[dropcap letter="Q"]
That Asian-style restaurants are a trend in Barcelona has been a reality for about 5 years, thanks in large part to the boom that Japanese gastronomy experienced in the city at the beginning of the last decade. Without the Japanese ramen that has driven us so crazy, we would not understand the penetration of Phở, the quintessential noodle soup in Vietnam, to give an example.
[subscribe_newsletter_esp]
Vietnamese dishes have Chinese and French influence and especially in the last 200 years the successions of domination in that territory mean that the traces of these dominant cultures are shown in a very subtle way. It is a humble cuisine, typical of a people who have gone through severe episodes of famine and who have been plundered of their resources to the point of depending on their occupiers for basic necessities. Lots of rice, of which today (and in only 30 years since capitalism landed in 1986) they are the fourth largest exporter worldwide, lots of vegetables and touches of protein.
It is interesting to discover that behind a Vietnamese dish there is a strong will to nourish the body and keep it healthy and vigorous. The yin and yang, which in Taoism defines the duality that exists in the universe, is also present in food.
Thus, when there is a fried food or a caloric preparation on the plate, it is accompanied by raw vegetables and herbs to balance it. This alternation of compensation is not only in what is eaten, but in how: in a hot dish, cold or warm foods are introduced to refresh.
The knowledge of the nutritional properties of the ingredients is extensive, because the purpose of these dishes is to promote digestion and well-being. Only by obtaining this balance between yin and yang is a meal obtained that provides nutrition, energy and a pleasant sensation.
Eating with your hands is also important, practically all appetizers should be eaten without utensils, and are designed to be held with the fingers. The Nem, one of the star appetizers of Vietnamese gastronomy, are presented as a spring roll and, depending on whether they are fried or eaten raw, they are wrapped in a thin rice or soy wrapper.
When boiled, it is called Banh Cuon. Its fillings can be raw or cooked vegetables, pork, beef, or seafood. The aforementioned balance in the Nem and Banh Cuon is reflected in the accompaniment of sauces with sweet and sour and acidic touches, as well as in the herbs or raw vegetables: they are served separately so that the diner, perhaps intuitively, balances their ying and yang by dipping in the sauce or rolling the spring roll with the vegetable as they wish.
Both Phở and Bánh Mì are other of the most recognizable dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. The first is a delicious noodle soup with a flavorful, comforting broth. It contains meat, bean sprouts, and herbs and is consumed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The second is the most visible trace of French influence: it is a sandwich prepared with a baguette bread that is filled with a wide variety of ingredients, always savory and varied between meat and vegetables. It is common for a street vendor to have all the ingredients on a counter when buying one, and the customer chooses which ones they want to fill their bread with.
In Barcelona, Vietnamese restaurants are beginning to flourish, responding to a logic that is familiar to us: Vietnamese people eat simple and practical homemade dishes at home, while when they eat out, they look for more elaborate dishes. That's the beauty of it: Món Viêt and Little Vietnam present two sides of the same coin.
Món Viêt is run by Anh-Van Chac, from a Vietnamese family born in Barcelona, and Little Viet by two Vietnamese sisters who recently arrived in the Catalan capital. Both restaurants, the first from a street food perspective and the second showcasing the domestic version, seek to proudly teach a gastronomy that is humble in origin but rich and complex in flavor.
MÓN VIÊT
Sepúlveda, 94, 08015 Barcelona
Anh-Van Chac's grandparents arrived as refugees in Madrid, along with other families, and their destinies were spread throughout the peninsula, always working in restoration. In Madrid, Anh-Vac's father's and mother's families met, the young people fell in love and traveled to Barcelona to start a Vietnamese restaurant. In the end there were three, as more members of the clan moved to make this dream a reality. Capitol I, Capitol II and Capitol III with disparate destinies: some have survived, while the others have either been renovated or have disappeared.
Cun Pau Chac and his wife Xoi Kiu Sam managed Capitol III, which in 2011 was renamed Capítol de Vietnam, joining the Anh-Van project. After four years, Anh-Van decided to open her own restaurant, Món Viêt, in 2016, with her partner Carles.
Its menu is fun and playful. It makes the experience easy, whether one is a novice or an expert in Vietnamese food, because it offers two very practical and complete tasting menus. The Tapas menu is highly recommended: playing with a familiar analogy of snacking on various dishes, it offers 6 small dishes to taste various Nem cuốn ---the fresh prawn with peanut and sesame sauce is sublime---, Bánh cuốn ---delicate, similar to a cannelloni filled with vegetables and pork with fried spring onion--- and salads. It is complemented with Phở, the noodle soup, as a more powerful and comforting main course. The best part? The price, 16 euros per person. For coffee lovers, the grand finale will surely be the Vietnamese-style coffee, which provides a curious and sweet aftertaste.
Showcasing the humble cuisine it draws from, Món Viêt offers an excellent quality-price ratio and attentive service, with the aim of making its clientele fall in love with this tasty and delicate food. Therefore, anyone who wants to delve beyond this introductory menu should not hesitate to speak with the staff to find out which dishes would best suit them.
LITTLE VIET
Cartagena, 328, 08025 Barcelona
Practically at the other end of the city, sisters Nhi and Ha also offer tasting menus at Little Viet. They arrived as tourists 4 years ago and a few months ago decided to open their own restaurant to contribute to the dissemination of their culinary culture in a city where there are not many exponents. Without being professional chefs, they do it informally and freshly, offering the most representative dishes of their culture on their menu.
All their dishes have a homemade aroma; it's no coincidence that the Phuong sisters execute family recipes. Just like a meal at home with loved ones around, their dishes are served in tasting format, small bites that allow for a journey through their more than seven varieties of Bánh Mì and Phở in a single visit.
They also have a 16-euro menu that is perfect for trying four key dishes from their menu: the Bánh ướt, a steamed rice paper, a fried spring roll; a Bánh Mì (to choose from their menu) and a Bun cha, which is similar to a kebab rolled with thin vermicelli rice sheets.
Equally advisable is their light midday menu: for 12.65 euros, you can choose a starter from two roll options (fresh or fried) and a main course (Bánh Mì or Phở). According to the Phuong sisters, two keys to Vietnamese home cooking are the use of fresh ingredients, bought the same day to ensure they are crispy and in optimal condition, and that protein is never served raw. Both precepts are deliciously present in any of Little Viet's dishes.