Bánh Cuốn (1/4)

George and I arrived in Vietnam on Monday morning.  We found Mom at the airport before she spotted the giant white guy in the Taiwanese hat.  Lien came on a 5-week medical rotation, and the units brought my brother on his Spring Break.  On Monday, we explored downtown and booked a tour to Nha Trang, a city known for beautiful beaches and hot springs.  Tuesday, Mom showed us where she used to live.  Her family owned a bookstore, which has since turned into a "Fashion Shop."

A few buildings down from her old home, there is a market with a big sign reading, "Khu Phố Văn Hóa."  We walked through and saw my favorite foods - fresh seafood and fruit.  Mom bought me a pomelo, which is like a huge delicious grapefruit.  She says Bà used to give her money to pick out breakfast from the market.  Because everything smelled so good, I asked her about coming to America where we eat things like cereal and oatmeal for breakfast.  She replied, "Yeah, that doesn't taste good."

My favorite meal from childhood is called bánh cuốn.  Mom would say, "Girls, we're having bánh cuốn tonight," and we would shriek, "Yaaaay!!!"  At the market, we ordered the best bánh cuốn I ever had in my life.  A steamed sheet of rice flour is stuffed with ground pork and mushrooms, served with fresh veggies and chả lụa.

Try to ignore the antics that are my family, carrying on and about in the background.