When being asked about the No. 1 food destination, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay came up with Laos, Vietnam, and Madrid.
The famous 18 Michelin star chef said "Vietnam, extraordinary melting pot of food. I fell in love, there's just such a humble approach to eating food."
What makes Gordon Ramsay so impressed with Vietnamese cuisine? Let’s find out with us:
Hu tieu is a southern Vietnamese noodle soup, famous in central and Southern Vietnam.
During a trip to the Mekong Delta, Gordon Ramsay had a bowl of hu tieu on a small boat at the Cai Rang floating market. Surprisingly, it turned out to be “the greatest dish” he had ever had. To him, it is “a stunning, delicious slow-cooked Vietnamese pork noodle soup”.
He even challenged contestants in the 2013 American MasterChef - a well-known reality show to prepare the dish.
There are about 20 different versions of hu tieu. The most popular staples include pork, pork ribs, pork innards, shrimp, squid, wonton dumplings, fried garlic, fried shallots, and scallions.
While hu tieu is more popular in southern Vietnam, you can easily have a bowl of hu tieu in any region. Whether you are in Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, or An Giang, you can easily find this delicious Vietnamese food.
If you are curious about the bowl of hu tieu approved by Gordon Ramsay, join our Vietnam customized tour now.
Bun rieu is a quintessential of Hanoian cuisine.
It has the perfect balance of sweet and sour broth, with a hint of shrimp paste - the soul of the broth.
It has juicy and flavorful tofu which are fried and soaked in the broth for hours.
It has a soft, slightly sweet yet firm crab mixture with green onions.
But after just a spoonful, the famous Gordon Ramsey immediately praised: "It’s delicious,", "I Love it!"
Besides the original version with tofu and crab mixture only, bun rieu can be served with snails, pork rib cartilage, a variety of fresh herbs such as bean sprouts, etc. The toppings and herbs may vary depending on region and stalls.
If you are craving to try different styles of this noodle dish, let us create a bun rieu checklist just for you in our Vietnam tailor-made tour!
Fun fact: This is the dish that made Gordon Ramsay see himself as a bad cook!
Banh cuon is an iconic Vietnamese street food. It is a thin sheet made of rice flour being steamed over a pot of boiling water. It is rolled up (like a small burrito) and normally served with minced pork, crispy fried shallot, and salty yet lightly sweetened dipping sauce (fish sauce).
High-quality banh cuon should have a nice light flavor and soft, chewy texture. In some areas, banh cuon may be served with eggs, Vietnamese steamed pork sausage, grilled meat, or even without toppings.
On a trip to Mai Chau, Vietnam, Ramsay learned to prepare traditional banh cuon from ethnic minority people.
While trying to make this delicate dish, Ramsay said: "Thank God I wasn't born in Vietnam, I'm just a bad cook here,"
How a familiar Vietnamese dish can be so difficult for an 18 Michelin star chef? Let’s find out the answer yourself!
There are many tasty Vietnamese dishes such as bún bò Huế, cơm tấm, bánh canh, etc. that words cannot fully describe. Our recommendation is to try them themselves.
If you don't know what to start with, let us customize a private trip just for you. You choose your flights, hotels, places to visit, dishes to try, etc. When it comes to our customized tour, the choice is yours!
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