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2007.11.15

Comments

AppetiteforChina

Hey...just stumbled on your website a week ago. I love how you juxtapose food close-ups with the pics of the surroundings. It's great to see delicious-looking food come out of such humble environs. :)

Phil

I was really interested in those creme caramels (banh flan(?)). Vietnamese cuisine has done such a seamless job of submerging the French colonial influence.

Robyn

Appetite - thanks. We're convinced that some of the world's best food is made by its most uncelebrated cooks (ie. hawkers, vendors, and nothing-much shop owners).

Phil - isn't it the truth! Banh mi being just one of a bunch of examples.

Xander

What a beautiful photo- I love the colors and the textures of the alley (I just wrote about Ho Chi Minh colors thinking of that exact setting), and that woman has so much charm and warmth in her face. And that coffee jelly looks rather intriguing. -X

Lisa

Have been following your blog for many months now, and just wanted to say thank you - yet again! - for the hugely pleasurable experience it is. The photos are to die for, your food descriptions are sublime - detailed, careful, discerning - and your whole blog page as perfect a balance of flavours as the best dishes could be. Just such a joy to come see this blog page every time. Thank you.

JGo

What's the white part of the coffee jelly? Condensed milk or coconut? Also, I love your site (I think roboppy listed your site)...this really encourages me to want to go to Vietnam, Thailand & Singapore. Also, I've been to PI a few times in the past, as I have family there. But since I always went with my parents, I was never allowed to eat at the food stalls. Hopefully, that may change the next time I go...

Nate

The first picture is so beautiful. I like the flavor of the agar-agar desserts, but I find them to be too stiff. I prefer them to be more like a custard.

Robyn

Xander - thank you. She was very shy to begin with but then got into the whole photo thing. Doesn't always happen, but when it does the results are usu. pretty good...

JGo - it's coconut. I'm glad we've inspired you to revisit SE Asia but - are you kidding? Singapore? If this is the kind of eating you want to do skip Singapore and come to Malaysia (as Singaporeans do on the weekends). Even the vaunted Singapore food blogger Chubby Hubby has, in print, admitted that Singapore's hawker food pales in comparison to Malaysia's. Head to Penang and you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. (No, I'm not on Malaysian Ministry of Tourism's payroll. Though I should be.) ;-0

Nate - if it's dessert I want then yeah, custard. But if it's just a refreshing, not-too-sweet pick-me-up then I'll go with one of these (I find a lot of Malaysian agar-agar snacks to be almost saccharine sweet.)

ELE

Robyn and Dave,

I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but thank you for another fantastic post. As always, the writing and photography are truly gorgeous. I really appreciate your eye for detail, and your compassion, which shines through so many of your posts.

Robyn

ELE - flattery will get you everywhere! Seriously, thanks for your comments and for your regular readership.

Karin

Hello,
I've just read that post, and my mouth is watering (I love jellies, and those look especially yummy), but unfortunately, you give no indication where to find that lady, is it an alley right next to the Creperie (I've never noticed one there)??
I'd LOVE to try and find it...
Thank you!
Karin

Robyn

Karin - she's constantly moving (we found her in District 10) so I can't give an address. No, nowhere near the Creperie (which, by the way, was our house when we lived in Saigon).
The best I can do is tell you to keep an eye out for moving carts filled with ice. She's not the only jelly peddler in Saigon, I'm sure of it.

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