Food Porn from my Trip to Vietnam: Dreaming of Pho & Spring Rolls

Having been to Vietnam, makes me want to hunt out all the authentic Vietnamese eateries in Singapore.  Especially places where I can have the healthy cuisine of Pho and fresh spring rolls.  Of course there are the less healthy versions like the fried spring rolls that were so yummy too.

The Pho (pronounced ‘fur’) and glass noodle soup in Vietnam is the best I have ever had.  What I had in a restaurant in Holland Village some years ago, just could not compare.  They also use a different kind of chilli that’s light green and oh so spicy.  It really adds that superb extra something to the soup.  The chicken pieces are so fresh and tender as well.  We had the best Pho at a chain restaurant that we saw everywhere in District 1.  This  one was just next to the Sheraton. Because it was Tet we could not get any of the fresh spring rolls but the fried pork ones were so yummy and don’t get me started on how tasty the Pho was.  I am drooling just thinking about it and I am not a soup person.  The meal had a lovely ending with iced version of traditional Vietnamese coffee.

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

For dinner we managed to get fresh spring rolls which you dip in a delightful peanut sauce.  If this was diet food I could definitely get on board. Just Pho and this lovely fresh spring rolls.  This was from a meal at a more expensive restaurant that’s probably a tourist trap as it’s also next to the Sheraton and frequented by tourists.

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

Because I loved the chicken so much, I was curious when I spotted a KFC.  I tried the burgers and the chicken turned out to be so much better than the scrawny version we get in Singapore.  The Vietnamese chickens are probably free range and that probably makes the whole difference.  Even the lettuce was super fresh.

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

I really loved the glass noodle soup that was on the menu at the Sheraton Lounge and freshly prepared for us.  They also made a fried version, but somehow the soupy version was much tastier.  Isn’t the chef preparing the food so pretty? She could be a model.

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

Anthony Bourdain rightly describes Pho as food porn. I leave you with this video that will make want a bowl of Pho right this minute which is why I love his show. It’s so funny when the Vietnamese guy stares at Bourdain like he’s off his rocker. He must be thinking what’s all this yammering about. And I can’t believe that he left the soup at the end. That’s the best part!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsSiA-JHm0U]

About bookjunkie

Blogging about life in Singapore & recently cancer too.
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9 Responses to Food Porn from my Trip to Vietnam: Dreaming of Pho & Spring Rolls

  1. i usually get spring rolls as appetizers before my pho entree too! i LOVEE spring rolls, and they’re so fresh and easy to make at home.

  2. whatsaysyou says:

    These are mouth-watering Vietnamese food and wow 🙂

  3. 365days2play says:

    I find the Pho that I’ve tried in Singapore really plain and uninteresting. If I ever go to Vietnam, I’ll definitely try the Pho there. Wonder what it is that they can’t replicate correctly here. The picture of the lettuce in your burger looks so green and fresh! The Vietnamese look like people that take pride in preparing great food.

  4. J says:

    I love Pho! I can practically live on that!
    A Vietnamese friend once told me Pho in Hanoi tends to be sweeter in taste compared to those served in Ho Chi Minh. I have yet to confirm that.

    • bookjunkie says:

      I am hearing so much about Hanoi…I really want to go there next. We actually wanted to go there instead but could not get tickets. I guess it’s the more popular destination and Ho Chi Minh draws more business travellers.

  5. J says:

    Remember to taste the difference in Pho when you get there first!

  6. moonberry says:

    I’ve always been a big fan of pho and it’s one of my comfort food (especially during the winter). I’m very lucky that NYC has really good and authentic pho, although I hope to taste the Real McCoy in Vietnam one day. One of the things I’m amused by is how so many (most?) pho restaurants around the world seem to name themselves “Pho [insert a number here]”. Like, what does the number supposed to mean?!? Street number? Store number? :p

    -MB
    team-moonberry.blogspot.com

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