Viet Nam Quan

 13360 Bellare Blvd.

Vietnamese Fish Soup at the Purple Palace on Bellaire

A while back, Greenway Coffee had a small coffee shop located on North Main. And it was close to where I live, and I had the opportunity to get to know the people there. One of the young ladies had recommended to me a very interesting Bangladesh grocery store way out west on Bellaire, specializing in all types of fish. well, today was my first opportunity to come and check out Bangla Bazaar. And as luck would have it, I discovered. Bún Mǎm. Some further research into their specialty revealed it to be a southern Vietnam dish, a fish soup.

What immediately drew me in was the purple interior. Prince would have loved this place .

Because I was solo today, I chose a banh xeo.

But with the intention of returning soon to sample their specialty.

Sugarcane! - Mia on Bellaire Blvd has sugarcane juice and all sorts of beverages!

Right next to The Duckhouse on Bellaire Blvd. is a new beverage destination. They have a machine that strips and extracts juice from sugarcane, for making all types of beverages, as you'll see from their extensive menu.

We loved Mia and are looking forward to going back soon. 

Sugarcane juice. In Mexico, India and other parts of the world, the juice extracted is boiled down, water evaporated, resulting in the first, most raw sugar. Called "gur" in Hindi and "piloncillo" in Mexico and Hispanic countries, it contributes a delightful flavor as it sweetens the beverage. Example, the well known cafe de olla in Mexico, with coffee, cinnamon and piloncillo. I have a trick for cafe de olla. The normal method is to simmer coffee grounds in boiling water with a stick of Sri Lankan, aka Mexican, cinnamon and piloncillo to taste. That, however, results in a very bitter coffee. So I extract my specialty coffees with a Kalita, Chemex, or V60, sweeten to taste and then add two drops of cinnamon oil, like one can find at Michael's Hobby Shop in the cake decorating section. That preserves the flavor profile of the coffee.

The Duck House on Bellaire Blvd. -Bun Mang Vit Thanh Da ( A Doc Ricky Discovery)

 "I always like it when a particular restaurant on Bellaire Blvd. specializes in one dish".

It was a Monday, and Irene and I had put a call in to Doc Ricky to see if he was free for lunch. And he suggested we try this place that he had read about, specializing in a Vietnamese duck specialty.

We ordered and were served a big bowl of sliced duck, bone in, on a bed of cabbage that had been lightly seasoned with vinegar and spices. On the side was another large bowl, this one with rice vermicelli noodles in a broth. And a ramekin with garlic chillie paste. All of these things came together in a delicious "bun". The duck was room temp and I asked them if it was to be heated up in the soup broth. "Whatever way you like is fine." I'll have to confirm that the duck meat was a tad tough. 

Because the duck was bone in, and chopped up in that Asian style, I remarked that I missed the Western method of deboning poultry. And since there was enough food for at least one more meal, I ended up packing the remaining portion of duck to take home. When I got home, I put it into a cooking container with a little water and slow cooked it in the oven for hours until the protein broke down and it became pull apart tender. The next day, I shredded the duck meat away from the bone.

While Irene and I went for the noodles, Doc Ricky opted for the congee, and I will get that the next time myself. "I'm fascinated by the different ways congee is made in different regions." Me too. Love congee. 

We had such a great time here and I'm already looking forward to going back.

Here is what I wrote in my Google Maps review: " Darn, this was fun! Way outside of my comfort zone but I’m an adventurous eater. Duck themed. What arrives is one bowl of duck, chilled, bone in, on a bed of shredded cabbage. On the side, a large bowl of rice vermicelli soup. Mix and match. Totally enjoyed the first time and will return. Note. Periwinkle style snails are also a specialty. I’m not a fan of them, based on a few tries at places around town. For me there is too much of a sewage taste, and I’m a person who likes durian. But if you’ve never had them, give them a try."

And so, I put the duck into a sauce pan, covered, added some water and simmered it in the oven for about 6 hours at a setting of 200 F. Then, after it had cooled, I did the de-boning, discarding the bones. I had the option of keeping or discarding the gelatinized broth. And I decided to keep that separate. Here then, are photos of the shredded duck. Tender. And if anything, the cabbage and duck is even better after a night in the refrigerator!

The duck, next day. And the noodles reheating. And the cabbage.

Crawfish Garlic Noodle on Bellaire Blvd

Today, I had one of those fun food experiences, the kind that comes about from doing some food exploring and taking a chance on a new place. As you all know, I’ve been trying a lot of crawfish this season. I’ve visited many places so far this year. This morning I took some notes on recommendations from Chowdown in Chinatown - Houston, and decided to try Crawfish Garlic Noodles at 11550 Bellaire. 

I ordered two pounds of crawfish with the Magic Mix seasoning option and two corn. They were large. And excellent. And something I hadn't tried before. I was brought a little container of orange juice and chile peppers for dipping. And it was very tasty.

