Vietnamese. Thanks to Betty.

Betty Ming Liu, a former professor of mine (who is now teaching a Food Writing course at N.Y.U. this summer) recently posted an article on her blog entitled, "How and where to eat Vietnamese."

The last time that I tried Vietnamese food, it was not a pleasant experience. I tried Bun Rieu, which is a noodle soup made of thin rice noodles, topped with crab and shrimp paste, served in a tomato-based broth and garnished with bean sprouts, prawn paste, herb leaves, water spinach, and chunks of tomato. Sounds delicious, right? Well, I spent the next few hours hugging a toilet. Probably just your average case of food poisoning, but boy did that kill my interest in Vietnamese cuisine.

Well, after reading Betty's article, I was determined to give it a second try. Last night, I left my apartment in Chelsea, jumped on the 1 to Franklin Street, and slowly wandered east, until I made it to Thai So’n, at 89 Baxter Street.

With memories of that awful afternoon with my toilet bowl, I decided to follow Betty's trusted advice...



My first dish was Goi Cuon, a classic Vietnamese spring roll. It was a nice way to ease into Vietnamese cuisine since it was simply greens and shrimp which were then tightly wrapped in a translucent rice noodle. And it was delicious. Simple, refreshing, and the shrimp were cooked to perfection. Betty recommended both the peanut sauce and the fish sauce for dipping. I chose the former (something about a condiment made of fermented fish extracts grossed me out).

Again, following Betty's instructions on her blog, I ordered a small platter of Tom Chien Bot. Essentially, it is a platter of fried shrimp, served with a sweet-and-sour sauce. They were absolutely delicious, but I found them to be a little too greasy. After I dabbed them on my napkin and wrapped them in a lettuce leaf, I found myself enjoying them much more however.

Next, I decided to be a little adventurous and pick something of my own: Ech Xao Xa Ot. Frogs legs. I had first tried stereotypical French-style frogs legs last summer while I was living in Paris, but had not had any sort of frog since. At Thai So’n, they still tasted like chicken, albeit stringy, but they had a nice zing since they were cooked in a refreshing lemongrass sauce. Really enjoyable!

Unfortunately, my meal ended on a blah note, with So Nuoc Dua, green mussels in a light coconut-curry sauce. Light would not be the right word however. I've always enjoyed the subtle taste of coconut, but in this dish, the coconut overpowered the curry in my opinion. Not so light. Oh well, everything else was delicious.

One thing that I did not try that Betty had recommended was Soda Xi Muoi, which is a drink based on salted, dried plums, that are mashed up and served in a glass with sugar and club soda. Never been a huge fan of plums. But everyone else who joined me for dinner last night thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thanks for the great advice, Betty!



Thai So'n
89 Baxter Street
(between Bayard and Canal Streets)

Phone: (212) 732-2822

Hours: 10:30am–10:30pm.