More Please!

During my stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for a month when I was a young child, I went with my father to see if his favorite childhood restaurants were still open. Vietnamese people call this city by its original name, Saigon, so I will too. The climate was hot and humid. Moreover, some of my relatives cooked for me. It was just a visit, and I couldn’t speak the language so my dad translated. But people mostly said that I was so cute and beautiful along with my twin who was shyer than I. This, however, was said in broken English so I understood part of what was said when I saw my many aunts, uncles, and cousins. There were maybe around 20 in Vietnam alone, most of which I didn’t even know I had. There were about an additional 10 in America. My father had so many siblings, nephews, and nieces that sometimes I lost count. My father said I had 50 or more relatives on his side of the family. He tends to exaggerate but I wouldn’t be so sure this time.

Many old restaurants that he frequented were not open anymore. At least that is what my father said to me. It was expected, to be quite frank. Why? For starters, many years have passed—over half of a century! Not only this but the fluctuating economy is more than enough to put eateries out of business.

My mother told me that she would not be coming because she is afraid of planes and has never been on one. She also told me to not eat street food for safety as I was not used to the food, so I would probably get sick. My father agreed. He seemed a little spoiled during his 30+ years in America. He didn’t even want street food since he said it seemed to be too “dirty” for him. He became quite a stickler for cleanliness in the States.

A delectable dish was one consisting of rice, pork, and Vietnamese egg quiche. I decided right then that would be my go-to Vietnamese meal. A close second is a dish that had hard-boiled eggs and braised pork belly over rice. It has a sweet and salty taste since the sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, fish sauce, and coconut water. It may sound slightly unusual but I it tastes delicious, I promise! That is the case for my family, at least. It is very popular in Vietnam. Even though it is traditionally eaten during Lunar New Year, my family makes it more often than that. We used to make it on any and every special occasion.

Additionally, Vietnamese eggrolls are my absolute favorite appetizer. Other eggrolls don’t compare, in my opinion! Although I am not declaring Vietnam as having superior food. I just get overly excited when speaking or teaching about my father’s culture.

My twin has a favorite Vietnamese meal as well. I’ve tried it, so I will put it on the favorites list, but I’m not a picky eater all around. It is a steaming bowl of vermicelli rice noodles with barbecued pieces of beef and eggroll pieces. My twin doesn’t like eggrolls so I get to eat them, lucky me!

I feel so proud to be born as a half-Vietnamese girl. This is because I can experience all of my cultures through food, music, movies, and traditional clothes. I am very glad that I finally get to have the opportunity to write about my experiences. I would love for the rest of the world to try these amazing meals and share their thoughts.

Nonetheless, Vietnam has a plethora of mouthwatering cuisines that will always have me saying, "more please!"