Vietnamese Cuisine

~ recipesoffthebeatenpath

Vietnamese cuisine almost does not belong on this blog because Pho restaurants sit in almost every major city, suburb, and small town in the United States. The reason why I am including Vietnamese is because the food is delicious, unique, and is actively changing the Western taste. Vietnamese food is not like any other food that has broken into the western mainstream because it has maintained it’s traditional charm. The other noteworthy mainstream Asian cuisine that has graced the US is obviously what we call “Chinese Food”, however, we have stripped its regional attributes and adapted it to Western taste (think Orange Chicken). Vietnamese food not only has survived breaking into the US but also has adapted our Western taste buds to like the dishes as they are. Did you ever think an American would eat rice with fish oil? We do now!

Pho is a hearty soup that has a thin broth, Banh Hoi rice noodles, veggies, and meat. The beauty of Pho is the unlimited amount of ways the soup can be made. The broth is usually constructed from beef bones, onion, ginger, salt, fish sauce, and star anise. This creates the light but hearty broth that flavor the rice noodles. Vietnamese Pho usually has hot peppers that make it very spicy, fresh mint, lime, and bean sprouts, but these are added to taste after served in the bowl.

Pho Vietnam in Santa Rosa, CA makes a great bowl of Pho. This busy restaurant serves quick and inexpensive food and has an extensive menu. My usual go-to is the BBQ Pork, Rice, and Shrimp plate.

Below is the Beef Pho.

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Below is the BBQ Pork dish with shrimp, rice, and an egg roll.

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2 thoughts on “Vietnamese Cuisine”

  1. I really like your blog. I like the simplicity and neatness of the design. It is very pleasant to look at and easy to navigate. I also like the content as I am also some what of a foody myself.

    I have tried Simply Vietnam restaurant on North Dutton Ave. in Santa Rosa. I heard I lot of good things about it and haven’t been the most familiar with Vietnamese food. I ordered a Pho soup and it reminded me a lot of a top ramen/cup of noodles with jalapeno peppers added.

    I am borderline vegetarian and struggling vegan. I am aware of the treatment of the majority of animals in the food industry and that is my motivation towards veganism. Do you have any thoughts on animal rights and would you consider diving into a vegan food review or creating a post on vegetarian related eating?

    #CS5711

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    1. Thank you for the interest in my blog, glad to hear from you!

      I have a very big desire to practice a vegan diet and am very interested in vegan food. I have gone through many vegetarian(not vegan) phases and understand the health benefits and environmental impact of a vegan diet. I do hope to include some dishes that are absent of animal products on my blog.

      However, the focus of the blog is on traditional food from around the world which unfortunately includes many meat dishes. When I spend time in Kenya I can attest to the more humane approach of eating animal meat that is raised by families and farmers, not factories. Also, meat is usually eaten on special occasions in Kenya; not daily or even weekly. I agree that the meat industry in the US is inhumane, unhealthy, and sickening which has also contributed to my trying to be a vegetarian.

      Thank you for the great question and the reminder that I, like everybody, makes an impact on the world and should choose what industries we support carefully.

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