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A traditional dish from the Mekong Delta has been given an elegant twist by an inventive chef at a HCM City restaurant. Mỹ Duyên reports.

When I can’t find time to cook, I often go out for a bowl of bánh canh or thick rice noodle soup with pork, a popular dish among people from the south, and also my favourite.
 
The dish I experienced recently, however, at Bánh Canh Bến Có Restaurant had a decidedly different taste.
 
My visit here gave me the chance to not only sample the sinfully enchanting noodles, but also learn more about specialties from the Mekong (Cửu Long) Delta, particularly Trà Vinh Province.
 
Trần Văn Thành, owner and manager of the restaurant, said that he was inspired by the recipes of his aunt who created the Bánh Canh Bến Có brand name in Trà Vinh.
 
Thành has reinterpreted the dish with elegance and creativity to match the taste and demand of city diners.
 
Located on Trần Hưng Đạo Street, one of the main streets in HCM City’s District 1, the restaurant is renowned for its Trà Vinh delicacies in a striking yet informal setting.
 
With a good city view and finely exquisite menu, the restaurant is full of visitors, especially during the evening when busy city dwellers can spend more time with their family and friends to eat, drink and chat.
 
I can have bánh canh at any meal time of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner, just like phở or beef noodle soup.
 
However, I’m not patient enough to wait too long to be served, so I decided to visit Bánh Canh Bến Có for lunch instead of dinner.  
There was a long list of different bánh canh, the restaurant’s most anticipated dish on offer, which ranges from bánh canh thịt heo nạc (noodle soup with lean pork meat)  to bánh canh thập cẩm (noodle with pork hock and pork organs including liver, heart, intestines and stomach) to bánh canh gà (chicken noodle soup) and bánh canh cá (noodle soup with fried fish cake).
 
However, diners can order a mix of chicken and fish cakes.
 
All these nine bánh canh items were served hot and with green salads and bean sprouts, a major difference compared to other bánh canh I had experienced. 
 
I started my lunch with a big bowl of noodle soup with lean pork meat (VND 40,000) and a noodle dish with pork hock and organs (VND 50,000) for my friend.
 
As the waiter walked toward our table, all of my senses were awakened. What impressed me first were the noodles, which were fat, flat and big with a milky white colour (while the standard ones are round, transparently white and small).
 
More surprisingly, it was fragrant and chewy.
 
“We make our noodles from the finest pure rice powder with our family secret. All steps of preparation are strictly cared for and controlled,”  Thành said. 
 
The slow-simmered bone broth, limpid and clear, is surprisingly delicate in flavour, with a savory umami and pleasing sweetness.
 
“The carefully made broth and noodles have satisifed our Saigonese diners, maintaining our Bánh Canh Bến Có brand name as a new destination in Saigon,”  Thành said.
 
“This originated with my aunt over 30 years ago. Bánh Canh Bến Có is renowned as one of the finest dining outlets among locals and travellers to Bến Có hamlet, Châu Thành District, in Trà Vinh.”   
 
After finishing the noodles, I moved on to the recommended nem nướng or grilled minced pork skewers, another standout dish. It was VND 60,000 per portion, large enough for two diners.  
Those who love “wrap and roll” items should not miss this delicacy, which was finely arranged and pleasing to the eye, while its flavour and taste provoked all the senses.
 
It was a perfect combination of freshly minced pork, well-made soy sauce, thin rice vermicelli, and typical southern plant and herbs like green banana, sour starfruit and cucumber, basil and escarole.
 
When it is served, all the items are wrapped in rice paper, a truly delightful dining experience you must try.
 
Another dining option must be bánh tét or traditional sticky rice cake southern style (VND 85,000 per cake of 1.1 kg), also the highlight of the restaurant.  
Aside from the finest sticky rice, pork and green beans, the cake was stuffed with  salted egg yolk.
 
Thành said: "Experience Trà Vinh cuisine the way it was meant to be – an exploration of delicate textures, flavours and colours.”
 
The two courses almost filled us up. Although I’m a fan of sticky rice cake, I just savoured a small piece, while taking home the remainder.
 
When it came to the desserts and drinks, the must-tries included sticky rice cake with banana stuffing (VND 40,000 per 1.1kg cake) and a coconut smoothie with condensed milk and ice (VND 75,000 per glass), perfectly prepared in the Trà Vinh style.
 
Besides its popular dishes, the restaurant also offers signature items designed for lovers of Trà Vinh cuisine, such as bún mắm Trà Vinh (rice vermicelli soup with tiny fish paste) for VND 60,000, and bún tôm luộc (rice vermicelli with boiled shrimp and sweet-sour fish sauce) for VND 45,000. -- VNS
 
The dish I experienced recently, however, at Bánh Canh Bến Có Restaurant had a decidedly different taste.
 
My visit here gave me the chance to not only sample the sinfully enchanting noodles, but also learn more about specialties from the Mekong (Cửu Long) Delta, particularly Trà Vinh Province.

 
Bánh Canh Bến Có Restaurant 
Address: 112 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, District 1, HCM City
Phone:  083 9206272 - 0964113939                                                                                                        
Facebook: BanhCanhBenCo
Hours: 7am-10pm
Comment: authentic Mekong (Cửu Long) Delta cuisine,  inviting prices and friendly service
Price: VND 40,000 – VND 60,000 per dish, large enough for two persons 
Delivery: free