Trinity Of Vietnam

Vietnam! It has been tough to assimilate. A different culture and an extremely tough language to learn. As I am about to board my flight back to Bonnie Scotland – for the holidays and cultural recuperation – from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, I want to share the three favourite dishes I thoroughly enjoyed in Saigon AKA Ho Chi Minh City.

THE VIETNAMESE TRINITY

I personally, thoroughly and unequivocally enjoyed the trinity of dishes for breakfast, lunch or when I was feeling extremely peckish during my days off riding my rented motorbike.

Phở

This quintessential national dish of Vietnam was absolutely my go-to dish. Hand on my delicate heart, Phở is heaven on earth! I cannot stress how delicious as well as beneficial Phở is for the body. All those nutrients 🤤 …

Everyday for breakfast, I would wake up – between 5am and 7am – just to start my day off and fulfil my morning hunger. The cheapest bowl I had was close to where I resided and it would cost 30,000 VND and the most expensive bowl I had was in my favourite area at 55,000 VND. On my days off, I would treat myself to the expensive bowl as there were plenty of sports bars to mingle with other tourists as well as watch the football with fellow fans.

Cơm Tấm

I absolutely love rice – Chinese Fried Rice, Cooked Rice, Korean Fried Rice and Palov. However, nothing – and I mean it 100% – nothing compares to a good old plate of Cơm Tấm.

How do I put it in words here?

“Cơm Tấm” literally means ‘broken rice,’ which means that it is slightly parched than other types of rice and the grains do not join together.

Cơm Tấm is usually served with an egg that is sunny side up, several slices of cucumber, pork chops or slices of marinated meat and a unique sauce that can be used for either dipping the meat/pork chops or pouring over the contents of the plate.

I would pay 25,000 VND just for a plate of Cơm Tấm when I was either bored or wanting to chat to the local people.

Bún Thịt Nướng

Where do I begin? This dish was not only cheap as hell – 20,000 VND – but it was also ten minutes away from my initial base and I would enjoy it during lunchtime before work or purchase two dishes at lunch for dinner.

Bún Thịt Nướng consists of an enriching mixture of Vietnamese rice noodles, girlled slices of marinated meat or pork, a fried egg roll cut equally with love and precision, a selection of grated vegetables, a sweet and sour sauce – for you to dip on the meat – with a chilli paste. A variety of flavours and textures would explode in my mouth as I chomped on each bite.

29 more days before I return so my mouth, my stomach and my mind can enjoy the Trinity of Vietnam ❤️