Notes about Recipes in this book

• Tamarind and plum sauce (Nuóc sôt me)

  • hillsboroks on February 19, 2021

    So simple but such complex amazing flavor. I made 1/3 of the recipe and ended up with 1 cup of sauce.

• Chicken thighs with tamarind and sesame (Gà xào me)

  • hillsboroks on February 19, 2021

    Very easy to make and intriguing flavors. Next time I would add more onion and consider adding other veggies but it was delicious.

• Black Angus rump wok-tossed with soy and sesame (Bò lúc lăc)

  • KarinaFrancis on August 21, 2022

    Yum and super easy. Really does need the fresh salad to offset against the buttery richness.

• Crispy spiced quail (Chim cút chiên dòn)

  • KarinaFrancis on November 25, 2013

    The dipping sauce really makes this dish. The quails are tasty, but are best deep fried, not so great under the grill.

• Red rice (Com đo)

  • KarinaFrancis on August 21, 2022

    Took me right back to eating this in Vietnam! Served it with the black pepper beef from the same book.

• Master stock chicken, shredded cabbage and Vietnamese mint salad (Goi gà)

  • KarinaFrancis on August 07, 2021

    Takes me right back to Vietnam. I used regular poached chicken breast and red onion instead of white. A fantastic, fresh salad.

• Squid salad with pickled vegetables and fresh herbs (Goi muc)

  • KarinaFrancis on June 24, 2023

    Delicious! You need to plan ahead to make the pickles but everything else is quick and easy. We used grilled barramundi instead of the squid because one of guests isn’t a fan, chicken would work too.

• King prawns sautéed with tomato, fish sauce and black pepper (Tôm rim)

  • KarinaFrancis on June 02, 2020

    Very big reward for very low effort even if you peel your own prawns. The sauce is sweet, salty, tangy and hot and comes together in less time that it takes to cook some rice to soak it all up. Depending on your brand of fish sauce (I used the 3 crabs brand) I'd suggest starting with 3 tbsp of fish sauce and adjusting to taste

  • joneshayley on February 02, 2018

    This is truly amazing. A recipe which rewards so much more than the effort put in. The sauce is melting and tangy, spicy and sweet, everything I wanted it to be. Prawns cooked beautifully and absorbed that gorgeous sauce freely. I will make this over and over again.

• Salt and pepper king prawns (Tôm rang muôi)

  • peaceoutdesign on August 05, 2021

    I peeled the shrimp to make a less messy main course and had to use cornstarch instead of potato starch. I would like to try using unpeeled to see if that makes the dish even better.

  • metacritic on September 25, 2020

    Terrific. The flavors are clean, the shrimp is crisp but not in the least bit oily, and the salt doesn't overwhelm the dish even as the use of five spice powder is subtle.

• Soy and honey barbecued prawns (Tôm nuóʼng)

  • joneshayley on February 04, 2018

    Very nice, subtly flavoured, and delicious ??

• Vermicelli salad (Bún vói rau thom)

  • joneshayley on February 02, 2018

    Another amazing dish. Once more, a perfect balance, lively fresh flavours, depth, and spice. A lot of prep, but 100% worth the effort.

• Wok-tossed beef and lemon grass (Bún bò xào)

  • joneshayley on February 02, 2018

    This combined with the vermicelli salad (page 118) is utterly divine. An absolute explosion of flavour. Yum

• Dipping fish sauce (Nuóc măm châm)

  • joneshayley on February 02, 2018

    Well balanced and easy. Definitely a dipping sauce to repeat ??

• Fried red Asian shallots (Hành phi)

  • joneshayley on February 02, 2018

    Easy and delicious. They make the difference in the vermicelli salad

• Omelette of pork mince, preserved radish and spring onion (Trúʼng chiên thit băm)

  • joneshayley on February 03, 2018

    This is perfect for brunch/lunch. A mellow but flavourful omelette, made amazing by topping with fresh herbs, chillis and spring onions. Absolutely delicious.

• Crisp garlic chicken wings (Cánh gà chiên toi)

  • joneshayley on February 03, 2018

    Very nice, but not the best wings. The flavour of the garlic and soy don’t come through after frying. Better with some Nuoc Cham

• Beef, mushroom and glass noodle salad (Goi bò)

  • joneshayley on February 04, 2018

    A spicy, fragrant explosion of flavour. The steak is imbibed with the delicious marinade, the noodles laced with fresh herbs and spicy dressing. Yum.

• Chargrilled pork sausage (Nem nuóʼng)

  • jenburkholder on June 08, 2021

    Very tasty. Taste just like Vietnamese pork sausages, but easier than most recipes.