Chao Dem (Phan Dinh Phung Street)
Now this was a real treat! On our last night, Hà decided to introduce us to another one of his favorites but this time it wasn’t in a restaurant.
We got to experience an authentic street side specialty called chao dau xanh (green bean soup).
Settled into the customary small plastic table and chairs set up, Hà went straight to work on ordering our dishes. We had no idea what we were in for!
Before long an efficient young man plonked three large bowls in front of us. Each bowl filled with steaming light green goop and it looked mouthwatering.
Another five dishes arrived with some interesting looking condiments. Hà explained that the soup itself, made of rice and green beans, doesn’t have much flavor but that is where the condiments come into it.
These included two selections of cooked veggies, two selections of pickled veggies, anchovies, deep fried tofu, boiled eggs and chili sauce.
The shell on the egg looked very soft and the yolk wasn’t a normal yellow. They intrigued me because they didn’t look like normal boiled eggs and I was right!
Turns out the eggs are left in heavily salted water for five days and then boiled. They were the saltiest eggs we’ve ever tasted but when combined with the green bean soup, tasted delicious.
We sampled all the vegetable on offer with the soup and on a cold, wet night, it was the perfect comfort food option.
If you ever see a sign that says chao dau xanh, don’t hesitate to give it a go!