The owner, Andrew Tran, came by several times to make sure everything was good. And we even took a selfie together. In the background, one tv had videos of street scenes in Vietnam. On another, videos of wind turbines and a mellow musical soundtrack.

Looking over the menu, I knew that I would be back sooner than later as there are some dishes that I’ve not noticed before at other places.

I’m talking about:

(Andrew Tran seems proudest of his garlic noodle dishes) Crawfish Mì Tòi, Cua Xanh, Bánh Bôt Chiên

(For me, the hot pot options have me most excited since I love a good soup):ox tail hotpot, duck hotpot cooked with rice porridge, lemon chicken hotpot, fish sauce hotpot

And for my wife, who is allergic to shrimp and crawfish, there is a Vietnamese style chicken salad and chicken pho.

Seems just the place for me to put together a group for an outing, to try a bunch of stuff. The hot pots are priced for serving 2-3 people.

And now, I’ll let these pictures that I pulled from his Facebook page do the talking.

Bò Né Houston - Vietnamese - A John Nechman Discovery

 John writes:

"When Richi and I are deciding where to go stuff our faces on weekend mornings, the incredible Vietnamese dish bò né (steak and eggs with so much more) is usually part of the discussion. We recently found what so far is our favorite bò né in Houston, at the appropriately named Bò Né Houston (11694 Bellaire). We've been to at least a couple other spots with the same name, but this newest one on Westheimer is the one we like the most so far.

I doubt we’ve tried every bò né in town, but I think we’ve tried most of them. The best versions start with a leafy green salad usually doused in a sesame oil-based dressing, along with a basket of fresh-from-the-oven French baguettes and a ramekin of rich liver pâté and butter to be used as a spread on that heavenly bread. I don’t know where the Vietnamese places in town source their butter, but it is often the sort of stuff you would expect Heidi and her family up in the Swiss Alps to be spreading on their braided rolls every morning. Next arrives a (very important) cow-shaped sizzling platter filled with 2 still yolky sunny-side up eggs and chunks of tender ribeye sauteed in what might be slightly sweet oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, or a combination of all of the above, with grilled white and/or green onions. Those are the basics, though I’ve seen some places throw on some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers for color or variety.

At Bò Né Houston, you can go veg or get fancy or just gluttonous by ordering yours “blanketed under a mushroom layer” or sided with a hot dog, sausage, and a meat ball, or with sizzling tofu instead of meat. We were ecstatic with our basic “Original” version. This place absolutely nails all the basics.

We also loved the adorable and welcoming staff—they make the experience all the better. "

Xuan Huong - A Thomas Tang Discovery

 The specialty is a Vietnamese soup called Bun Rieu. Bún riêu is a traditional Vietnamese soup of clear stock and rice vermicelli. 

There are several varieties of bún riêu, including bún riêu cua, bún riêu cá and bún riêu ốc. Bún riêu cua is served with tomato broth and topped with minced freshwater crab. 

The one here, and the one we came for has a crab paste for its base broth,  and is stocked with vermicelli and a different assortment of meats, each with its own texture (texture is an important component of most Asian cuisines).

Friend Thomas had heard about this place through friends, visited it, loved it, and we all found an opportunity to dine for lunch. I absolutely loved the soup. The only thing I passed on (removed it) was the cube of blood jelly. 

Very little English, so we pulled out our trusty Google Translate apps and had no problems.

Yep, there are more things to choose from on the menu but I'd go for this soup on your first visit.

Chā Giô Houston - Crispy Rice Paper Vietnamese Spring Rolls

 I've set out, for my next project, to explore Houston in search of the perfect chā giô. A lot of places have moved over to offering these with the lumpia/spring roll type wrapper that is wheat based. But I am looking for a traditional one with a clear rice paper wrapper. 

Making these perfectly requires skill and finesse, as frying rice paper can result in a burned and/or greasy result. The rice paper is dry and is reconstituted with a water and sugar bath. The sugar helps with the browning and helps create a bubbly surface texture. Chewiness and crunchiness. 

This version of spring rolls made by wrapping filling in clear rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng) and then frying them. The filling usually consists of ground pork, vegetables, wood ear mushrooms, and glass noodles. They’re often served with lettuce and herbs, for wrapping, and, with nuoc cham as a dipping sauce.

I went to the Facebook group, Chowdown in Chinatown - Houston, for recommendations. I'll be publishing that list at a future date. 

At the same time, my friend Michael Shum messaged me "I know a place". And honestly, his recommendation for Phat Ky, well, I can probably stop my search now. But I won't.

On my own, I've visited Thien An and Kim Son, both in the downtown area. Both were good...perfectly acceptable. 

But. 

I'm looking for "spectacular".

Next day saw me at Phat Ky with Michael and friends. We enjoyed an excellent catfish clay pot, mango and shrimp salad, and the chā giô. Enough to order a second serving. Just great. Here are some pictures.