Ho Chi Minh City’s ever-hungry food-blogger Cathy Danh sets off on an early morning quest for sticky rice in the streets of the southern capital
My xoi habit as of late is bordering on obsession, but unlike some addictions, this one is cheap and legal. After reading a little feature on the stickiest treat around in a local magazine, I was inspired to seek out some this morning. My first stop was at the corner of Khanh Hoi Street and Ben Van Don street in District 4. I have zoomed by this vendor numerous times on my way to work and always wondered what she was dishing up. I ordered a box of xoi man, which she already had boxed up and ready to go. A few shakes of soy sauce and she handed it over-talk about fast food! Next, I zipped over to the corner of Le Thanh Ton and Pasteur streets in District 1 in search of an old telephone pole and an even older lady selling xoi (the details mentioned in the magazine article to help readers locate the exact site). She and her sous chef were selling two types of xoi this morning, xoi dau xanh and xoi bap. I ordered VND4,000 worth of each and had it packed to-go. Both xoi were wrapped up in a single layer of banana leaf and two layers of phone book pages; sugar and spoon included. Quite late for work at this point, I jetted to my office and enjoyed my acquired treasurers there. First up, xoi man. Shredded chicken, fried egg bits, cha bong, cha lua, pate, and scallion oil were all present atop a healthy mound of sticky rice. This was the first xoi man I have eaten featuring egg, which I really liked! It is hard to find a bad rendition of xoi man; this simple dish never fails to satisfy. Second up, xoi bap. My grandma used to make this for breakfast when I was a kid and eating it this morning reminded me of her. Xoi bap consists of sticky rice with hominy, mung beans, crispy shallots, and lots of sugar. The hearty hominy and savory shallots reel in some of the sugary sweetness, keeping the xoi bap from tasting too dessert-like. The use of fresh hominy made for an all-around moister xoi bap. And lastly, xoi dau xanh, which was topped with mung beans, fried shallots, and crushed sesame seeds. This version was a bit different from ones I have had prior; the rice seemed stickier and didn’t contain any coconut milk. Between the two xoi, my vote goes to the xoi bap. But now it’s lunchtime and I’m not xoi’d-out yet. You know what that means…
You can read more about Cathy Danh’s culinary adventures at gastronomy.wordpress.com
