Haven’t had a good Vietnamese meal in quite a while — came across this new Vietnamese establishment named Viet Mama along MacPherson Road whilst en-route to Prodigal Cafe and made a mental note to return to give them a try.
Mention about Vietnamese cuisine and most people would tell you about Pho, but my favourite item to order in Vietnamese establishments leans towards the Bun Cha and Banh Mi — not forgetting my love for Banh Xeo and Bo Ne in more recent times. Wasn’t in the mood to order the Viet Sizzling Steak (i.e. Bo Bi Tet) so I went with the more usual Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Spring Roll (i.e. Bun Thit Nuong) instead. Glad to say that this was a decision I didn’t regret — there isn’t anything fancy with the Bun Thit Nuong here, which comes with rice vermicelli, pork chop, spring roll, cucumber, carrots and lettuce served with a saucer of fish sauce infused with chili, but the pork chop was the element that pretty much took everything in its stride; hadn’t have quite a juicy slab of pork chop for quite a while, let alone with that sort of caramelisation on the exterior whilst not carrying a porky stench within. The pork chop even comes with a light hint of lemongrass that gives it a hint of refreshing flavour amidst the sweet-savouriness; something which I would totally have on its own for how flavourful it was by itself — especially delicious. Felt that the spring roll added to the bowl here wasn’t quite the deal though — felt a little closer to the local ones here that come off commercial packs sold in supermarkets, though there is nothing else to fault for the rest of the bowl; that springy vermicelli that flavours up as it soaks the fish sauce infused with chili dip for a sweet-savoury note with a slight kick of spiciness when one dips the vermicelli in the dipping sauce, while the vegetables provide a crunch.
Apart from the Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Spring Roll, the Traditional Viet Baguette is also worth the mention; the bread crisp on the exterior with the insides carrying a bit of a tension for some chew, whilst being stuffed with meat pate, slices of pork and meat loaf within — that mix of textures along with the freshness of the greens, fish sauce infused with Chili and the buttered bread was a flavour bomb that was particularly satisfying. Can’t vouch for the authenticity of Viet Mama’s Vietnamese cuisine since I had not been to Vietnam before, but we certainly left with our stomachs full and our minds impressed — somewhere which we are most certainly looking forward to return to so as to try the other items which they have to offer!