When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, the experience of tasting a dish often tells a story far richer than any recipe alone. That’s why I love to explore many Vietnamese traditional dishes. In the episode, my friend Thinh and I tried Banh Beo together. We talked about how diverse it is between different regions.
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Small Talk about Vietnam and Vietnamese Food
Vietnam is often misunderstood and unfairly labeled as a “third world” or “poor” country, but that perception couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when you see the country firsthand. Take my own experience, for example—I live in a building where it’s not unusual to see expensive cars parked in the lot, all owned by locals. This starkly contrasts with the outdated image that many people outside Vietnam still hold.
The rapid development of Vietnam is evident in its modern infrastructure, bustling cities, and the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. This country is far from being a “third world” nation; it’s a place where tradition meets progress.
The Flavor Spectrum of Vietnamese Cuisine
Our conversation naturally shifted to one of my favorite topics—food. Thinh has a deep appreciation for Vietnamese cuisine, and he was eager to share some insights about the regional differences in flavors across the country.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Vietnam is the incredible diversity in its cuisine, which varies significantly across different regions. Each area of Vietnam has its own unique flavor profile, deeply influenced by local ingredients and cultural practices.
Then there’s the Central region, where dishes like Bánh Bèo originate. Central Vietnamese cuisine strikes a balance between the light, fresh flavors of the North and the sweet, rich dishes of the South. The food here is often more vibrant in color and flavor, with a perfect blend of spices, herbs, and seasoning that create a harmonious taste. Central cuisine is known for being more adventurous with its seasoning, but it never overpowers the natural flavors of the ingredients.
How To Eat “Banh Beo”
During our chat, we got into the specifics of how to eat Bánh Bèo the right way, which is something I didn’t realize required a particular technique until recently.
Bánh Bèo, a popular dish from Central Vietnam, is served as small, round rice cakes, each in its own little bowl, topped with minced shrimp, crispy fried shallots, and a drizzle of fish sauce.
One of the first things I learned is that using the correct spoon is essential. A flat spoon works best because it allows you to scoop up the entire rice cake without breaking it, making sure you get a bite that includes all the toppings. If you use a regular spoon or try to poke at it, you risk missing out on the full combination of flavors.
Another important tip is to add the fish sauce sparingly. Just a small spoonful over each cake is usually enough. This way, the fish sauce enhances the dish without overpowering it, letting the subtle flavors of the rice cake and toppings shine through.
To eat Bánh Bèo correctly, you start by adding a drizzle of fish sauce on top of the small rice cakes. The sauce is made from shrimp, and it gives the dish its distinct, savory flavor.
The toppings on Bánh Bèo usually include shrimp, fried onions, green onions, and crushed peanuts, adding layers of texture and flavor to the dish. Eating it might require a bit of skill, but it’s definitely worth it. The soft rice cakes paired with the crunchy toppings and the savory sauce come together to create a wonderfully balanced and delicious meal.
Vietnamese Breakfast Culture and Cuisine
When people think of Vietnamese breakfast, Bánh Mì often comes to mind. While this famous sandwich is delicious and widely known, it’s just one part of a much bigger breakfast culture in Vietnam.
Bánh Mì is widely recognized as a breakfast item in Vietnam. While you can technically eat it anytime, it’s traditionally seen as a morning meal, similar to how toast or cereal might be viewed in the West. This makes sense given its quick, on-the-go nature, perfect for a busy morning.
In Vietnam, breakfast is usually savory and filling, designed to fuel the day ahead. In contrast, Western breakfasts often lean towards sweet or simple flavors—like pancakes, pastries, or a bowl of oatmeal. These meals are quick and easy, fitting into a busy lifestyle but missing the savory depth of Vietnamese breakfasts.
For example, we talked about Mì Quảng, a flavorful noodle dish from Central Vietnam. While it’s often eaten for breakfast, it’s not limited to the morning. In Vietnam, there’s less of a strict division between what’s considered breakfast food and what’s suitable for lunch or dinner. If a dish is popular in the morning, it becomes a breakfast food, but it’s just as common to see people enjoying it later in the day.
