Two Sore Backs

We’ve never had a bad experience with a food tour. But this one was great.  What better way to experience authentic food “from the hood” than by motorbike?

I rode with Tony, Val went with Bell. They are both incredibly good.  It was a zen experience – no scary moments at all.

First stop was Banh Xeo Nga. Banh Xeo are crispy pancakes made with rice flour, turmeric and coconut cream. Ours were cooked with garlic and shrimp, and topped with bean sprouts.

The Banh Xeo gets torn apart, placed on mustard greens, topped with pickles, chillies, and sauces, and then rolled up to make an incredible appetizer.

Then it was a quick ride through Saigon back alleys to Oc Loan for amazing seafood, and a visit with the godfather!

The snail experience reminded us of eating conch in Belize some 35 years ago.  But it wasn’t at all rubbery like we recalled – instead it was a bit like portobello mushroom, and the pepper sauce was excellent.

The scallops and clams were some of the best we’ve had. Lemongrass will definitely be on the shopping list for the next Savary Island trip!

Oc Loan is owned by an interesting couple. Here is the wife – she is the principal chef and works non-stop.  Check out the jewellery.

Here is the husband. He mostly talks with customers and poses for photos!

Rumour has it the gold jewellery worn by these two is worth over $250k on any particular night.

It was fun hanging out with these two, especially Tony. He actually started his career as an accountant, but it wasn’t social enough. He’s not a big fan of spreadsheets, loves dealing with people.  He was a non-stop source of information about Vietnamese culture, social geography, cuisine, architecture, motorbike riding, everything.  He really loves what he does.

Back to the motorbikes.  The traffic looks like barely organized chaos at first. But it has an amazing flow to it, and there seem to be very few accidents. And of the accidents we did see, more often than not they’ve involved, er, “tourists”.

I asked Tony if there was “racial profiling” happening as the locals weave in and out of traffic.  He diplomatically pointed out that he can tell if a rider is from Saigon by his/her license plate.

Here’s a quick video.  I didn’t dare to take one when we were flying through narrow alleyways or wading across a literal river of motorbikes, all going the wrong direction. But it might give you a sense of the cooperation and control involved.

According to Tony, parents don’t teach their kids to drive.  That seems to come naturally. (Entire families – husband, wife, toddlers and babies – on one motorbike is a common sight.) Instead, they teach them to negotiate (haggle)!

I think the traffic and motorbike riding here in Southeast Asia teaches the kids patience, cooperation, and trust.  It’s a far cry from what our kids learn!

Next stop was Cơm Tấm Tài – Không Chi Nhánh.  Cơm Tấm, or Broken Rice, is exactly that – originally made from rice that was not suitable for export, but is now specially produced for the local market.  It’s topped with grilled pork, marinated greens, sausage, glass noodles and Nước chấm – the salty, savoury, utterly delicious sauce that is everywhere in Southeast Asia.

Both Bell and Tony told us their favourite Vietnamese dish was Broken Rice.  They aren’t alone!

At this point, we were both stuffed and the thought of more food was almost overwhelming.  But we still handn’t had any Pho!

The broth for this Pho is legendary – the owners of Gà Ta Thảo Vân pride themselves on the meat that they source.  It’s much richer than what we had in the north, in Hanoi.  This southern style is similar to what we are used to in Canada.  

The Pho was amazing, but Val and I were so full we had to share a bowl, and we were fading fast.  Time for a long motorbike ride before the final stop for dessert.  It was literally a family kitchen in Tony’s neighborhood.  This is where the kids come for snacks after school.  He’s been coming here most of his life.  We were still stuffed and barely able to taste them.

They were all delicious, but I haven’t been that full since the family meals at my Grandmother’s house when we were teenagers.

What an amazing tour.  We cannot recommend Saigon Street Eats highly enough!