Saigon, I was there!!
I'm learning to enjoy my trips. I travelled to Ho Chi Min on the first week of June for some work errands and made it a point to make my trip more educational too so I included learning a bit of vietnamese cuisine. I searched the web and found Saigon Culinary Arts Center. They offer short cooking courses, so I got into one of their half day course (VN 650,000 or US35.00). We started class at 9:00AM and ended with lunch at 12:00 noon. A Vitenamese Chef and an interpreter taught us to make a three course menu:
Tomato Soup (so refreshing) made from fresh tomatoes and chicken stock garnished with strips of spring onions and egg.
Vietnamese spring rolls (Cha Gio) made from shrimps, crab meat, taro which gave it a nice texture and wrapped in rice paper. The native tray serves as measuring guide while you wrap your rolls on rice paper, the grid makes the rolls of the same size. The rolls are deep fried in oil until golden brown. Tip: cook in low fire to make sure ingredients cook well. Serve with lettuce leaves, rice noodles and mint leaves - way to eat the rolls - wrap your fried roll onto a lettuce leaf together with some noodles and some mint leaves and serve with sweet sour sauce.
And here's me and my diploma!
I'm learning to enjoy my trips. I travelled to Ho Chi Min on the first week of June for some work errands and made it a point to make my trip more educational too so I included learning a bit of vietnamese cuisine. I searched the web and found Saigon Culinary Arts Center. They offer short cooking courses, so I got into one of their half day course (VN 650,000 or US35.00). We started class at 9:00AM and ended with lunch at 12:00 noon. A Vitenamese Chef and an interpreter taught us to make a three course menu:
Tomato Soup (so refreshing) made from fresh tomatoes and chicken stock garnished with strips of spring onions and egg.
Vietnamese spring rolls (Cha Gio) made from shrimps, crab meat, taro which gave it a nice texture and wrapped in rice paper. The native tray serves as measuring guide while you wrap your rolls on rice paper, the grid makes the rolls of the same size. The rolls are deep fried in oil until golden brown. Tip: cook in low fire to make sure ingredients cook well. Serve with lettuce leaves, rice noodles and mint leaves - way to eat the rolls - wrap your fried roll onto a lettuce leaf together with some noodles and some mint leaves and serve with sweet sour sauce.
And the Caramelized Catfish cooked in Claypot (so good), pictures say it all.
And here's me and my diploma!
