A James Beard Award-winning food writer, Santa Cruz’s Andrea Nguyen writes extensively on Vietnamese cooking and the story of Vietnamese food in America. Behind the recipes and tips, Nguyen relays the deeper experience of Vietnamese people living in the United States, especially in the Little Saigon communities of San Jose and Westminster in Orange County, where she grew up. Her latest cookbook, “Vietnamese Food Any Day” (Ten Speed Press; $25) landed on every best-of-2019 list for its ease of use, expert advice, and, yes, epic cooking hacks.
Q: How does the transnational Vietnamese experience inform the food culture?
A: There’s this fluid movement back and forth between Asia and the United States that informs what happens here and there. You’ve got people in Vietnam who may never come here, but because of the internet, they know what a pho burrito is. Similarly, there are things going on in Vietnam that I’ve never seen before. For instance, there’s this street snack right now called banh can, a fried rice cake that has a slightly coconut flavor. It’s similar to banh khot but it is served with meatballs and broth. Vietnamese food always keeps me on my toes.
Q: Your book took you to parts of the country you’d never seen. What did you find when it came to Asian and Vietnamese food?
A: We assume that the mainstreaming of Vietnamese food is only happening on the West Coast. But in Minneapolis, I visited Hai Hai, a Vietnamese street food-inspired restaurant from James Beard semifinalist Christina Nguyen. And in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia, there were well-stocked Asian markets with ingredients that I seldom see on the West Coast. For example, Megachef oyster sauce from Thailand and Cholimex chile sauces from Vietnam. All over the country, there are these wonderful pockets of Asian-Americans and we are never far from ingredients and people who know how to handle them.
Q: How does the Viet food scene in the South Bay compare with SoCal’s Little Saigon, where you grew up?
A: The exciting thing about the Bay Area is that you can go to the Lucky supermarket in Fremont, and the Asian section spans about 50 feet. Trader Joe’s sells Red Boat, which is headquartered in Hayward. San Jose’s Little Saigon is a bit more spread out (than Westminster’s), but that’s kind of nice. There are so many wonderful places in the Story Road area. Near the airport on North Fourth Street, Mi Quang Co Thao sells this obscure noodle dish that I like and the scene kind of reminds me of places in Vietnam. In Milpitas, everyone thinks of Koi Palace on Barber Lane. But there’s a little sleepy place called Truong Thanh Vietnamese Restaurant. Their banh khot is great.
Q: We can’t ask you about restaurants without asking about markets. Do you have a favorite?
A: One of my favorite independent markets is Dai Thanh Market on South Second Street in San Jose. It reminds me of the vibe of being in Vietnam. It’s low key and airy. The people are serious, but kind. And it’s well-stocked with produce, condiments, noodles, rice paper, everything.
Q: What’s your cooking hack for making savory-sweet caramel sauce for clay pot dishes and grilled-meat marinades.
A: It is such a cornerstone of Viet cooking yet can be intimidating to people. Traditionally, they tell you to heat up the sugar, let it burn then pour it into a pan — and it’s boiling and bubbling! Even my mom used to say, “That’s so dangerous.” Instead, we fill the sink or a large bowl with water and put the saucepan in it to stop the cooking. I made a video on how to make Vietnamese Caramel Sauce.
Q: You keep 12 different bottles of fish sauce in your pantry. Why? Should we?
A: You don’t need to have 12 bottles. I do because there are so many different brands now — Squid, Red Boat, Dynasty — and each offers something a little different. Some are more robust, while others have more depth and umami. Vietnamse fish sauce in general is soft, and I think Dynasty Brand is a good, affordable go-to. It’s imported by a company based in Fremont and goes well with Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. I also love Son Fish Sauce and its story. It is made on a tiny island called Son in the south of Vietnam and the maker is fifth-generation, a woman who is 27. Her life has been defined by fish sauce.
5 BOOK PICKS FROM NGUYEN
“The Key to Chinese Cooking” by Irene Kuo: Kuo was a restaurateur in New York in the 1960s and describes cooking with such vibrancy, motion and emotion. She was the person who coined the term “velveting.” It’s one of my favorite cookbooks. I own five copies.
“The Way to Cook” by Julia Child: Of all the Julia Child books, it’s the easiest to use and full of cooking tips. I’ve had my copy since the book came out.
“Beyond the North Wind” by Darra Goldstein: It’s about Russian food in a way that you’ve never experienced it. And it’s full of Darra’s wit and knowledge. I’ve made three dishes so far and they’ve all been great.
“My Korea” by Hooni Kim: This just came out. Kim is a chef in New York, and the book is full of cool tips, info on Korean traditions and accessible chef-y things that you can do in your home kitchen.
“Vegetable Kingdom” by Bryant Terry: I love the fact that it’s meatless and cross-cultural and vibrant. He’s really pushing people to make this food and he makes it exciting.
