Vietnamese cuisine is rich and varied, but in the eyes of international friends, pho is almost always the first thing that comes to mind. For this reason, 5-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City have begun changing the way they promote Vietnamese cuisine by adding 3 regions of cuisine to their restaurant menus, giving visitors more interesting experiences.
Diverse Regions, Diverse Flavors
Vietnamese cuisine is divided into 3 regions—North, Central and South—that run down the length of the country. Each region has its own unique flavors. The dishes of the North are harmonious with moderate seasoning, creating elegant and sophisticated notes. For example, when creating sour tastes, the North will use Indochina dragon plums instead of lemons or calamondins as in the South. The sour taste of Indochina dragon plums adds a coolness to the dish without being too tart.
In the Central region, the taste is completely different. The dishes here are refined and focus on form, especially the cuisine from Hue. Central cuisine is spicy, salty and rich, and dishes also feature vibrant colors mixed with the prominent colors of each recipe, such as red and dark brown, that straddles between royal and street cuisines. In the South, dishes are diverse and cleverly transformed with sweet, spicy and fatty flavors due to the addition of coconut water. Southern people especially like strong and distinct flavors.
Even if you were equipped with the knowledge of the distinct characteristics of each regional recipe, it would be difficult to cook a dish to local standards. In particular, the typical dishes of a region, when imported into another locality, are modified to suit local tastes. So, it is not easy for tourists to come to Saigon and find an authentic bowl of Bun Bo, Bun thang or an original Cao Lau dish. And that’s part of the reason why hotels like the Grand and the Rex have been working hard to feature 3 culinary regions on their menus.
Local Specialties in the Heart of the Grand Hotel
Grand hotel has created a sophisticated breakthrough method of combining simple and traditional cooking styles from every region with the professional cooking techniques of talented chefs. The representative of the hotel said: “In several people’s minds, the image of Vietnamese food is often associated with a rustic, rural atmosphere, but at to the Grand Hotel, every dish is painstakingly prepared by our chefs, from selection of the ingredients to making sure they retain the freshness and full flavor of each dish until the final decoration, so that each meal is eye-catching as well as appetizing.”
Grand hotel has created a sophisticated breakthrough method of combining simple and traditional cooking styles from every region with the professional cooking techniques of talented chefs.
In order to have dishes featured from 3 regions, hotel chefs also imported additional ingredients from each region such as dot may and nhip leaves in Binh Phuoc, shrimp from Vinh Khiem, eel from Nghe An... These local specialties not only carry unique flavors, but are also healthy and an aesthetically pleasing.
Whether you are an international visitor coming to Vietnam for the first time or even an expatriate living and working in Saigon, dishes like Nghe An eel soup, banh gia (gia cake) with xoi vo, a special type of steamed sticky rice from Go Cong, Vietnamese pork & seafood noodle soup (Hu tieu) with bap chia from Dak Lak, spicy beef noodle soup from Bac Lieu, dot may fish noodle soup – Nhip leaves from Binh Phuoc, Ben Co – Tra Vinh rice noodle soup, bamboo chicken stew in Ngoc Linh – Kon Tum ginseng, or Ngoc Bich rice – grilled bamboo chicken will surely leave you unforgettable feelings.
The chefs shared: “During the course of researching and processing, we encountered many difficulties, but also received a lot of enthusiastic support from the localities where we went to learn about their featured dishes. They were willing to guide us through the processing method, show us the secrets of creating the characteristics of the land from which they hail, and also provide us with ingredients needed for the cooking process.”
Each of these motivates the hotel to introduce the essential cuisine of Vietnam to guests. The elevation of traditional, rustic Vietnamese dishes to the “5-star” designation has allowed the hotel to receive many compliments and much appreciation from both domestic and international guests and culinary experts. A dining guest expressed: “I’ve enjoyed local specialties before, and now, when I relish the dishes at the Grand Hotel, I am very surprised that they’ve kept the local flavors of these dishes intact.”
Currently, Grand Hotel is introducing the program “Local specialties in the heart of a 5-star hotel.” This program aims to promote the unique culinary values of each region of the country to international friends and lovers of Vietnamese cuisine.
Rex Hotel: The Vietnamese House Honoring Vietnamese Cuisine
Known for nearly a century of history, the Rex Hotel is not only an impressive destination in the heart of Saigon, but also a unique culinary address, where the typical dishes of 3 regions are always featured and presented on the hotel’s menu.
Culinary experts have collaborated with the hotel’s chefs to elaborately prepare a complete menu that suits the diverse needs and preferences of guests. Rex’s dishes are always methodically prepared, from flavors to dressing, so that diners can experience the most authentic Vietnamese culinary essentials.
Some outstanding dishes of the 3 regions have been included in the hotel menu such as southern style Ca he kho lat, Bong tha soup from the North and Cha Phuong (Vietnamese sausage) from the Central region. This is an amazing occasion for visitors to enjoy every dish in a unique historic space.
During the cooking process, chefs are most concerned about creating the exact taste of the original local versions, while maintaining the quality of a 5-star service. This is considered the biggest challenge for the hotel’s culinary experts and chefs.
Most diners come to the Rex with the interest and desire to enjoy the taste of their homeland, experience the quintessential dishes of other regions or simply because of their love of the flavorful cuisine here. The variety of the 3-region menu at the hotel also offers many options for diners, so that every day at the Rex is a new experience.
Through regional cuisine, hotels want to honor the unique traditional culinary values of Vietnam. This is an important factor to attract visitors looking to explore and experience the “S” shaped country. At the 26th World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia & Oceania in 2019, Vietnam was honored as “Asia's Leading Food Destination.”
Text: Bao Khuyen
Vietnamese cuisine is divided into 3 regions—North, Central and South—that run down the length of the country. Each region has its own unique flavors. The dishes of the North are harmonious with moderate seasoning, creating elegant and sophisticated notes. For example, when creating sour tastes, the North will use Indochina dragon plums instead of lemons or calamondins as in the South. The sour taste of Indochina dragon plums adds a coolness to the dish without being too tart.
Grand hotel has created a sophisticated breakthrough method of combining simple and traditional cooking styles from every region with the professional cooking techniques of talented chefs. The representative of the hotel said: “In several people’s minds, the image of Vietnamese food is often associated with a rustic, rural atmosphere, but at to the Grand Hotel, every dish is painstakingly prepared by our chefs, from selection of the ingredients to making sure they retain the freshness and full flavor of each dish until the final decoration, so that each meal is eye-catching as well as appetizing.”
Whether you are an international visitor coming to Vietnam for the first time or even an expatriate living and working in Saigon, dishes like Nghe An eel soup, banh gia (gia cake) with xoi vo, a special type of steamed sticky rice from Go Cong, Vietnamese pork & seafood noodle soup (Hu tieu) with bap chia from Dak Lak, spicy beef noodle soup from Bac Lieu, dot may fish noodle soup – Nhip leaves from Binh Phuoc, Ben Co – Tra Vinh rice noodle soup, bamboo chicken stew in Ngoc Linh – Kon Tum ginseng, or Ngoc Bich rice – grilled bamboo chicken will surely leave you unforgettable feelings.
Known for nearly a century of history, the Rex Hotel is not only an impressive destination in the heart of Saigon, but also a unique culinary address, where the typical dishes of 3 regions are always featured and presented on the hotel’s menu.
Text: Bao Khuyen
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