A taste of savory southern food in Ha Noi

The south of Viet Nam is blessed by nature with many bountiful waterways, and from these sources, generations have developed numerous natural, tasty dishes. I had the opportunity to go to a special restaurant that serves traditional southern food in Ha Noi, where I met its owner, Tran Chien Thang. After spending five minutes with him, I realised that the restaurateur lives and breathes his work.
Located on 42 Tang Bat Ho Street in Hai Ba Trung District, Vuon Nam Bo (Southern Garden) Restaurant is located in an old French villa decorated in the southeastern style. The second floor has a coconut leaf roof and bamboo lamps and is a lively venue for meeting, chatting or simply enjoying the atmosphere. In addition, there are four private rooms for people who prefer a more intimate setting.
Apart from the beautiful space and style of this restaurant, the varied and unique food makes it easy to distinguish from others.
In my opinion, one of the highlights of the menu is duong cha la, a type of larva which only lives inside the wild date palm's trunk found in saline areas. In the past, the people used to present duong dua nuong than - Grilled duong dua on charcoal, to the Nguyen kings who enjoyed the dish with steamed glutinous rice. At first, we were all too scared to try the delicacy but after I'd eventually plucked up the courage to pop one of the tasty morsels into my mouth, I was hooked. The duong are usually served with fish sauce and can be eaten grilled or, for the more adventurous, raw.
The preparation is a vital component of the process, but the taste of the dish is the most important factor, and this comes down to the ability of the chefs. The head chef hails from the south and has spent more than ten years researching and exploring the tastes of northern people, especially Hanoians.
Southern food is diverse and this is reflected by the wide variety of seafood and vegetable dishes on offer. The restaurant also sources fresh food from the southwest of the country, so you can enjoy vegetables native to that area. A good example is the giang leaf which can be used instead of the northern sau fruit in luon om la giang (eel stew) deep fried eel hot pot. Another speciality dish of Southern Garden is the "forest vegetables" that are simply delicious when dipped in kho quet sauce. The steamed vegetables were served in an earthen pot and the waitress told us the secret to the sauce. It is made from fish sauce, boiled down with both lean and fatty meat, creating a wonderful accompaniment to any meal.
On demand: Duong cha la - is a popular dish at the Southern Garden.
However, possibly the piece de resistance was the "Ca loc hap bau," a steamed snakehead fish, served inside a gourd. The fish is boiled in a spicy stock with the gourd flesh, giving it a sweet, fragrant flavour. The tender, delicate mix is then dished up in the gourd shell, which makes for a delicious, eye-catching treat.
Thang says: "Besides delicious and natural food, there is a special wine from the south called sim wine. Enjoying southern food followed by sim wine is a necessity. Many customers order it instead of foreign wine." Sim wine is a speciality of Phu Quoc Island, where Myrtle fruit absorb the island's sweet waters, giving the wine it's unique flavour. The wine is sweet so it's easy to drink but its also strong so I felt a little drunk after two glasses.
I have waited a long time to try southern food in Ha Noi and this experience didn't disappoint. The tasty food and attractive decor paired with the enthusiastic, good-looking staff combined to make a truly excellent dining experience. VNS
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