Coffee and Green Tea
During our chat, we touched on an interesting combination that’s common in Vietnam: drinking green tea with coffee. At first, this might sound unusual, especially if you’re used to having just one or the other. In Vietnam, though, it’s not uncommon to enjoy a strong cup of coffee alongside a refreshing glass of green tea.
Coffee, often served strong and sweet with condensed milk, provides a bold, rich flavor. Green tea, on the other hand, is light, slightly bitter, and acts as a palate cleanser.
The Complexity of English and Vietnamese Accent
When people ask me about my accent, I’m often amused – and a bit confused – by their reactions. The truth is, I’ve heard people describe my accent in all sorts of ways. Some say it’s distinctly Scottish, while others think it’s too Scottish.
People often ask me what the hardest accent to understand is, and honestly, they can all be tricky in their own way. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer to that question. It all depends on who you are, where you’re from, and what you’re used to hearing.
If you’re from a more affluent area, your accent might be softer, more “refined.” On the other hand, if you’re from a working-class neighborhood, your accent might be thicker, more pronounced.
It’s interesting to note that when people refer to a “British accent,” they’re usually thinking of a standard, posh English accent—something along the lines of Hugh Grant’s voice. But the idea of a single “British accent” is a bit of a myth. Britain is made up of four countries, each with its own rich tapestry of accents. And within those countries, you’ll find countless variations. So I don’t think there’s a standard British accent.
Vietnamese Accents
And the complexity of accents also happens in Vietnam. Vietnamese accents are generally divided into three main categories based on the country’s regions: Northern, Central, and Southern. Each of these regions has its own unique way of speaking Vietnamese.
- The Northern accent, particularly the Hanoi accent, is often considered the standard for the Vietnamese language.
- The Central accent is where things start to get interesting—and challenging for many Vietnamese speakers from other regions.
- The Southern accent, common in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and the Mekong Delta, is quite distinct from its Northern and Central counterparts. It’s characterized by a more relaxed and open pronunciation style, often described as warm and welcoming.
I remember a time in Da Nang when a Southern Vietnamese friend of mine and a Central Vietnamese waitress had to switch to English to communicate because their Vietnamese accents were so different. It’s wild to think about, but it just goes to show how diverse accents can be, not just in Britain, but around the world.
So, the next time someone asks me about my accent or comments on how “Scottish” it is, I’ll smile and remember that accents are a reflection of our incredibly varied backgrounds.
Conclusion
I had a chance to learn more about Vietnam, which I am interested in.
Whether you enjoy it with the traditional topping of shrimp and pork or prefer the variations found in different parts of the country, each bite of bánh bèo is a journey into the heart of Vietnamese culture.
Also, if you’re looking for a personal trainer, you can contact Thinh because he’s a good one.
Banh Beo
Niall: [00:00:00] I’m turning 42 this week, and I have the biggest zit, if you’re from the U.S. … spot, if you’re from the UK, or plook, if you’re from Scotland, I have the biggest plook on my face right now.
42 years old this week, and I’m still getting massive zits. So it turns out pretty well that I was sitting on this side, because you can’t actually see it. This is what happens when you get old, you still get acne.
Niall: All right, welcome back to another exclusive YouTube episode of a Vietnam podcast. Somebody asked me recently, was I a YouTuber? And I was like, no, I’m not a YouTuber, but I’m kind of really enjoying making these YouTube videos. So, uh, I’m going to go meet my friend Tim, who has been on a couple of these videos before when we’ve talked about food, and he’s going [00:01:00] to take me for Banh Beo.
No, Banh Beo, I think. which is where he’s from, where he’s from, which is originally the Da Nang area. So we’re going to go get some Bambio. He gave me it one time before and it was really good. So we’re going to go check that out. Remember follow, subscribe, like the channel. If you like this content, I have no idea what I’m doing.
I don’t want to be a YouTuber, but it’s kind of fun. It’s kind of cool. , my name is Niall Mackay. If you don’t know who I am, And so we’re going to go out Meadtown and we’re going to get on his bike and we’re going to go get some Bombay Oats. So, let’s go.
So I live in a pretty nice building and it really frustrates me when people say that Vietnam is a third world country or a poor country. Just look at some of the cars in this building. Now, I do live in a nice building. I’m not rich at all. Not wealthy, yet. But you can see how nice this is. This is not expats driving these cars.
