| |  Vietnamese Cuisine
In Vietnamese cuisine, although rice is the foundation of the
Vietnamese diet, the country's cuisine is influenced by the national cuisines of
France, China and the
ancient kingdom of
Champa. Vietnamese cooking is highly innovative
and makes extensive use of fresh herbs, including lemon grass, ginger, basil,
coriander, lime and chili. Soup is
served at almost every meal, and snacks include spring rolls and rice paper
wraps. Noodles are usually made in a soup based but
there are some noodle dishes served without broth but with lots of vegetable and
fresh herbs. The traditional
noodles are made of rice or mung beans. The national condiment is “nuoc
mam”, a strong and well preserved fish sauce served with every meal. Vietnam’s indigenous tropical fruits
include bananas, pineapples, coconuts, lychees, guavas, melons, mandarin
oranges, and exotic varieties like the three-seeded cherry and the pink dragon
fruit.
As in any country,
Vietnam's cuisine reflects its
geography and history. Geographically, it consists of two great river deltas
separated by a belt of mountains. The Red River Delta surrounding
Hanoi provides
rice for residents of North
Vietnam. The Mekong Delta, centered by
Ho Chi Minh City
(formerly Saigon) produces rice plus a wide
variety of fruits and vegetables both for itself and the central strip of the
country whose principal city is the former imperial Hue.
As a former colony of
China, Vietnamese adopted
Confucianism, Buddhism, chopsticks and the wok. But in spite of centuries of domination,
Vietnamese food retained its own character. Due to its proximity to the border,
north
Vietnam reflects more Chinese influence than
the central or the south. Soy sauce
rarely appears in Vietnamese dishes except in the North. It is replaced by what is perhaps the
most important ingredient in all of Vietnamese cuisine – fish sauce or “nuoc
mam”.
 Northern cuisine
exhibits less herbs and vegetables than other regions because its climate is
less hospitable than that of the Mekong Delta. For heat, North Vietnamese cooks rely on
black pepper rather than chilies. Residents also exhibit a particular
fondness for beef, picked up from the Mongolians during their 13th century
invasions.
The royal tradition in the central
region goes back beyond the more recent Vietnamese monarchy to the ancient
kingdom of
Champa. The royal taste reveals itself in the
preference for many small dishes placed on the table at once. The more lavish
the spread, the wealthier the household. But even the poorer families are likely
to have multiple dishes of simple vegetables.
Servings are larger and fewer in the
south and hot chilies replace black pepper for heat. The profusion of fruit in the area means
that sweet fruit occasionally makes its way into a dish of meat, salads or
vegetables. Preparations are less
complex than many of those in the Central and the style of cooking often
resembles that of neighboring Cambodia. This is the part of Vietnam
responsible for curries. Once
again, history influences cuisine for ancient Angkor, once ruled this portion of Vietnam.
At GIA, our menu was designed for sharing, allowing you to
discover and sample as many flavors as possible. Our dishes draw the inspiration from
North, Central and South
Vietnam, the country’s three distinct styles of
cooking and are presented here with a unique decorative and creative style. With our innovative menu, we hope you
will enjoy the new experience of the cuisine that reflects the beauty and
sensuality of the Vietnamese culture.
Welcome to GIA (Our Home)
and
Bon Appetite!
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