(VOV) -During my earliest European adventures, the search for authentic Vietnamese restaurants capable of easing my pangs for home were always fruitless.
But the overseas Vietnamese community in Belgium now reports Vietnam’s culinary traditions have proliferated, emerging as some of the European nation’s most popular meals.
From restaurant kitchens…
Vietnamese national Kieu Bich Huong says the Belgian city of Leuven was once bereft of Vietnamese dining options despite its Chinese, Thai, and Japanese restaurants.
“Chicken pho demanded a trip to to Brussels. Even then it failed to satisfy, diluted with European flavours. It tastes just like a standard European soup,” Huong said.
Upon returning from an international book festival in Germany, Nguyen Minh found himself obsessed with cooking Vietnamese dishes.
Minh explained Vietnamese chefs in Europe often alter traditional recipes in the hopes of pleasing local palates.
Ngoc Diep, a 10-year German resident, knows the specialties of nearby Vietnamese restaurants by heart.
“Quán Chào restaurant cooks a good bún bò Huế (spicy beef noodles) – a central Vietnamese specialty—while tasty southern Vietnamese bánh xèo (crispy pancake) can be found at Cocotier. The restaurant next door, Thien Long, is famous for Phở and Bún (rice noodles with chicken or beef).
Thirty-one-year-old Belgian resident Minh Thu, is lucky enough to have found a husband willing to drive the four hours to Parisian restaurant Phở 14 on free weekends.
“The Vietnamese restaurant nearby my house also serves phở, but it’s not really cooked the Vietnamese way. That’s why my husband and I have to drive to Paris to enjoy Vietnamese phở,” Thu said.
Phở 14 is renowned for northern Vietnamese dishes, while its Parisian counterpart Phở Mùi is more famous for its southern style.
Duong, pursuing an MA degree in France, said Vietnamese ingredients are available to purchase at the Chinese market Tang Frères.
“A variety of Vietnamese spices and food can be found at Tang Frères, from fish sauce to cinnamon. Cooking at home guarantees authentic flavours and saves money,” she said.
…to cooking at home
Ngoc Diep ruefully notes prepared Belgian chickens are usually sold without heads. Buying a live chicken for home slaughtering is very difficult.
Thanh, whose parents-in-law run a takeaway restaurant in Leuven, says Vietnamese herbs are rare in Belgium. She buys in bulk when fortunate enough to find any and stores the herbs in her freezer.
Thanh sometimes searches a local Nepali shop for banana flowers to make salad. Spring rolls and grilled pork charcuterie can be found at the Vietnamese pagoda in Brussels.
With the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival approaching, overseas Vietnamese can make or buy the traditional Banh Chung and Banh Tet -the savoury cakes of sticky rice, green beans, and rich pork belly.
Vietnamese expatriates in Frankfurt, Germany, say relatives and friends often send Banh Chung as a treasured taste of home during Vietnam’s largest traditional festival.
Đăng ký: VietNam News