These are Vietnamese people who [00:02:00] have money and it’s amazing to see that people in this country have so much money. This is the extreme, not everyone has this, but when people think of Vietnam as still a walked home, poor country, then that is not what it is at all. And this is just proof of it, even though there is still inequality.
So we’re meeting up with Tinh Tinh. I’m doing a YouTube video, which I said already feel like a YouTube wanker. I don’t really, this is like for the young people like Tinh who’s busy eating her sneakers right now. It’s not very healthy. Hopefully you’re not going to see my ex there. Hopefully you’re not going to see your ex there? Yeah. I thought she was in Da Nang. I don’t know, because that is the place where me and my ex, Bob Drew, have been there a lot of times. We’ve been there very often though.
A cum chai. Like a J? Ah. Vegetarian, please. it’s going to be [00:03:00] a totally different thing. Oh. Ha ha ha. Oh. probably going to be closed. It’s open! him.
Thinh: The thing about bánh bèo is that it’s kinda hard to spoon it out.
Like, I have, I, I, I think I, I
taught you one how to do that before, but
You still struggle to do it.
Do you remember?
Niall: I remember,
yeah. I remember
it tasted good.
Thinh: So the first thing first, you’re gonna need to have a proper
spoon. So this,
you see the difference, right? See the difference in that tissue? Like the sharp edges? Yeah, sharp edges is kinda hard
to spoon a perfect Scoop, okay? it’s gonna
it’s
gonna crush the bánh mèo.
Niall: Right here.
Thinh: So, yeah, this one right here, it’s got a, [00:04:00] like a very smooth surface. You’re gonna spoon it out.
perfectly. This one
See that? Too smooth. Not this. Not this.
Oh, you want the
Niall: smooth one. Yeah, you want a smooth
one.
Thinh: Okay.
So, uh,
yeah,
I’m a, I’m a show you one more time.
Perfect technique.
Niall: So I’m getting Bánh bèo.
Yep. And you’re getting cơm gà.
Thinh: That’s
Niall: right. Why are you not getting bánh bèo?
Because you’re on a diet?
Thinh: Uh, no, bánh bèo is
good for diet though. It’s just, I just,
prefer cơm gà more. They
got a very good sauce to eat with cơm gà.
Niall: So
this is Central food, right?
Mm hmm. So what’s the difference between
central food and everywhere else?
Thinh: Central, is kind of more
balanced to it.
Right. Um,
when you go to the north, it’s gonna be more
like,
Bun Beo – 8: that seasoning,
Thinh: Less seasoning,
the
more you go into the
south.
Bun Beo – 8: south,
Right.
Thinh: Is it good?
Niall: Yeah.
Thinh: So the north is kind of, you know, less seasoning. It’s more about the flavor, the natural flavor within the food itself.
Niall: Right.
Thinh: But the more you [00:05:00] go to the south,
it’s gonna be, you know, more seasoning. Like you see, you’re gonna see,
a lot of,
um,
Bun Beo – 8: people from the
north go
Thinh: from the north who go to the south and they say, oh, that food here is
so sweet. So everything. Yeah, that’s what I feel. Yeah. So sweet, everything tastes
so sweet.
You know, and then the Central, it’s kind of balanced.
Everything sounds really good, so.
Niall: Cause I’d always hear that it was north the salty, central
spicy, south sweet. Yeah, that’s right. That’s right, it’s like an oversimplification,
Bun Beo – 8: oversimplification,
Thinh: Yeah, that’s right. the color of the food, it’s kind of
different as well. Oh, really? Cause, if you put like Ph is originated from Hanoi, right? And then Cơm Tm, which is originated from Saigon, right?
Bun Beo – 8: Gòn,
right?
Yeah.
Thinh: The
main difference is that, obviously, one is
Tm. But the main difference is
the color, itself. you can see one is kind of,
Bun Beo – 8: is kind of,
Thinh: not too many colors.
Niall: Yeah.
Thinh: But this one is colorful.
Cơm Tm, you can see.
Niall: Yeah, because Ph is
pretty, like,
[00:06:00] opaque. Yeah.
Transparent? Is
that the right word? I don’t
know.
