If it looks good eat it.

Since Vietnam is bordered by both China and Thailand, its cuisine can often feel like a hybrid of those two nations, with its own special twist.

Instead eat anything and everything.

I asked Barbara Tran and Anna Pham, whose families opened some of the first Vietnamese restaurants in the States (in Queens and Houston, respectively), to share their elder family members’ thought processes with me. Don’t expect to pick up eating in Vietnam in one quick visit. The lights are on full blast at night, making for a less than ideal dining experience. If you’re used to the always smiling Thai, then Vietnam will be a shock to you. On top of all this, t they need to go to Home Depot and spend about $100 on some dimmers. Most places are run by entrepreneurs who live from their passion for food, using handed-down recipes and cooking techniques, and Vietnamese customers are knowledgeable and fussy diners. And to say the least, Vietnam didn’t disappoint us. Vietnamese chefs believe that every ingredient has “heating” or “cooling” properties. "Good Evening:Ladies & Gentlemen. I am Viet so I should know. That’s what I do and it’s worked so far. So, rather than blessing someone or wishing them good health, just say rice and salt, and that should cure whatever's ailin' them. Vietnamese food is distinct and unforgettable. To be honest, back home, we are huge fans of Vietnamese cuisine. Eating Vietnamese food often will certainly help cut the intake of sugar each week. And mind you all, all the vietnamese foods here are pretty warped, just not as great, lol. Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam, and features a combination of five fundamental tastes (Vietnamese: ngũ vị) in overall meals.Each Vietnamese dish has a distinctive flavor which reflects one or more of these elements. Vietnamese food is full of simplicity, subtle variations by region and fresh ingredients that keep us pulling up a plastic stool for more. French, Chinese, and Japanese flavors blend with Vietnam’s own unique approach to food … The cuisine relies on a balance of salty, sweet, sour and hot flavours, achieved through use of nuoc mam, a fermented fish sauce, cane sugar, the juice of kalamansi citrus fruit or tamarind and chilli peppers.Dishes use plenty of fresh herbs but tend not to be overly spicy, as chilli sauces are served separately. You’ll never hear … Common ingredients include shrimp paste, fish sauce, bean sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables. Period. WHY VIETNAM #6. Most salt intake in the Vietnamese … For one month, we traveled through Vietnam. Vietnamese food stands out for using fish sauce, as opposed to soy sauce, to provide salty and umami flavors. After an eating tour with Intrepid Travel*—traveling through Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon, and the Mekong Delta—I can't un-smell the fresh herbs and pungent fish sauce in just about every dish. From the perspective of a Westerner, the average Vietnamese will come across as impolite, rude and unfriendly. Distinguished Guests. So then, why is Vietnamese food at the top of my list? 1. My arrival in Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam’s business capital), has been bumpy to say the least. I am Viet so I should know.