Hà Nguyễn

As a long-time fan of Quán Ăn Ngon Restaurant in Hà Nội, Việt kiều (overseas Vietnamese) Dương Quang Phong, from Los Angeles, had only one thing on his mind when he returned to Việt Nam on a business trip.

The City of Angels may boast some of the finest eateries in the whole of the US, but when it comes to good food, there’s really no place like home.

Arriving at Quán Ăn Ngon, the place was busy as is often the case, with foreign and local diners enjoying an eclectic mix of fine foods.  

Phong and his friend chose a table overlooking the French-style villa court yard.

They say Quán Ăn Ngon has something for everyone, and with Phong and his companion both non-meat eaters, their eyes were immediately drawn to the new collection of macrobiotic vegetarian dishes.

HEALTHY AND TASTY: Burdock root is sweet and with aromatic flavour and very good for your digestive system. Photos courtesy of Quán Ăn Ngon Chain

Phong, who began eating vegetarian food last year in an effort to reduce his weight, eagerly tucked into his appetiser of súp nấm ngưu bàng, or burdock root soup (VNĐ60,000 or US$2.53), a vegetarian food highly popular in Japan and often compared to the precious ginseng herb due to its numerous valuable health benefits for human. 

“The soup, particularly burdock root is sweet and with an aromatic flavour. It’s very good for the digestive system and I feel good after eating it,” said Phong.

He continued to order other dishes such as sake chiên giòn (crispy fried breadfruit) VNĐ85,000; miến khoai lang trộn ngũ sắc (mixed sweet potato vermicelli) VNĐ125,000; dừa xiêm tiềm ngũ quả (coconut stewed with five fruits). – VNĐ265,000.

TWIST AND SHOUT: Mixed sweet potato vermicelli, which has been given a Vietnamese twist by Quán Ăn Ngon chefs.

The fried breadfruit is crispy but soft inside with a buttery taste. Phong enjoys it with a chilli dipping sauce and believes for a vegetarian meal, it is overflowing with energy.

A waiter told the guests that the nutritious breadfruit food came from the very south of the country.

ROUND UP: Dừa xiêm tiềm ngũ quả (coconut stewed with five fruits).

Phong’s friend, Philip Nguyễn said he loved the coconut stewed with five fruits because of the silkiness of coconut juice, sweet and nutty flavour of lotus seeds and special fragrance of shiitake mushroom.

For the mixed sweet potato vermicelli, which includes key ingredients and recipes from Korea, Quán Ăn Ngon chefs have taken the dish to the next level, creating sauces more in tune with Vietnamese taste. Notably, the emphasis on using minimal oil and fat is a crucial element that resonates throughout the collection.

The dish is not only attractive to the eyes, but also tasty with its own characteristic flavour. The vermicelli is soft but still has bite, mixed with sweet fresh carrots, yu choy, bell pepper and others.

“I will never forget the mixture of sweet and sour with just the right amount of salt,” Philip told Việt Nam News.

TUCK IN: An attractive tray of macrobiotic vegetarian dishes has pleased non-meat eaters.

As he enjoyed the mouth-watering hoành thánh chiên (fried wonton VNĐ65,000), Phong declared: “I like this dish, which originated from ancient China, since the very first bite. Its cover is crispy while its dumpling has a buttery fragrant taste from green beans and other ingredients. It is more enjoyable when dipped into a bowl of sour and sweet minced garlic and chilli sauce.”

Despite being full, the guests still had a little room left for dessert and opted for chè thạch sen đu đủ (lotus seed and jelly porridge with papaya).

“The fragrant aroma of Huế lotus in creamy coconut juice and Quán Ăn Ngon made jelly created a delightful texture that is juicy and unique in flavour.

"It is not only refreshing our palette, but providing us with a good source of energy, to help us deal with severe hot days,” Phong said.

OODLES OF NOODLES: Apart from other tasty vegetarian dishes, diners are also keen on vegetable noodles.

With not long left in Việt Nam before heading back to the US, one thing’s for sure, Phong said he would be back to Quán Ăn Ngon for more vegetarian delights in the very near future.

Phạm Bích Hạnh, general director and CEO of Phúc Hưng Thịnh Co. which established Quán Ăn Ngon Chain in Hà Nội said she was delighted to introduce locals and foreign guests to their new collection called, Embracing the Vegan Season in the Street Garden.

She said: “The new macrobiotic vegan collection is a delicate and creative fusion inspired by traditional Vietnamese cuisine and distinctive flavours from countries across the Southeast Asian region, all centred around nourishing vegetarian dishes.” VNS