Vietnam Travel & Tourism

Is it possible to get a D in spring rolls? I also flunked tomato rose-making.

“No, no,” said an exasperated Nguyen Thai Binh, executive chef, showing how the knife tip should slide under the outer peel as delicately as a heart surgeon’s scalpel.

Luckily, my Nuoc mam cham dipping fish sauce and Canh ca chua trung tomato soup turned out brilliantly, if I do say so myself.

The certificate proves it: “The Socialist Republic of Vietnam — Independence — Freedom — Happiness — The Saigon Culinary Art Centre Certifies Ms. Ellen Creager has attended successfully to Vietnamese Introductory Culinary Course — Approved by Mr. Nguyen Thai Binh Executive Chef.” [...Read more]

By Roy De Jesus, Chef’s Kitchen Host
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 3, 2010

St. Petersburg – In today’s Chef’s Kitchen, we showcase a little bit of tradition in Vietnamese cuisine.

At Ha Long Bay Restaurant–on the border of Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg–they make the most wonderful spring rolls.

At this all Asian restaurant you can enjoy some dim sum, very good sushi but today we’re focusing on some traditional Vietnamese fare–spring rolls

With the proper ingredients and technique, this next recipe is easy to make.

First step is to get the rice paper and soak it in warm water.

It doesn’t have to be boiling water. [...Read more]

By GEOFFREY CAIN

Kitchen confidential The upper floor at Pho Binh commemorates its wartime role HOANG DINH NAM / AFP / Getty Images

At first glance, pho binh resembles many eateries in Ho Chi Minh City, with its tables lined against bare walls and chef doling out pho bo, the Vietnamese beef-and-noodle soup. But the ironically named restaurant — in English, Pho Binh means “Peace Noodles” — tells an unnerving story of the Vietnam War. On the top floor are photographs of agents of an elite Vietcong cell called F100. For three years in the 1960s, using this shop as a base, dozens of operatives smuggled weaponry from communist North Vietnam to caches around the southern capital. Pho Binh’s patriarch, Nguyen Kim Bach, is one of the cell’s last living members. [...Read more]

Vietnamese cuisine is not so much one cuisine but three. It can be conveniently categorized in distinct areas: northern, southern and central.

But no matter where in Vietnam, it is nearly impossible to imagine Vietnamese cuisine without its key ingredient – nuoc mam, fish sauce. This essential condiment is fermented from anchovies but does not really have a fishy taste. It is used in a similar way to soy sauce in Chinese cooking. Along with herbs such as lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, coriander and Thai basil, fish sauce gives Vietnamese cooking its distinctive taste. [...Read more]

Bun mam or noodle sauce is special for its soup made from fermented fish. But the flavors do not win people over at first.

Bun is one of the most popular dishes of traditional Vietnam food. Almost every area has a separate domain with its own characteristics. If North Vietnam has bun cha (fried fish paste noodle)and bun oc (shellfish noodle), Hue has bun bo (beef noodle) and bun thang (noodle served with mixture of pork, chicken, and pork paste) then the south has bun ca (fish noodle) and bun mam (fermented fish noodle). [...Read more]

Vietnam is finally get more of the recognition it deserves in the world for its cuisine, with fresh ingredients and imaginative flavors, and one of the highlights of any trip to Vietnam is the food. Even if you do not expect to do much Vietnamese cooking, a cooking class is a fun and interesting way to learn about the local ingredients and how to make some of the popular dishes.

In general, most cooking classes are half-day classes starting with in the morning with a trip to the local market followed by a cooking demonstration and lunch where you can eat the dishes that were prepared.

Most of the classes tend to be aimed at casual tourists, rather than serious chefs, and many tend to be cooking demonstrations, rather than classes with individual cooking stations. Please inquire before you book. Also, please keep in mind that some of the smaller, ad-hoc programs may be more flexible to change the menu or request more interaction, especially if you arrange your own private lesson for your group.

Hanoi :

The Hanoi Cooking Centre is a purpose built cooking school, café and retail outlet. Hanoi Cooking Centre offers hands-on cooking classes and short courses in a relaxed atmosphere, designed by renowned Melbourne chef Tracey Lister, co-author of KOTO – A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam.

Situated at 44 Chau Long Street, nestled on the edge of Hanoi’s famous old quarter and close to picturesque Truc Bach and West Lake, the Hanoi Cooking Centre offers visitors a truly unique Vietnam experience, one to treasure, and share with friends and family. [...Read more]