New York Street Food

Vietnamese Spring Rolls: Cha Gio

Most Americans are familiar with Chinese and Japanese food, and Thai food has gotten pretty far into the mainstream too.

Vietnamese food is still not well known in the US, although banh mi is gaining more fans every day.  Whether that has to do with the Nom Nom Truck kicking butt on the Great Food Truck Race, or just the world shrinking in size because of the Internet, it’s a welcome sign.

For those not familiar with this wonderful cuisine, Vietnam Talking Points has a basic primer on Vietnamese street food, including spring rolls, steamed rice cakes and deep-fried fish patties.  Click the link for more info. [Vietnam Talking Points]

deep-fried fish patty

A few days ago, I received an email from John, of the He Needs Food website.  John recently took us on a great street food tour of Yiwu, an area of China specializing in Uighur food, which is more similar to Turkish food than Chinese.

Now He Needs Food offers us a street food tour of Cabramatta, a predominantly Vietnamese neighborhood in western Sydney, Australia.  John says:  “It’s a hive of bustle and activity from well-seasoned pho establishments to super cheap fresh produce shops selling things you’ve no idea what to do with, to elderly Vietnamese women trying to make a buck from chopped fresh lemongrass or banana-wrapped parcels of sticky rice.”

Join us in exploring this mysterious world after the jump.

(more…)

Mia Stainsby of the Vancouver Sun spent some time going through Southeast Asia, but fell in love with Vietnam.  In addition to some great restaurant meals, they had plenty of street food in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.  Click through for the wonderful descriptions and a few pictures.  Just make sure you’ve eaten before reading this.

(more…)

Bahn Xeo - crepes filled with seafood, meat and fresh bean sprouts

The street is the center of daily life in Southeast Asia.  If you truly want to partake in this daily carnival of the street, you need to be eating the street food.  Gadling gives you 5 reasons to eat more street food in Southeast Asia.

Cau Lao - a Vietnamese noodle dish with crispy wontons and pork

1) Because it’s cleaner than you think – Many vendors wake up while you’re still asleep to grab the freshest, tastiest ingredients at the local market. In addition, the vast majority of street food is cooked over an open flame or simmered in a boiling pot. This high heat kills any organism that’s likely to make you ill. Not to mention you get to watch with your own eyes as your food is prepared.

2) Because it’s the best on earth – Lots of countries have street food. But Southeast Asia has the best. The region’s unique blend of European, Indian and Chinese ingredients is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted: year-round supplies of straight-from-the-ocean seafood, colorful exotic produce and dizzying selection of spices combine to ensure a mouth-watering array of meals, snacks and desserts.

Fresh spring roll - steamed, not fried, filled with pork, sausage or shrimp

3) Because it’s a great way to meet locals – You don’t eat street food in Southeast Asia by yourself.  Typically you’re seated around a communal table. The closeness of street food encourages conversation.

4) Because it’s good for you – Southeast Asian street food is much more than deep-fried cuisine.  Cooks have been using healthy ingredients like “organic produce” and “locally-sourced” foodstuffs since the dawn of time.

Banh Mi filled with pate, pork and crisp veggies

5) Because it’s cheap – After gorging on fresh, delicious food – meals which would cost $20 or more at home – the bill is never more than $2-3 dollars.

We could all benefit from eating more street food. [Gadling]

Sweetened chilled soup with tapioca jellies, white bread and coconut milk broth

Gadling writer Jeremy Kressmann files a report from Saigon, where he marvels at how many things are done out on the sidewalk, and how this leads to “an environment where a meal is something to be shared, discussed and displayed: eaten in the open at communal tables”.

He continues: “Daily life in Saigon doesn’t happen at home. It’s best experienced out on the street. The neat line that divides public and private life in the West is blurred in Vietnam, a fact that is frequently on display here. Everything from shopping at food markets, to locksmiths carving keys, to barbers cutting hair happens on the pavement, open to view.

To get a taste of this communal atmosphere, I make my way towards Saigon’s District 3 to a Quan Nhau restaurant – open-air Vietnamese beer halls where locals gather each evening to trade gossip, drink beer and enjoy plenty of tasty treats. I sit down at a shared table at Lucky Quan, kick back a glass of Bia Hoi and some grilled mussels with garlic and within minutes I’m trading stories with the Saigon locals sitting next to me. In Saigon, food is clearly a conversation starter.” [Gadling]

The article also has some great food photos, like the ones below, only larger.  Check them out here – just make sure you’re not hungry when you click in.

banh mi

spring roll

grilled mussels