Kim Son’s Tet in woven baskets
*Guest post in Vietnamese by my Mom, translated by me*
Back in the day, I seldom ate from street stalls or vendors’ baskets, my conscience imprinted with my mother’s unmovable doubt on the street food’s cleanliness. Nonetheless, I scurry with no hesitation to make it to Kim Son for lunch today, just because the TV news last night showed that Kim Son has a 9-day New Year food festival where the goodies are sold in baskets, mimicking the vendor stalls in Vietnam.
Like usual, the display is a buffet style, but this week the dining hall is decorated with flowers, fruits, and Tet greetings, the food selection is also larger and more interesting than normal days. I notice thịt kho and dưa giá (slow braised pork and pickled bean sprout, two traditional Tet savory dishes), bánh xèo (sizzling crepe), bánh bèo (water fern banh), bánh bột lọc (translucent banh) bánh cống (mung bean fried muffin).
In the baskets lie a few types of xôi, bánh tét, and mứt. A tightening mix of homesickness and joy rushes through me as I see woven baskets, bamboo shoulder poles, and the waxy green banana leaves holding and covering morsels of Tet.
We load our first plate with seven-course beef, though the kitchen churns out only four: grilled beef (bò nướng vỉ), beef loaf (bò chả đùm), lolot beef (bò nướng lá lốt), and beef sausage in omental fat casing (bò mỡ chài). The little pinky-length fat beef sausages are extraordinarily tender, grilled on medium fire and so well seasoned they have the sweet smell of talents.
Meanwhile, my husband chooses the restaurant’s recommended special of the day: grilled snail sausage in banana leaves. I don’t like snails but have a taste anyway just out of curiosity. It is slightly spicy, but I get blown away. There is no hint of the wet and grassy snail scent that used to give me goosebumps when I was little. The banana leaf wrapping protects the velvety sausages from the burnt smell of open fire grilling, and gives it a sweet green aroma of summer breeze. As much as I like fish, I must admit these are better than the Indonesian fish sausages I’ve had a few months ago.
Another special is bánh canh cua Nam Phổ. I only learned about Nam Phổ, a village in central Vietnam, and its famous udon-like noodle soup from books, so I am overjoyed to see the real thing on the menu today. Bits of crab meat amidst chubby slick chunks of banh canh in a scarlet broth rich of crab sauce is the loveliest sight of all noodle soups. Banh canh Nam Pho, unlike banh canh of the South, doesn’t have loads of shrimp or pork, the broth isn’t starkly clear, yet its thickness delivers just a mellow natural sweetness. The first bite reveals little taste, but the second, the third, and a few sips of the broth in between start to sweep in waves of riverbank wind and meadow fragrance.
The country lunch sets us back $35.75 and 90 minutes. As we get ready to leave at 12:30, the parking lot gets ready for a massive lion dance and firecracker show. The sight of sixteen gaudy lions and hundred-meter long red squib strings and their boisterous sounds follow me all the way home, as I think of how we, the Asian expats, try to bring with us our lunar new year and our motherlands wherever we go.
Address: Kim Son Restaurant
10603 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77072
(281) 598-1777
This post is included in the February 2011 edition of Delicious Vietnam, a blogging event organized by Anh from A Food Lover’s Journey and Hong and Kim from Ravenous Couple.
I have not checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
1You actually make it appear really easy together with your presentation however I find this topic to be really one thing which I think I would by no means understand. It sort of feels too complex and very huge for me. I am taking a look ahead on your next submit, I’ll try to get the grasp of it!
2It’s really a nice and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
3Generally I don’t read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, very nice post.
4Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is valuable and all. Nevertheless just imagine if you added some great images or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and clips, this website could definitely be one of the very best in its niche. Good blog!
5Its good as your other blog posts : D, appreciate it for putting up.
6Hi, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, fantastic blog!
7You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!
8I am happy that I found this weblog, just the right information that I was searching for! .
9I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back in the future. Cheers
10I will immediately grab your rss as I can’t find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Please let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
11You can definitely see your enthusiasm within the paintings you write. The arena hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.
12Hello, i think that i saw you visited my website thus i got here to “return the favor”.I am trying to to find issues to improve my site!I suppose its good enough to make use of some of your concepts!!
13It is really a great and useful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
14Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again very soon!
15Hello. fantastic job. I did not imagine this. This is a great story. Thanks!
