VI
EN
Tuan Hung
1. Beef Rendang – A rich and flavorful Malaysian dish.
As a traditional dish of the Muslim country of Malaysia, Beef Rendang is often served on weekends for family gatherings and at other Muslim celebrations. With its delicious flavor from characteristic Asian spices such as cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass, galangal, cloves, fennel, black pepper, shallots, nutmeg, coriander, ground dried chili, cumin seeds, salt, coconut milk, and beef… it is a top favorite dish for tourists visiting Malaysia.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Chit Chat restaurant's Beef Rendang is made from evenly sized 5cm long, 1.25cm thick slices of beef, marinated with salt, minced onions and garlic, and special spices, then simmered over low heat. Specifically, when the beef is tender, tamarind sauce and shredded coconut are added and cooked further to make the meat even more tender and the sauce thicken. For an even more elaborate preparation, the beef is deep-fried until very dry before being served. This dish is served with white rice or bread.
Chit Chat Restaurant
- Ground floor of Equatorial Hotel - 242 Tran Binh Trong Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
- Tel: 08. 3839 7777.
2. Traditional Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak is a popular dish in many Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei. The name comes from the way the rice is cooked using coconut milk mixed with pandan leaves, creating a fragrant aroma. Although typically eaten for breakfast, Nasi Lemak's versatility allows it to be served at any time of day. After the rice is cooked, it's served on a plate with cucumber, fried small fish (Ikan Bilis), roasted peanuts, and chili sauce (called sambal). Nowadays, in addition to the above preparation methods, Malaysians also add boiled eggs, vegetables, spicy squid, chicken curry, or beef stew to this dish.
Lion City Coffee & Restaurant
- 92 Le Duan Street, Hanoi
- Tel: 04. 3941 1208
3. Curry - The national dish of Indian cuisine
Just like rice in Vietnam or sushi in Japan, curry is an indispensable part of Indian meals. There are many different types of curry, each with its own unique flavor derived from spices and ingredients such as vegetables and a spicy sauce that creates vegetable curry (Vegetable Chilli Milli); but the same vegetables cooked with cashew nut sauce and fresh cream can create another rich and flavorful vegetable curry (Vegetable Korma).
Curry is cooked with a variety of ingredients such as egg curry, seafood curry, chicken curry, lamb curry, green bean curry, black bean curry, vegetable curry, etc. Each type of curry has different levels of spiciness: Korma is completely non-spicy, Chettinad and Balti are moderately spicy, while Kohlapuri will bring tears to your eyes. Additionally, curry can be prepared dry or with sauce. Indians also use many fruit-based spices, such as mango, tamarind, and coconut, to add sourness and richness to their dishes. Spices used in cooking are often dry-roasted before being added to food to create a rich, long-lasting flavor. Curry is often served with rice dishes like Biryani or Pulau, or breads like Chapathi, Roti, or Naan.
Namaste Restaurant Hanoi
- 47 Lo Su Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Tel: 04. 3935 2400
