hoping to find an alternative. So I did when I started loving Pho during the winter months in Melbourne, wishing I could discover other Vietnamese food as delicious as Pho for warmer months.

Let me put it another way. You don’t stop with just sushi when in Japan, right?

All the wandering resulted in me standing in front in the middle of Cabramatta in Sydney, waiting for Patrick, the tour guide for the day. I was ready. So was my taste bud.

Vietnamese Food Trail in Cabramatta

Banh Mi

The first stop is Vinita Banh Mi. Influenced by the French baguette, Banh Mi in Vietnam is crowned as the working people’s food. People can easily have it before going in between and returning to work. Though I have eaten Banh Mi before, Vinata’s was something else! It’s fresh, flavorful and packed with juicy meat. Vinita has been operating in Cambratta for more than 40 years. It’s the kind of bakery that makes the neighbourhood tick. The owner came to greet us. She also gave us extra sausage and a french twist. It tasted sweet. Perfect for an end to the fresh and crunchy Banh Mo.

Peking Duck

Our second stop was the butcher house. Again, the glazed Peking ducks were displayed in a row. Unfortunately, we had to skip tasting the duck as there was a long queue outside the slaughterhouse, waiting impatiently for their share of the duck as a part of the Chinese New Year meal.

Sipping sugarcane, which was perfect for the wheater, we walked around the Cabramatta town hall. We learned a thing or two about it. And before we knew it, it was Pho time.

Pho-licious

There is a difference between Northern and Southern-style Pho. The earlier is oily and contains more beef bones. Meanwhile, the Southern has more spices and is less oily. Therefore, both styles of Pho broth need a day of cooking.

You are supposed to sip your Pho first to taste the base of it and then add whatever you like into it to enhance the taste of it as per your liking. I say add the chilli.

DIY Rice Paper Rolls

Vietnamese Street Food

Dessert after the hearty Pho was welcomed by all.

Kaysone Sweets’ 50c Banana Fritters

The first stop was Kaysone Sweets Banana fritters. Vietnamese Banana Fritter is coated with thick flour. My best friend, who arranged this food tour, loved it. On the other hand, I prefer my Banana Fritter Indonesian style, with less flour and more banana.

The second dessert was Pandan Waffle. I took it half-heartedly, as I was already full, and it didn’t look all that appetizing. However, it tasted way better than it looked. I recognized the crunchy coconut in the first bite and was hooked from that second onwards. I took another piece. It was a battle between my already full stomach and my glutenous heart.

Vietnamese Coffee

Our Vietnamese food tour ended with the famous Vietnamese coffee.

It was the tail end of the tour. We exchanged emails and words. I asked my tour mates to pose for a picture and promised to share it with them soon. Some of them are from overseas and avoid doing the same thing over again, some for a birthday present and myself, to hit the ignorant out of me. Whatever your reason, try Vietnamese food, go on a food tour, and be culturally richer, maybe physically fatter but happier.

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