16I like this web blog very much so much superb info .
17Thankyou for this post, I am a big big fan of this website would like to continue updated.
18I carry on listening to the reports talk about receiving free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the finest site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i get some?
19Thankyou for helping out, good information.
20Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog website? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept
21I want to express thanks to this writer for bailing me out of this particular setting. After searching through the search engines and getting ideas that were not powerful, I figured my life was done. Being alive without the presence of approaches to the issues you have solved all through your write-up is a serious case, and the kind which may have badly damaged my entire career if I hadn’t discovered your website. Your actual training and kindness in playing with all the things was precious. I am not sure what I would have done if I had not come across such a point like this. It’s possible to at this point look forward to my future. Thanks a lot very much for the specialized and effective help. I won’t think twice to propose the blog to anybody who needs to have guide on this matter.
22I’m just commenting to make you be aware of what a incredible encounter my cousin’s girl had going through yuor web blog. She learned a lot of details, most notably how it is like to possess a very effective giving mood to get other folks just comprehend a number of advanced subject matter. You undoubtedly exceeded readers’ desires. Many thanks for delivering these effective, safe, edifying as well as fun tips on that topic to Evelyn.
23Magnificent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too excellent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it sensible. I can’t wait to read much more from you. This is actually a terrific website.
24I have learn several good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much attempt you put to create the sort of fantastic informative website.
25It is the best time to make a few plans for the longer term and it is time to be happy. I’ve learn this put up and if I may just I wish to suggest you some interesting issues or advice. Perhaps you can write next articles regarding this article. I desire to learn even more things approximately it!
26certainly like your web site but you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to inform the reality then again I will definitely come back again.
27We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your website provided us with valuable info to work on. You have done an impressive job and our entire community will be grateful to you.
28Enjoyed reading this, very good stuff, appreciate it. “All things are difficult before they are easy.” by John Norley.
29Whats Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & assist other users like its helped me. Great job.
30Saya terkesan dengan situs ini, sangat saya adalah penggemar berat.
31I am continuously invstigating online for posts that can benefit me. Thanks!
32You got a very great website, Sword lily I detected it through yahoo.
33F*ckin’ amazing issues here. I’m very glad to look your article. Thank you so much and i am taking a look ahead to touch you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
34Great post, I conceive website owners should acquire a lot from this website its very user genial.
35Somebody essentially help to make seriously articles I would state. This is the very first time I frequented your website page and thus far? I amazed with the research you made to create this particular publish incredible. Magnificent job!
36I like this site very much, Its a very nice berth to read and obtain information.
37I beloved as much as you’ll obtain carried out proper here. The comic strip is tasteful, your authored material stylish. nonetheless, you command get got an impatience over that you want be delivering the following. sick undoubtedly come more formerly again as exactly the similar nearly a lot steadily inside of case you defend this increase.
38Someone necessarily assist to make seriously articles I’d state. That is the very first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I surprised with the research you made to create this particular post amazing. Great task!
39Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.
40There is evidently a lot to identify about this. I assume you made various good points in features also.
41Throughout the awesome scheme of things you’ll get an A with regard to hard work. Where exactly you lost everybody was first in all the particulars. You know, people say, details make or break the argument.. And it could not be more accurate in this article. Having said that, allow me tell you just what exactly did deliver the results. Your text is certainly really convincing and this is most likely the reason why I am making the effort in order to opine. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Second, despite the fact that I can notice a jumps in reason you come up with, I am not certain of just how you appear to connect the ideas which help to make your conclusion. For right now I will, no doubt subscribe to your point however hope in the near future you link the facts much better.
42I’ve read a few just right stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how so much effort you place to make the sort of great informative website.
43Howdy would you mind letting me know which web host you’re working with? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Can you recommend a good hosting provider at a reasonable price? Thank you, I appreciate it!
44You really make it seem so easy together with your presentation but I to find this matter to be actually something that I believe I’d by no means understand. It sort of feels too complicated and extremely broad for me. I am having a look forward on your next put up, I will attempt to get the hang of it!
45I really like examining and I conceive this website got some really utilitarian stuff on it! .
46Keep functioning ,fantastic job!
47I really like assembling utile info, this post has got me even more info! .
48Thank you for sharing with us, I believe this website genuinely stands out :D.
49Hey There. I discovered your weblog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and return to learn more of your helpful information. Thank you for the post. I’ll definitely return.
50