Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Quan An Ngon, Saigon, Vietnam

Tuesday, December 21, 2010
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Cơm tấm with Grilled Pork, Shredded Pork Skin, Fried Egg and Sliced Cucumbers

You may notice that I've been on a posting rampage. It's just that I have so much to share! The Singapore posts have been steadily piling, and a rampage is the only way out of this. So... we headed to Quan An Ngon knowing that it is very much a market style restaurant (or even a food court, if you may) catered more to those who would like a taste of street food without risking an upset stomach. That said, even with the steeper prices (only to be expected given the setting and ambience), Quan An Ngon exceeded our expectations - there was great variety and the food was pretty decent. Pictured above is Cơm tấm with Grilled Pork, Shredded Pork Skin, Fried Egg and Sliced Cucumbers. Com Tam means broken rice, and the dish likely originated from the fact that broken grains were often less expensive than unbroken ones, and therefore more accessible to the masses. The result is generally shorter grains, which makes for a pretty interesting texture, though it really isn't that different from what you normally get. The grilled pork was tasty though a tad dry, and the shredded pork skin had a great texture that really contrasted with the rice.

Bun Oc
Bun Oc

I chose to have Bun Oc, which is essentially bun noodles with snails. The waitress actually looked at me uncertainly with an are-you-sure expression when I ordered it, but I stuck to my guns and didn't regret the least bit. M wasn't such a fan of the pond snails, which had an almost crunchy texture that is rather different from the tender escargots you get in French restaurants. A small bowl of fermented shrimp paste is served at the side as a dip for the snails. This was probably one of the more special dishes I had in Vietnam. I just wish I had more time to try bun oc on the streets!

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Quan An Ngon
160 Duong Pasteur, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Other Vietnam Posts
Itinerary: Saigon and Dalat in 5 Days
Street Food in Saigon, Vietnam
Pho Hoa, Saigon, Vietnam
Fanny, Saigon, Vietnam
Com Nieu, Saigon, Vietnam
Cha Ca La Vong, Saigon, Vietnam
Dalat Street Food - As Fresh As It Gets, Vietnam
Trong Dong, Dalat, Vietnam
Tau Cao Wanton Noodles, Dalat, Vietnam
Le Rabelais, Dalat Palace Hotel, Vietnam


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