Viet Nam News
Vi Quang Restaurant brings the authentic, distinctly strong taste of Da Nang cuisine to the heart of the capital city, Nguyen My Ha reports
An hour’s lunch break in Ha Noi, and you are in Da Nang.
No, you have not taken a supersonic jet to your favourite restaurant, just walked five minutes from the heart of the capital city and its iconic landmarks – the Hoan Kiem Lake, the Opera House, the books and art galleries on Trang Tien Street.
On Trang Tien Lane, a very small alley off Phan Chu Trinh Boulevard, the Vi Quang Restaurant gives you the feeling that you have entered a restaurant in Da Nang.
Situated on the thin strip of land that is central Viet Nam, the land of Quang Nam is just a mountain pass south of the country’s much-celebrated royal culinary centre of Hue, but the food from this province has so much to offer, distinct from its more famous neighbour.
If the food of Hue revolves around shrimps harvested from the Tam Giang Lagoon that lend themselves to its shrimp paste, sour shrimp pickle and dried shredded shrimp, the food from Da Nang evolves around anchovies freshly caught from the sea, ending up as fish sauce and fish preserved in brine.
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| Healthy and green: The elaborate vegetable spread that goes into the rice field crab hot pot. |
If the prevailing trait of Hue’s food is its subtle flavours, the strong odour of fish preserve marks food from Da Nang. The strong smell may deter some people at first, but when they get past it, the true taste is so good that they are likely to want to try it again and again.
With all this in mind, we started with the restaurant’s signature dish: Chan gio cuon banh trang (VND110,000) — finely sliced boiled pork, wrapped in thin rice paper with aromatic herbs and green plantain juliennes, pineapple and carrot, dipped in anchovy fish paste. It’s simple, but involves a lot preparation, especially given the types of herbs, vegetables and fruits used. And it takes several people to enjoy this delicacy as it’s definitely not something you have to satisfy your hunger.
In the past, we could only get this dish in Da Nang, where they even had restaurants exclusively dedicated to it. People flocked to these in large numbers. I remember my embarrassment when we went into a restaurant in Da Nang and asked the waiter for the menu. He said, “We don’t have menus. We serve just one dish. How many portions do you want?”
As the second appetizer, we opted for Bo sot ot xanh (VND189,000), stir-fried beef cubes sprinkled with sesame and dipped in green chili sauce. We’d had so many kinds of stir fried beef before, but not with sesame, which particularly enhanced the rich, juicy beef cubes. I’m a fan of the green chili in Da Nang, and this sauce was a great discovery. Everyone was delighted.
We were a big group, so some of us also ordered Nom ngo sen tom thit (VND89,000), or lotus stem with shrimp and pork and Nem lui (VND 75,000), pork and shrimp paste grilled on charcoal. These two dishes are not particularly from Da Nang or the larger Quang Nam region. They are from Hue, but Vi Quang’s interpretation was delicious.
We were primed for the main course when it arrived: a big hot pot for everyone, the Lau bo nhung dam (VND300,000 and VND450,000 for small and large sizes, respectively). There are two options – beef in a hot and sour broth or rice field crab broth. Both are very good.
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Spicy delight: Stir-fried beef cubes in green chili sauce.
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In other visits to Vi Quang, I have tried the central region’s answer to pho bo or pho ga Ha noi: the authentic My Quang (VND55,000), a bowl of noodles with a choice of chicken, pork, shrimp or fish cakes. The broth should only cover half the bowl, just enough to let the ingredients mix well together, unlike a typical beef or chicken pho that contains a lot of broth.
I’ve read an essay by a writer from Quang Nam in which he says the well-known stubborn character of people coming from this land is reflected in the way each family makes its own sauce for My Quang. “Every man will say his mother makes the best meat sauce,” and this statement brooks no argument, the essay observed.
You can also order the popular and delicious Bun bo Hue (VND50,000) here. It’s as good as those sold in Hue specialty restaurants.
During the meal, each customer is served a really tasty drink made with black beans. Deserts of sweet bean-based broth priced at VND20,000 are all tasty and worth a try.
For us, Vi Quang satisfies a nostalgic craving for the lovely coastal city of Da Nang.
Having stayed in Ha Noi for too long, bogged down by expectations, old rules and protocol, a visit to this nice restaurant took us to the beaches of Da Nang. It was a feeling of liberation our stagnant souls badly needed. — VNS
Vi Quang: 2b Ngo Trang Tien, Ha Noi
Tel. 04-3939-2535
Comment: Easy access to Good Da Nang food