Vietnamese Desserts?

I like the tapioca pearls, with coconut milk and that weird colored jelly or aduki beans.

Banh Bia - Khoai Mon, Hot Vit (Taro Cake) - Vietnamese

Somewhat like a Chinese Moon Cake. A heavy pastry, about the size of two hockey pucks. Covered with a pretty design/writing, filled with Taro, and mildly sweet. Ingredient include FIour, Yolk, Taro, Sugar, Water and Vegetable Oil. It wasn't bad, but felt a little too heavy in my stomach.

Would I try again? No, not really.

Where I found it: Sau Voi

Banh Bo Nuong (Soft Coconut Cake) - Vietnamese

It looked more interesting than it was. Flour, Brown Sugar, Coconut Milk, Yeast and Water. Looks like a slab of cake, but tinted bright green with a dark brown sugar crust. But it was a bit chewy and dry, so I was less than intregued.

Would I try again? No.

Where I found it: Sau Voi

Banh Chay - Vietnamese

Sticky glutinous rice dumplings, filled with yellow mung bean paste - served warm in a slightly sweet syrup broth. Honestly, it just wasn't my thing. The glutinous rice cake was great...but the syrup wasn't sweet enough (at least for me), and the filling was dry...even crumbly. (For what its worth, I don't think it was Nha Sach's rendition that was the problem. I just don't like the dish.)

Would I try again? No...in the end, I think I just don't like yellow mung beans. Bleh.

Where I found it: Nha Sach Khan Tri

Picture not found

Banh Da Lon Dau Xang - Mung Bean Cake - Vietnamese

Green, striped gelatinous cake from Vietnam - very similar to the Thai treats I've sampled. Made of mung bean, sugar, water, corn starch, coconut milk, and pandan leaves. Nice, but I still prefer Kanom Chun!

Would I try again? Nah.

Where I found it: Tan Tin Market

Picture not found

Banh Hanh Nhan (Wheat Flour Cake Cookies) - Vietnamese

Your standard small sugar cookies (about the size of a nickel). They had a slight wheaty taste, but otherwise were indistinguished.

Would I try again? Nah...

Where I found it: Sau Voi

Picture not found

Banh Ong Mon (Taro Roll Cookies) - Vietnamese

They're bright purple, which was the attraction. The ingredients lists Taro flour, so I'm guessing that the cream inside is synthetic and not really taro. Honestly, they tasted just like sugar wafers.

Would I try again? No need, we've got sugar wafers at home!

Where I found it: Evergreen Trading

Picture not found

Bahn Su Se (Shredded Coconut Cake) - Vietnamese

Mung Bean, Sugar, Corn Starch, Coconut and Pandan Flavor. Jello green cakes, with interspersed coconut, and a grainy mung bean filling. They seem a tad too sweet and heavy for me, but they're interesting to look at.

Would I try again? No.

Where I found it: Sau Voi

Picture not found

Banana Cake - Vietnamese

Sugar, Sweet Rice Flour, Banana Extract and Water. It's your usual sweet rice pastry, and therefore yummy. Not amazing, but definitely yummy.

Would I try again? Not particularly, but they were good.

Where I found it: Tan Tin Market

Picture not found

Khoai Mi Dau Nuong - Yucca Cake - Vietnamese

A round, very sticky-stringy round wafer cake with Yucca, Mung Bean, Sugar, Water and Coconut Milk. Too sticky, and I think I just don't like Yucca.

Would I try again? Nope, although I'm eager to sample other Vietnamese treats.

Where I found it: Tan Tin Market

Picture not found

Mut coc Cay (Sweetened Hot Chokok) - Vietnamese

I don't even really know what this is - couldn't find any information on the web (at least in English.) But it's a dried, sugared fruit with hot spices. Vivid red color, and addictive when you get going. It wasn't mind blowing, but it was a nice afternoon snack.

Would I try again? No, not that good.

Where I found it: Evergreen Trading

Picture not found

Sweet Rice Banana Candy - Vietnamese (?)

Chunks of a glutinous rice/mochi type dessert - colored white and pink, and flavored with a subtle degree of sugar/banana flavoring. Given the Chinese characters on the label, I'm not really sure that this one is Vietnamese...but it was sold in Sau Voi, so that's what I'll label it. A very light sweet, this is some of the softest mochi I have *ever* tasted.

Would I try again? Yes...occasionally. The flavors were almost too subtle for me...I need a little bit more zing!

Where I found it: Sau Voi

Xoi - Vietnamese

Sticky glutinous rice, mixed with sugar and a variety of different optional ingredients - from yellow mung bean to grated coconut. The version I sampled was dyed a light green hue, with coconut topping and a mild, pleasantly sweet taste.

Would I try again? Yes. It's a subtly sweet dessert - quite pleasing as an after dinner treat.

Where I found it: Sau Voi

sau voi

beef soup noodle