BY IRIS SASING
It has been a long time since I’ve been food hunting, which explains my silence these past months. Yes, I know, it’s somehow dull depriving myself of the adventure of trying out new dishes and restaurants. As I started to get used to my new my schedule and adjust to a new job, I was ready to go food hunting again.
Just before my hiatus, my friend Julie and I had been talking of trying out a Vietnamese restaurant that had recently opened at Crossroads. So after a couple of postponements, we finally decided on a Sunday meal at Hai Phong.
 |
| Nem Nuong Cuon | | Arriving at the restaurant for an early lunch, we were warmly greeted by Hai Phong’s manager, Cedric Tumulak, who ushered us to a comfortable, wall-mounted sofa with throw pillows designed with Vietnamese seating in mind. The Vietnamese music, paintings and décor transported us right away to Hai Phong, a coastal province in Vietnam.
As we started to chat, we were served right away with Goi Coun (fresh rice paper rolls with herbs, prawns and shredded pork and vermicelli). The spring rolls were served with two types of dipping sauce, the sweet chili and tomato sauce with shredded carrots, and the lemongrass sauce. I preferred the lemongrass sauce for added flavor and a more unique taste. The six slices is a steal at Php95.00.
The fried rice with dried fish (with lots of vegetable pieces) arrived with the Chao Tom – pounded shrimp with herbs wrapped around a stalk of fresh sugarcane. The sugarcane sweetness melts into the shrimp paste for a delectable flavor. I chewed on this seafood dish without the chili sauce served with it and in a blink of an eye, it was gone.
As our conversation progressed, we then sampled Nem Nuong Cuon (grilled pork meatballs). To eat this, you first take lettuce leaf with rice paper, and then assemble the meatball, green mango, a fresh pineapple slice, chili and garlic. Drizzle with mango tamarind sauce then pop in your mouth. Yum yum. The sourness of the mango and the spices melds well with the slightly sweet meatballs into a soft crunchy bite. Sip some lemongrass iced tea to freshen your mouth from the garlic.
Before our tummies started to bulge, we took some bites on the grilled chicken with crispy rice balls. As with the other Vietnamese dishes, this is aromatic, with traces of sweetness. The rice balls added contrast to the tender texture of the chicken.
To cap the lunch off, we had some banana balls with a scoop of ube ice cream. Little did we realize the time that passed and we could hardly stand up with all the food we have ate.
Other favorite I have at Hai Phong is the Banh Xeo (Crispy Crepe stuffed with minced pork, shrimps, mushrooms and bean sprouts that is served around lettuce leaves (Php130). This is one of the few Vietnamese dishes with French influence. The other favorite is the squid stuffed with ground pork, prawns and glass noodles (Php250). This is one of the dishes that is not on the sweet side but is still truly delicious.
I cannot end this article without mentioning Hai Phong’s service. Since they didn’t know me when I first went there, I was truly impressed with the attentive waiters and waitresses. There is not a moment that we had to call their attention. They were always watchful of our needs and ready to replace the dishes as we moved from one meal to the next. It’s the same impeccable service I got at the JD Marriot Hotel in Hong Kong, which is definitely better than the other first class hotels and restaurants in Cebu.
A visit to Hai Phong ended with one of the most beautiful meals I had in months; it was a great way to break my hiatus.
|