You know what I mean?
Pho, pho’s got like green
leaves and all that stuff. Even
Thinh: though it’s still like very It’s still very colourful. And you hit, and you see Sometimes it’s
Niall: just white rice and a
pork chop.
Thinh: Yeah, that’s right.
And then they’ve got Whereas you guys have like,
Mee
Niall: Wan, Bum Bae O. That’s right.
To work on some central dishes so obviously, Bum Bae O.
Um,
so
you, you, asked me about a popular dish? What food, what food is like,
specific to the central? Not the flavour, like
Thinh: Um,
I would say Mee Wai. That’s the most signature
Niall: one. I have an
Thinh: important
question
Niall: for you.
Thinh: Is
Niall: Mee Wai a
breakfast food?
Thinh: Yeah,
Niall: it is.
Thinh: It is,
Only breakfast? No, no, no. Like, you can eat it, whatever you want. It’s like, dinner, breakfast. So what, it’s just for any meal? Yeah, that’s right. It doesn’t matter.
Niall: When do people mostly eat it?
Bun Beo – 8: right?
How
Thinh: I
Bun Beo – 8: still people
[00:07:00] meet
Thinh: don’t think you
Bun Beo – 8: I
Thinh: think people
distinguish this.
Bun Beo – 8: distinguish
Thinh: breakfast, or lunch. In the
Niall: beginning, when I first heard of it, it was like a breakfast, food. yeah,
yeah.
Thinh: yeah,
Niall: So, yeah. people
eat, breakfast
Thinh: a lot as well. But
Niall: it’s not like, I
mean, I don’t know if you can see the picture there, but
miuang is like
filling with like noodles, meat,
loads of vegetables.
Like, to me, it’s not really a
breakfast food. But it is?
Thinh: It’s like,
Bun Beo – 8: like, I
think
Thinh: in Vietnamese food is that they don’t, they don’t, really
they don’t really have like a criteria to distinguish, you know, breakfast is, you have
to like low carb, not too many carbs in it, or too
many meat in it, It’s not going to be breakfast, you know. they just, if, if more people eat it in the morning, it’s
going to be breakfast anyway.
Niall: The only one I can think of, we talk about this a lot,
is that breakfast food is a banh Yeah.
Right? You don’t really have banh mi
for any other time. [00:08:00] Why is that specifically breakfast? Good question.
Thinh: Like, I
think
just, some random time
in
the past, that most people just eat it
in the morning, and then
it
becomes breakfast.
Niall: Yeah. Cause obviously I come from The land of, toast and cereal. So,
toast for breakfast
makes sense. So banh mi or baguette. for breakfast kinda makes sense. Having it come down for breakfast doesn’t make
sense, even though I love it.
Bun Beo – 8: it.
Niall: So I just find it so funny that Vietnam is the breakfast lunch of the year. You cannot
Thinh: eat savory food for
breakfast. That’s what I’m saying. You
Niall: can, or you can’t in Vietnam? you cannot,
Thinh: no, in your country. But
in my country? Yeah. People can eat eggs. Yeah, like eggs are savory, so
Niall: people will eat eggs. But on a normal day you wake up, I guess it’s like yogurt and cereal. You can have kind of savory cereal,
like cereal. Cereal. Yeah, like
Weetabix. I don’t
know if you know Weetabix. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just like a flaky, weedy
Bun Beo – 8: biscuit. [00:09:00] Weetabix.
Niall: It sounds terrible and it
looks terrible, It kind of tastes
terrible. But it’s also kind of nice as well, like you add milk to it,
you can add bananas,
honey, different things to it.
It’s filling, It’s
good. Yeah, the food here is just so good. Well, Let’s get
coffee.
Thinh: so this is
Cơm Gài. Okay, this is my
dish.
Okay,
So this is originated from Hi An. like Niall has been there
a lot of times, right?
You’ve been there a couple times.
Niall: Yeah.
Thinh: Um,
and,
here we
got Bánh Bèo. Okay, this one is Niall’s favorite. It’s gonna
be
Niall’s dishes as well.
So what is in a Banh Meo?
Bun Beo – 8: Bèo? They’re gonna
Thinh: like a, like a sauce.
