By Thu Ngân

Embarking on a road trip to explore Việt Nam and savour local cuisines is a cherished tradition for my family during holidays.

Our recent adventure led us to a remarkable dining experience at a restaurant in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk, where a talented ethnic woman with a decade of culinary expertise delighted us with her cooking skills.

Starting our journey from HCM City in the morning, we arrived in Đắk Lắk quite late after a full day of travel.

Throughout the drive, my husband expressed a strong desire to sample Cà đắng, a unique specialty of Central Highlands.

Cà đắng, mini aubergines or baby eggplants with a bitter flavour, is a key ingredient in many local dishes in the region.

After researching online, we selected Yang Sing, a nearby restaurant close to our hotel. Arriving late around 9pm, we were warmly welcomed by the restaurant's owner, an ethnic woman who awaited our arrival as the last guests of the day.

Yang Sing's menu was straightforward, categorised into four main sections: appetisers, grilled dishes, steamed delicacies, and hotpot options.

Customers enjoy food at Yang Sing Restaurant whose owner is an ethnic chef with years of cooking traditional Central Highlands foods. – Photo courtesy of the restaurant

Our immediate choice was Cà đắng dishes. To our surprise, the menu offered various types of Cà đắng, such as Cà đắng om ba chỉ (Baby eggplants stewed with pork belly), Cà đắng om ếch (Baby eggplants stewed with frogs), Cà đắng om cá hộp (Baby eggplants stewed with canned fish), and Cà đắng om gân bò (Baby eggplants braised with beef tendons)

We opted for Baby eggplants stewed with pork belly and with canned fish, reluctantly passing on the other tempting options due to our limited capacity.

Complementing the eggplant dishes, we ordered Rau rừng xào tỏi, forest vegetables stir-fried with garlic, grilled chicken, and Cơm lam (Rice cooked in bamboo tube)

While wild vegetables, grilled chicken, and bamboo-tube rice were familiar to us, the distinct flavours of Central Highlands promised an exciting culinary experience.

As we awaited our meal prepared by the restaurant owner and her husband themselves, I explored the traditional wooden design of the restaurant resembling a house on stilts of the indigenous people.

The walls adorned with pictures showcasing ethnic performances enhanced the cultural ambience. I learned that with advanced reservations, guests could enjoy these performances alongside their meals.

The feast commenced with the forest vegetable dish, ample for our appetite. Fresh and flavourful, the vegetables paired harmoniously with the garlic-infused aroma. While enjoyable, it didn't stand out significantly compared to other places we've visited.

Next, the grilled chicken arrived -- a tender delight from free-range poultry that satisfied our taste buds, especially when paired with hot chilli-salt.

Yang Sing offers customers many dishes cooked with meat, fish and local vegetables. – Photo courtesy of Yang Sing Restaurant

A highlight of the evening was the highly anticipated Cà đắng.

The restaurant owner astounded us by serving two varieties, catering to our curiosity.

“Wow, amazing!” I shouted out.

“I know that you do not come to the Central Highlands regularly and have less chance to eat our speciality food so I decided to offer you both,” the owner told me.

Excited by this gesture, I sampled the Baby eggplants with pork first -- a burst of flavour and textures that captivated my palate.

The baby eggplant's subtle bitterness gave way to a delightful sweetness, complemented by the succulent pork. The spicy herbs enhanced the dish's complexity, creating a mouth-watering combination.

Although my husband favoured the Baby eggplants braised with canned fish, we agreed that both versions were exceptional and perhaps the best we've had.

Pairing the braised eggplants with bamboo-tube rice elevated the experience, as the crispy scorched rice added a delightful crunch to the flavourful dish.

'Cà đắng', a specialty of the Central Highlands region. – Photo from bachhoaxanh.com

We engaged in a conversation with the restaurant owner, H’Linh Nie, an experienced cook. She shared her culinary secrets and emphasised the importance of using fresh, organic produce from her gardens to enhance the flavours.

Nie said that she had cooked for ten years. During the talk, she revealed that it seemed to be easy to cook baby eggplants, but not to cook it well.

“I have a secret to make the food delicious and the vegetables I put in the soup are grown in my gardens so they are organic,” she said.

Eager to delve deeper into Central Highlands culture, I bid farewell to the hospitable couple with a promise to return.

I look forward to reserving a cultural performance and potentially spending a night at Nie’s homestay, immersing myself in the warmth of the ethnic community and savouring their authentic cuisine. There's a special joy in experiencing life with friendly locals and indulging in their traditional dishes. VNS

Yang Sing Restaurant

Address: 21 Trần Nhật Duật Street, Buôn Ma Thuột City, Đắk Lắc Province.

Phone: 091 940 1717

Comment: A restaurant serving traditional highland cuisine and art performances.