Bo Bia... better than your average spring rolls...

Many people eat spring rolls on a regular basis. You find them in CPK, PF Chang's and just about all the whole foods markets, thats how popular they are these days. I even make them for catering parties and when I am hired on as a private chef. People love them.. but what i prefer more is Bo Bia. its a different concoction that has more flavor and texture if you ask me. during the first few days when i arrived in Vietnam, i was in the local village of Long Son which is a bit out of Ho Chi Minh City. I had started to crave for Bo Bia since it somehow slipped into my head while sitting outside watching people pass me by on their motorcycles (hondas as the locals call it) ... I turned to my cousin and said i wanted to eat bo bia and she gave me this look of "what are you talking about" my mother then decides to tell me that its something that is known only to the chinese/vietnamese mix of people. thus it was only in the city would i find this delicious roll.

(my adorable niece demonstrating how to enjoy bo bia properly)

So now that i've been staying up in the city with my relatives i was able to eat any food my stomach desired. And so it was mentioned early in the morning that i was craving bo bia for the longest time and lucky me my family loves me... they found the bo bia street vending lady!!!!!

I know i keep going on and not even telling you what this amazing food is.. well its the cousin of the spring roll (boiled shrimp, boiled pork belly, rice noodles, lettuce, pickled carrots and daikon, mint and sometimes a bit of chinese chives and all wrapped up tightly in rice paper) Bo Bia on the other hand is made with different ingredients that give it a more unique flavor.

Bo Bia - Lap Cheong (chinese cured sausage), tiny dried shrimp, a stir fried mixture of julienned jicama, carrots, egg omelet that is thinly sliced (this vendor didnt have it), thai basil and lettuce all wrapped up in rice paper. dipped in a sauce that is similar to the sauce for the traditional spring rolls consisting of hoisin sauce, chili sauce and some crushed toasted peanuts for crunch.

the bo bia lady came by right outside our home to make these super fresh. the jicama mixture was piping hot, the lap cheong was sliced thinly and as you can see from the pictures the assembly was quick. we ordered about 25 or so rolls eat averaging about 2000 VND which is about maybe 10 cents USD. this snack was very delightful as it was light, crunchy and filled with flavor. I ate about 5 rolls myself with some extra chili in my dipping sauce. sweet and spicy is a such a nice dipping sauce when you have something that crunchy and salty coming into it. I enjoy this snack so much, sadly in the US its very hard to find Bo Bia as fresh as this (*unless you make it yourself of course-my family might do it once a year since most people are not so good with the rolling process and handling of rice paper) anyhow if you do find bo bia in the states you get them usually at Van's bakery or asian bakery/bread places that might sell pre-packed food. happy hunting for it in the states or get yourself an invite to a family party that has this yummy snack.

eat extraordinary everyday!

Still in Vietnam....

There are so many things to talk about that it is hard for me to put into words which to speak of first. sometimes while i'm eating new things i forget my camera and thus have to hope i'll be remembering what it was called to buy it again. anyhow, for the most part of my trip i have been staying in the island of Long Son which is where my mother is from. and i have had so much seafood i might find it very hard to consume seafood when i get back to the states, unless its sushi, but of course thats another thing. . .

so anyhow in Long Son there's a little area that you take this boat to, its basically a restaurant on the water. they have hammocks and its private and its peaceful.

we ordered just a few things since it was only two people eating. we had some local clams which was super yummy. dipped in the salt/pepper/lime

next we had crab with tamarind, sooo yummy. if you ever have this you will never go back to regular crab and butter sauce. this is my favorite way of eating crab.

then we have some grilled oysters with some butter... it was yummy since it was fairly fresh. i really enjoyed my time eating all the seafood.

so thats that for now.. more food postings while i can. trying not to get sick of the food while i'm here..

eat extraordinary everyday!

do you like rice???

Broken rice dishes are the best.... in america there are tons of restaurants that serve only these dishes. the key to the best of these dishes are the rice, the meat and the sauces. sometimes the sauces are to fishey as they are consisted of fish sauces. but sometimes when you have things just right it is a happy meal. well vietnamese happy meal that is. i thoroughly enjoyed every rice dish i've had since ive been back in vietnam.

oh yes.. i'm currently in vietnam. my motherland. eating tons of amazing exotic fruits, and dishes i have only heard of. hopefully i'll keep a good record of everything with pictures and stories for my blog.

usually you get a plate of broken rice, some pork chop or strips of beef in it depending on what you order. but when its all seasoned correctly you get a good bite and heaven is in your mouth. seriously. and i like the egg on top too, the fresh veggies on the plate are a nice change in temperature and texture when you're eating.

I'm a big fan of eating quick and delicious. today was just rice for you.. lots of noodles and more yummy good stuff. i've been taking pictures everyday so sit tight for more foodie pix i'm considering a nice blog of just pictures.