Welltodo Jetsetter: A Healthy Guide To Vietnam

Vietnamese food with its fresh, delicious complexity of flavours is considered one of the healthiest in the world. Pork, chicken and fish are often used, but vegetarians are also abundantly catered for. Food is prepared with real pride – vegetables are always fresh that day, herbs are cut straight from the plant and the sweet and salty fusions of lemongrass, coriander, chilli, lime and fish sauce all create a harmonious balance only the people of Vietnam seem to know how to do.

So when Superfoodio founders Nirali and Jag Mankodi recently journeyed across Vietnam they were more than impressed by the array of food along the way.  Being vegetarian, they were catered for everywhere they went and discovered some amazing hidden gems.

Luckily for us they agreed to share their findings, so check out the best places to eat well in Vietnam -according to Nirali and Jag…

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Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City has a certain charm about it which is hard to resist and its enigmatic vibrancy spills through into its vast array of restaurants with something to offer every palate.

Prem Bistro | Home-made fusion fare

Started from the desire and love (‘Prem’ meaning ‘love’ in Sanskrit) to create dishes using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, Prem Bistro offers a wonderful variety of vegetarian food. The fresh spring rolls with fragrant coriander and choice of dipping sauces are a must-have and zoodles (a vegetable-based noodle with Pesto sauce) is another dish not to be missed.

A final standout – the scrambled tofu, offers a different take on scrambled egg. It Mixes tofu with zucchini, corn and onions before topping with cheddar or mozzarella cheese, for a genius and delicious take on the traditional dish.

www.prembistro.com

Baba’s Kitchen | Authentic Indian cuisine

Baba’s Kitchen – a recent addition to the growing number of Indian restaurants in Ho Chi Minh has mastered the perfection of blending traditional Indian herbs and spices to offer an impressive menu. They serve up a great selection of curries as well as the classic favourites – pakoras, samosas and daal. And as expected assorted chutneys come with every meal – sweet mango being one to try. Baba’s daal soup is light and full of flavour, which makes for a great starter, as does the Rasam soup – a south Indian dish with a kick. A serving of rice is a good idea with this one!

Their curries are wonderfully flavoured and spiced, but a star player is the Navrathana Korma – a mild and creamy vegetable dish blended with cashew nut sauce. The taste is a little more tame than the rest, but delicious. Mixed Raita is a must and Baba’s mix of fresh plain yoghurt and chopped veggies is one of the best.

Another favourite is the Uthappam – a thick pancake made from rice flour and white lentils, which is great as it comes, but mixed with tomatoes, onions and chillies it’s outstanding.

www.babaskitchen.in

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Hoi An

This historic riverside town is a cosmopolitan melting pot retaining its old-town charm whilst allowing tourism to intermingle with everyday life in a somewhat laid back manner. Easy-going and atmospheric, you’ll find a delightful array of eateries on offer.

Namaste Hoi An | Contemporary Indian food

A wonderful experience in Indian cuisine, Namaste is nestled in the heart of the city in Cui Dai. The food is exceptional with only the freshest ingredients used and a host of attentive staff making the service second to none.

The vegetable soup – plain as it may sound is perfectly spiced and a great choice of starter, but the stars of the show have to be the Pindi Channa and Bhindi Do Piazza. Pindi Channa – possibly the best chickpea dish enjoyed is cooked in a wonderful sauce of ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes, finished with freshly ground spices offers a true taste of North Indian cooking. And the Bhindi Do Piazza scored highly with its mix of seasonal Okra in a sauce of gently simmered onions, cumin and bishop seeds – served with steamed Vietnamese rice you can’t go wrong.

www.namaste-hoian.com

Minh Hien | Vegetarian & vegan restaurant

This small, family-owned restaurant keeps alive the traditional style of Vietnamese cooking with a menu full of simple yet utterly delicious, healthy and nutritious dishes. Their expert use of herbs and spices such as coriander, basil, lemongrass, ginger and turmeric comes through in a choice of perfectly balanced and delectable dishes. Try the Summer Rolls packed with vermicelli noodles, carrots, cucumber, coriander and fresh herbs or the Pad Thai Noodle with Tofu and Seasonal veg – possibly the best Pad Thai ever created!

If you struggle to find a good dessert in Vietnam, Minh Hien won’t disappoint. Their fresh coconut ice cream is amazing and for those wanting a boost of vitamins there’s a great choice of fresh seasonal juices.

www.facebook.com/Vegetarian.vietnam

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Hanoi

Hanoi, Vietnam’s alluring capital city, is as beautifully charismatic as it is chaotic. Full of energy it’s a city with a bustling social scene nestled alongside peaceful tree-fringed lakes and sunrise sessions of T’ai Chi. Hanoi will both captivate and fascinate you whilst offering no shortage of great places to eat.

ZCafé | Cafe & yoga spot

ZCafe’s philosophy of food is to prepare and enjoy every meal with passion, energy, and thought for one’s heart, body and mind. This oasis of calm offers daily classes of Yoga and Pilates alongside a café with a refreshingly unique and nutritious menu and its very own ‘tea corner’ for those ‘moments of quiet’. This is a place where every ingredient is locally sourced, organically grown and never tampered with by the use of additives.

Avocado fresh nom spring rolls are delicious. They are filled with sliced mango, spinach leaves, bean-sprouts, carrot and cucumber and come served with a lovely pesto sauce. Zenith’s Vietnamese fusion salad also impressed with its dressing of olive oil and balsamic. It mixes ginger and lemongrass marinated tofu, bean sprouts,avocado and sesame seeds.

Try the creative mushroom sandwich – garlic and thyme marinated mushrooms are layered onto homemade sourdough grains and topped with cucumber, chickpea hummus and toasted sesame seeds – outstanding.

A selection of fresh juices, shakes and teas are also on offer each coming with their own health benefits. Made from fruits and vegetables of superfood standards, try the Green Energy Elixir, or Goji Berry and Lotus Seed tea – not your everyday choice of refreshment, but well worth the gamble.

www.zenithyogavietnam.com/zenith-cafe

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To explore more from Nirali and Jag at Superfoodio, click here: www.superfoodio.com