This is like, it is made out of shrimp.
Yeah.
So you’re gonna eat it with spicy fish sauce and every time you
want to eat it, drizzle it on top and scoop it out and there you go.
Perfect. Oh and they give you,
I think this one is even better
for using the spoon because this is smaller. You see that? [00:10:00] Every time they give you a spoon
to scoop out the bánh bèo, there’s gonna be a smooth surface. It’s not gonna be edges all over the place. But this one is smaller so it’s
easier for you.
All right.
Bun Beo – 8: And we need some ch đá.
Niall: green tea everywhere, right? Cheers. Not really cheers, green tea. But we’ll cheers it
anyway. My favourite is you
get green tea chai
dah with coffee.
Thinh: Ah, yeah, yeah. It’s the weirdest
Niall: thing in the world to get coffee and green tea. Coffee and tea together, but then again, you live here, you’ll just get completely normal. When I go back home and I get a
cappuccino, I’m like, where’s my tea? Where’s my cold tea?
Alright, so we got five bandejos. Yep. Some onions.
Thinh: Oh, that’s one for me. Oh, that’s for
you. Yeah, this This one’s for you as well? Yeah.
What is that one? This, um, I don’t know what they made with that, man. It just tastes amazing. This is fish sauce. Yep. Do I put the fish sauce on top? Yep, [00:11:00] that’s right. So you’re going to put
The fish sauce on top.
Do you enjoy it? With the spoon?
Yeah, with the spoon.
Bun Beo – 8: You
Niall: All right. Fish sauce is the key ingredient to everything in here.
Bun Beo – 8: eat.
Niall: I think it’s a little bit Not enough?
Thinh: You can handle spicy, right? Some chili as
Niall: well, yeah? Yeah, definitely can handle spicy. You can,
Thinh: you can put it in here. Don’t put it on top. It’s gonna be
Niall: Oh, there you go. Oh, shit. A little bit too much.
What’s the difference
between this chili and that chili? Oh,
Thinh: I think it’s the same though. Same?
Niall: Yeah. And this one?
Thinh: Oh, this one is chili
jam.
Bun Beo – 8: Yeah,
Niall: that’s right. It’s spicy as well, right? Yeah, that’s right. It’s pretty good. You have that
with me one, right?
Thinh: Uh, yeah. And
you can have it with, uh, Cơm Gà Hi An. Okay,
so, here’s the one.
Alright? You ready? Yeah. So, first thing you’re gonna use,
just like, just like the edge
of the spoon, and
just, you see, you kind of want to
put the spoon against. the edge of the bowl [00:12:00] and then just spoon it
nice and careful like
this.
Bun Beo – 8: this. And
Thinh: and then you
can just spoon right underneath it
Niall: yeah
Thinh: okay if this one is done correct and the rest
is
like way way easier
okay and then just put it out like this you need one go yeah just one oh no no no no you can eat two go
three goes whatever you want but this is
the hard part though
Niall: this is,
Bun Beo – 8: a tricky question.
Niall: Do you, like, learn how to do this when you’re younger?
Thinh: No, I think it’s natural to have it. just natural?
Niall: Genetic stuff. Genetics in Vietnam, you just know how to do this? Yeah. Because I feel like if you just put this in front of me without you telling me that, I’d just, like, hack it up. Mash it up. Maybe not mash it up, but, like, hack it up. But yeah, this looks amazing.
So what is on here? So we got some peanuts. Peanut. This is the
fish sauce? No, no, no. Shrimp sauce. Oh, sorry. Shrimp sauce.
Thinh: There’s no fish sauce. There’s no fish sauce.
Bun Beo – 8: shrimp y. Yeah. Some
Thinh: Some little shrimps on top. Green onions and, uh, I think it’s fried onions as well. And what’s
[00:13:00] the white stuff underneath the egg? Um,
it’s actually, uh, rice.
Uh, it’s like rice powder and they, they cook it. Right. They boil it
up. They put it
into a, uh, it’s Like, a, it’s like a, pattern.
It’s like a circle. It’s like a donut. I get what you mean. What that
called, man? I have
no idea, but I
get what you
mean. But
Niall: it’s so funny, right, so we were
just talking to our friend, Kim.
