The most hectic quarter of the year has officially begun, and any little pick-me-up that comes my way is greatly appreciated. With that said, I was definitely pleasantly surprised when I visited Xiao Ting to grab a quick lunch one Saturday, and found that they were serving some Vietnamese items as a seasonal promotion. I was elated to see something on their menu that I’ve missed the most from the former French colony – Cà phê dừa – iced coconut coffee. And this was not a makeshift version; it was 98% as good as the perfect ones I’d had in Vietnam.
The beverage combines a strong coffee flavor from the slow-dripped Robusta beans, and more importantly, a generous ice-ball that is frozen coconut milk (not a scoop of coconut ice-cream that is a lazy alternative and always overly sweet). I was in heaven, and every sip reminded me of the beautiful sun, ocean and beach where I had my last vacation two months ago.
That trip to Danang had been very impromptu. So much so that I had almost missed getting a visa, and had to resort to a last-minute on-ground visa which I applied for just eight hours before my flight. It turns out, money does solve a lot of problems, and once I was ‘picked-up’ by the agency staff who was holding my last-minute visa application in hand at the airport, he took my passport, disappeared into a room for 10 minutes, then came out and walked me down to a counter as if I were a VIP (I mean, I should have been considering how much I paid for that visa) and I was at the luggage belt in less than five minutes.
My first meal on my holiday was at Madame Son, an upscale Vietnamese restaurant chain where I had the most expensive bowl of Pho in my life at MOP200. I’ve got to say, it was worth every penny, because the mix of flavors was a pleasant surprise. First, it came in an American-sized serving bowl, with a decently-sized beef bone and a glistening stripe of torched bone marrow which permeated the air with the aroma from its melted grease. Beneath the bone was a generous contrast of pink and red — raw and cooked wagyu beef, topped with an onsen egg with its orange-colored wobbling yolk. What a sight that was, and when the server poured a stream of piping-hot bone broth, my goodnesss, it didn’t matter whether this was authentic or traditional; it was just amazingly good. The bone marrow began to feel a bit heavy after a few bites and that’s when I figured out why the chef had sent a handful of picked shallots; it just did the perfect job of cutting through the grease without compromising the flavors.
I thought the first thing I’d do the following morning after the delicious dinner, was jump into the ocean at the beach near the resort, but instead I made other plans. My friend and I were so excited about a very local Bánh Mì (Vietnamese baguette sandwich) shop named Bánh Mì Sum that we just hopped on a Grab and went looking for it. Thanks to my dear buddy Wallace who has been residing in Danang for quite some time, we managed to find a clean and not super crowded sandwich shop. When we walked inside the shop, there were mostly locals taking a break from the day, and only two other tourist couples – that’s how you know it’s good!
What caught my eyes first though, was the Iced Banana Coffee, my two favorite things combined in ice cold slushy goodness! And that was a perfect match to the bánh mì – warm crispy crust lathered in Vietnamese pâté, and a refreshing mix of chopped cilantro, parsley and pickled roots; this was genius as it was much easier to bite, with added moisture as a contrast to the bun and the flavor was just stronger. I chose the pork belly, and to my surprise, each piece was thinly sliced with an interesting texture. I later found out as we were leaving the shop, that each ‘stuffed’ bun is put into an open charcoal oven for about one minute right before it is served. So that’s why its flavor was more intense than other places, and the pork belly fat was just melting with every bite.
Our trip in Danang was filled with delicious meals and beautiful sun and beach escapes. We also spent an evening at Nén, holder of Vietnam’s only Michelin Green Star and sister to Michelin-recommended Nén Light in Saigon, helmed by Chef Summer Le. The concept of the restaurant is so intriguing that I will have to write about it in a separate column because it deserves that much space.
I guess it’s time for me to start planning for another trip… to Xiao Ting first to quench my thirst for an authentic taste of Vietnam!
Image created with Ai
