Brightly coloured and fresh in flavour, this noodle dish is a great alternative to the heavier pho or com tam dishes served in Saigon. The Saigon version highlights the wealth of fresh vegetables produced in the neighboring Mekong Delta and Dalat regions.
Read more Brightly coloured and fresh in flavour, this noodle dish is a great alternative to the heavier pho or com tam dishes served in Saigon. The Saigon version highlights the wealth of fresh vegetables produced in the neighboring Mekong Delta and Dalat regions.
The elements are set in distinct layers with fresh chopped leaf lettuce, sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, pickled daikon and carrot, basil, chopped peanuts, and mint are served with vermicelli rice noodle and topped with grilled pork shoulder.
The bottom of the bowl is chock full of greens that can include torn leaf lettuce, curlicues of banana flower, sliced pickled carrots and daikon and chopped herbs such as basil and mint, along with a healthy dose of bean sprouts.
The second layer is the rice vermicelli noodles and is the binder of the dish. A good vendor will prepare their bun to an Italian al dente, giving the noodles a firm bite when chomping down.
The thit nuong is sliced pork butt that has been marinated with lemongrass, garlic, ginger and the ubiquitous Vietnamese fish sauce. The pork is then grilled and should have a bit of char which gives a slight hint of bitterness to the dish. There is also quite a bit of variation in the meats that can be served. Along with thit nuong, you can have nem nuong (grilled pork meatballs), cha gio (fried spring rolls), dau hu (fried tofu), tom nuong (grilled shrimp) or cha (fried pork patty).
The bowl is finished with a sprinkling of chopped roasted peanuts, chopped scallions and if you are lucky, deep-fried pork chicharones. Served on the side is the mandatory nuoc cham, which is a meld of fish sauce, garlic, vinegar and sugar. To eat, pour some nuoc cham in the bowl and mix everything together. Crunchy, meaty, slippery, sweet, savoury — you should get all of these taste sensations with each bite.
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