Dining

he cuisine, basically little dif-ferent today than it was some 150 years ago when French colonialists took their own dishes to what was then known as Indochina, is a delightfully unique combination of Asian and Gallic cooking. The now-divided North and South Vietnam are fortunate in their abundance of food ingredients, and their peoples are masters of elaborate culinary techniques.

It can truly be said that food preparation is an art even among ordinary Vietnamese, the result being that some dishes have become globally famous. Better still, the cuisine is easily exportable, so Vietnamese restaurants can be found in western countries as well as the likes of Japan, Thailand, Russia, Australia and elsewhere. China is no exception, though Beijing is among cities which could probably do with quite a few more.

Vietnam is a long, skinny peninsula stretching from Hanoi and the Red River in the north to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and the fertile Mekong River Delta in the south. The food of the north features delicious stir-fries and noodle-based soups, reflecting the heavy influence of Chinese cooking from over the nearby border with mainland China. The southern region is tropical, sustaining rice paddies, coconut groves, and many more spices than does the north.

As in the rest of South-east Asia, there is an ancient layer of culinary influences from the numerous Indian cuisines, mainly evidenced by Buddhism. French techniques form the basis of most Vietnamese soups, though actually these are more correctly described as consommes. Whatever, this dish and others from France provide balance to the many influences found in Vietnamese food. This said, virtually all Vietnamese cuisine can be complemented by the ubiquitous native fish sauce, or a dipping sauce, which also contain water, sugar, lime juice, and which are seasoned with chilies and garlic. Fish sauce is added to many dishes and also used as a salad dressing.

Meats are less important in Vietnamese cuisine than are fish, and particularly seafood. There is an abundance of shrimp in Vietnam waters. Among meats, the Vietnamese prefer beef over pork because the latter is often too fatty for their taste. They also eat curries, though less spicier versions than Indian and Thai counterparts. Vietnamese curries contain liberal quantities of tasty coriander, while chilies are used moderately.
Spring rolls seem to have been adopted from Chinese cuisine, though Vietnamese versions are prepared largely without fat because the people don't like their rolls deep-fried.

Add: 22 Qianhai Lake East Bank (Beside Kao Rou Ji), Xicheng District
Tel: 6401-9581

Nuage
idden among a maze of hutongs along Shichahai's eastern shore, this trendy two-story Vietnamese-style restaurant is now enjoying a high reputation after a disappointing start when it opened about a year ago. The poor start was nothing to do with the style of the place, its decoration, ambience or anything like that.

Collectively these were and are superb, especially features like the stained-glass windows which in sunlight scatter myriad colors all around, and the "paddy" chairs (see picture) that are just fab - a true touch of Vietnam.
But the food's now the main draw, and remarkably delicious it is. The restaurant owner credits this to the recruitment of three new chefs and their injection of a new balance of northern and southern Vietnamese techniques to the preparation of dishes.

Add: 22 Qianhai Lake East Bank (Beside Kao Rou Ji), Xicheng District
Tel: 6401-9581
Hidden among a maze of hutongs along Shichahai's eastern shore, this trendy two-story Vietnamese-style restaurant is now enjoying a high reputation after a disappointing start when it opened about a year ago. The poor start was nothing to do with the style of the place, its decoration, ambience or anything like that.
Collectively these were and are superb, especially features like the stained-glass windows which in sunlight scatter myriad colors all around, and the "paddy" chairs (see picture) that are just fab - a true touch of Vietnam.

But the food's now the main draw, and remarkably delicious it is. The restaurant owner credits this to the recruitment of three new chefs and their injection of a new balance of northern and southern Vietnamese techniques to the preparation of dishes.
Listings include standards such as papaya salad, roasted pork and prawn meat with sugarcane, Vietnamese beef noodles in soup, crisp spicy fish served with mixed herbs, and regular spring rolls - deep-fried to suit Beijing palates. You can round off your meal with authentic Vietnamese coffee which is rich in flavor - a great caffeine jump-start to the rest of your evening.

Best to call Nuage in advance to make a reservation, particularly at weekends.
Menus in Beijing's Vietnamese restaurants usually help foreign diners by listing the names of dishes in English as well as the mother tongue. Don't be put off by dishes listed as COM or PHO, for example; they don't stand for Internet or Phone. The following are of more help in ordering in the vernacular:
Add: 1/F Kunlun Hotel, 2 Xinyuan Nanlu
Tel: 6590-3388 ext. 5247

English Vietnamese
Beef noodle soups pho bo
Pork sausages gio lua
Spring rolls nem ran
Fish balls cha ca
Fish sauce nuoc nam
Dipping sauce nuoc cham

Ma Cherie
oused on two stories integral to the Kunlun Hotel and with seemingly the whole restaurant deco-rated and furbished in yellow, Ma Cherie breathes warmth and fine style. Its golden chandeliers and extensive listings certainly justify the latter description, but its beautiful murals, mod-art old bicycle and semi-monochromatic color scheme hardly evokes the alfresco dining so necessary on sultry, steaming evenings in Vietnam.

Ma Cherie's food is heavily Saigon-style, with only vague traces of genuine Vietnamese flavors. Which is not to say it wasn't an immensely satisfying and "different" dining experience. We suggest you kick off with a Ma CherieCombination Platter that is light and refreshing, and which comprises a fine range of famous Vietnamese snacks. The Giant Head Prawn, cooked French style, was rich and buttery and pleased at first bite. We had no cause to doubt that all else on the wide-ranging menu is every bit as good.

A good tip on finishing your meal is to chew a piece of mint, which you will also find in many Vietnamese dishes. As they say ... Cool, man.