Vietnamese Food Festival: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR VIETNAMESE FOOD FESTIVAL

The Taj Krishna is hosting a Vietnamese Food Festival at the Golden Dragon, the speciality Chinese restaurant, from 25th January to 3rd February. Chef Nguyen Viet Thuong from Blue Ginger, at the Taj Westend Bangalore, has been specially flown down to host the festival.

Chef Thuong has 11 years' experience in various restaurants like Vietnamese House and Dong Du in Saigon, and has been with Blue Ginger in Bangalore since 2005. He will bring Vietnam and its exotic flavors straight to the heart of Hyderabad this week.

Vietnamese food is a legacy from its rich history. The food of North Vietnam, through stir-fried, noodle-based soups and chopsticks, shows the heavy influence of the Chinese. The Southern region is tropical, sustaining rice paddies, coconut groves and many more spices than the North. As in the rest of South-East Asia, there is an ancient influence of the Indian cultural presence and the French colonization of Vietnam on Vietnamese cooking.

Vietnamese food is rarely divided into courses, instead being served at once and shared from common dishes. Meals start with rice and sometimes noodles, a bowl of soup, a stir-fry and a main dish. Often, a light salad with shrimp or beef and vegetables will accompany the meal. Fish and seafood are central to the Vietnamese diet along with pork, beef and chicken in smaller quantities. Vegetables are often left raw, especially in the South, to act as a fresh contrast to the spicy cooked meat.

The distinct flavors of Vietnamese food come from a variety of condiments like mint leaves, coriander, lemon grass, shrimp, fish sauces (nuoc nam and nuoc cham), star anise, ginger, black pepper, garlic, basil, rice vinegar, sugar and green onions. Many delicious marinades are made through a combination of these flavors.

Some of the specialities of festival include dishes like Fresh Rice Paper Rolls, Grilled Chicken With Saigon Marinade, Raw Mango Salad, Rice Noodle Soup With Vegetables (Pho), King Prawns In Tamarind Sauce, Spicy Chicken Red Curry and Coconut Caramel Custard. To compliment the food, the hotel has a traditional Vietnamese Music Band Camellia that will be performing during the festival. The festival is on for both lunch and dinner.

Please contact the restaurant at 6666-2323 for further details.