The Vietnam Woods

The Vietnam Woods
One York Place
No.22 Johnston Road, Wanchai
Hong Kong

One of my favorite comfort foods is the beef brisket noodles in tomato soup at The Vietnam Woods. The delicious, thick tomato soup base is made with fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. The beef brisket is simmered over slow fire for hours, and when combined with fresh flat noodles the combination is heavenly and comforting.

Nha Trang

Nha Trang Vietnamese Restaurant
Shop G51, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City
17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

Cha lua platter, stuffed grilled squid, and Vietnamese roast pork.

The Vietnam Woods

The Vietnam Woods
Shop 1, York Place
22 Johnson Road, Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Shrimp roll, and beef noodles in tomato broth. This tomato version was
quite savory, and the rice noodles nicely soaked up the flavors of the
soup base, which included plenty of herbs and seemingly Italian(!)
spices. The acidity of the tomatoes also balanced out the fat from the
beef brisket -- the meat of choice here. The brisket was tender but
retained plenty of yummy juices. The casual but comfortable ambiance
provides a good hideout in this busy part of town.

Le Soleil

3/F, The Royal Garden
69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Appetizer set (spring rolls, bean sprouts salad, and grilled shrimp),
and pho. The soup base of the pho was thin and lacked authority. The
beef balls tasted like it only recently escaped from the freezer.

Pho Tai

Pho Tai
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.
Xe Lua. Excellent soup base with a tinge of sweetness. Various cuts of
beef were braised to textural perfection yet still retaining plenty of
flavors. The noodles were ok but a tad coarse to the palate.

Vietnamese chicken congee

Place: A local joint. Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bread and butter

Place: Hanoi, Vietnam.

While Vietnam has been independent ever since Chairman Ho came to
power many decades ago, hints of the colonial past are still apparent,
with bakeries and French-style pastry shops lining the streets of
Hanoi.

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Hanoi cha ca grilled fish

Place: Cha Ca La Vong. Hanoi, Vietnam.

Cha Ca La Vong cooks local catfish at the table with an enormous
portion of fresh dill. The fish and dill are then mixed with
Vietnamese rice noodles and dried shrimp-infused nuoc cham, or fish
sauce with lime juice and cane sugar. The combination is a work of
modest beauty, with humble ingredients working diligently together to
facilitate a pleasing whole -- exactly the kind of social
collaboration Chairman Ho had in mind.

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