Some people tolerate food the way I tolerate a flu vaccination; they appear to have no interest in the amazing varieties of flavors, textures, and sensations that come with food. I cannot understand them. I suppose they cannot understand my relationship with food.
I eat to live, of course, but also because I find food to be a wonderful way to experience the world. My wife is equally enchanted with food. That's a good thing; the two of us get great pleasure from trying new foods and exploring new places to compare dishes we find especially good.
Last night, we visited a Vietnamese restaurant we had never visited before. We had dropped by a noodle house near another favorite Vietnamese restaurant, but a quick scan of the menu (and the layout of the interior) revealed that the focus of the place was on speed and quantity and satisfying indiscriminate palates, so we left. We headed toward an area in Richardson, located on Walnut Street, with heavy concentrations of Vietnamese and Laotions, with the idea that we'd go to one of the very authentic places there. On the way, though, my wife spotted a place that looked interesting: Phở Tấy Dộ (the symbols are as close as I can get them with my symbol set).
When we entered, it was obvious the place catered to Vietnamese families. There were several large rounds for eight in the center of the room, with tables for four around the perimeter. All the people in the place, except for us, were Asian. Most of the people who were in mid-meal had large bowls of what appeared to be phở. The menu has a tag line: "The Finest Vietnamese Noodle Soup."
After perusing the menu and deciding I wanted to sample everything, I finally decided what I would order: bún bò Huế. I have since learned (thanks to wikipedia.org) that bún bò Huế has a much spicier broth than phở and the tint of the broth is redder in color. Generally, when we eat at Vietnamese restaurants, I add a considerable amount of sauce (the moderately thin paste of cooked orange and red peppers) to get the heat index to my liking. No need last night, though. The spiciness was extraordinary! I was sweating profusely by the time I finished the bowl. Another thing different about this bún: it uses very thick rice noodles, instead of thin vermicelli like most of the bún I have had. The soup was served with the typical plate of bean sprouts, mint leaves, and lime wedges (the sprouts, etc. apparently are common sides in the southern part of Vietnam). I was very happy with the meal.
My wife had an equally excellent dish: cơm thịt nướng, a dish of grilled sliced pork alongside a mound of steamed rice. As with all the other Vietnamese places we have been, it is served with a tiny bowl of nước chấm, which is a mixture of fish sauce, water, lemon or lime juice, and sugar; it is used as a dipping sauce. The pork was wonderfully flavored.
We have never gone to a Vietnamese restaurant for breakfast, but I gather that phở is the breakfast of choice for many Vietnamese. We'll have to try it.
When we left the restaurant, we walked through the strip center where the place was located to see what else was there. When we walked past Casa Millagro and saw the nice alfresco dining area, we decided we must try the place sometime (well, the menu had a little to do with our rationale).
As I was reflecting back on the Vietnamese dinner and how much I enjoyed it, I started thinking how much I enjoy all sorts of other cuisines and how I like to share my experiences and my likes and dislikes with other people. I regularly visit Chowhound and recently I signed on to post questions, etc. (my identity there is Uberchowguy). At any rate, it occurred to me that I really need to figure out a way to incorporate my deep, abiding interest in food into my work life. I have no interest in opening a restaurant...so that's not it. I don't want to work as a reviewer for a food guide...not that, either. I don't know what it is, but I'll figure it out. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy myself by trying new restaurants, returning to old favorites, and enjoying my interest in foods.
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