Bun Beo – 8: and I just
Niall: Who’s just got back from the
UK with a problem. Kim And
Louis, right, everyone who watches the podcast or listens knows who they are. And we said, what food did you
eat? And she was like, bread. Just lots of bread. Which is so funny, but it’s also like in Vietnam, you just eat rice. Which I have no problem with.
You have rice.
rice, like normal rice. Yeah. You can have this,
whatever you do, you don’t even know what it is, but it’s made from rice. Ph noodles,
made from rice.
Everything is rice. Um, made from rice. Everything bánh mì is made from rice. You
Thinh: can’t match with me. And it’s all [00:14:00] delicious. Yeah, it’s
all
Niall: delicious.
Alright, let me try
Thinh: this. It’s good. good. yeah.
Bun Beo – 8: very special. Say it
Thinh: spell it. Say it one more time. Pronounce it.
Pronounce it.
Yeah, pronounce it.
Bun Beo – 8: For Niall.
Thinh: Bánh
mm.
Bun Beo – 8: Bánh bèo.
Thinh: Yeah, that’s right. Eo, not ao. Banh bao is a different thing. Yeah, banh bao. Yeah, that’s
Niall: correct. Ten out of ten. Thank you.
Don’t worry, it’ll be zero out of ten in like
five minutes.
Bun Beo – 8: 20
Niall: up at
the end, it goes down at the end. Banh bao. Yeah, that’s right. See, with my accent.
I don’t even know what’s up or down anymore.
Bun Beo – 8: accent. And people
Niall: And people comment on these videos, they’ll be like, I don’t know what.
What accent does he have? I would be like, I’m too Scottish. If you think I’m too
Scottish, you’ve never met a Scottish person.
Bun Beo – 8: a bad Scots person. What’s the hardest accent you’ve ever
Thinh: What’s the hardest accent to listen?
Bun Beo – 8: they can all
Niall: I mean, I don’t know they can all be [00:15:00] difficult.
Bun Beo – 8: hard? The
Thinh: Is that Birmingham? Birmingham is like the hardest one? Is that a one?
Bun Beo – 8: before, when you’ve said
Niall: So we’ve got, we’ve had crosswords about this before when you said something about a British accent and I say the same to other people. There’s no such thing as a British accent.
Just like there’s no such thing almost as like a
Birmingham accent because you could be from the north of Birmingham, the south side of Glasgow. When I went to university people told me I had the strongest class region
accent they’ve ever heard and they were from Glasgow as well. And
Bun Beo – 8: Glasgow as well. And
Niall: so it really depends like where you’re from, where your family’s from, A lot of it’s socio economic.
If you’re from a poor family, a poor neighborhood, your accent’s probably gonna be like a lot stronger. If you’re from like a really posh neighborhood, like if you’re from Glasgow and you’re from
Bearsden, it’s like one of the nicest neighborhoods, you’re going to have a very
nice soft Scottish accent, very
nice Glaswegian accent.
You’re gonna speak like this. People will be able to understand you very [00:16:00] easily. You know, I’m from Bearsden, And you might be from Maryhill, and if you’re from Maryhill, you’re gonna be like, Alright, how you goin pal, you alright? How you doin sir? Don’t remember we drinkin aye? Aye, what you up to? What did you do last night?
Those two neighborhoods are a few miles from each other. So even if somebody says, what’s a Glasgow accent? There is a Glasgow accent, but it can be very
Thinh: different. So it’s like, when, when people say, Do a Britain accent, British accent. It’s like, because there’s a bunch of, you know, different accents in there.
So, you cannot really, just, just say like, Do a British accent. British accents in general, right? No, mostly Americans that say British accents. I think because of Hollywood, when they say British accents, they’re gonna, they don’t expect us to say, you know, some Harry Potter kind of stuff, you know?
Niall: I think when someone says a British accent, they expect like a very standard British accent.
English, you drank, English, you drank, right?
Bun Beo – 8: drink,
Niall: Maybe too old for your game.
Bun Beo – 8: study.
Do
Niall: Hugh Grant, you know, you know the actor. [00:17:00] Anyway, he’s um, kind of posh British, but, I think when people say a British accent, they mean someone like him. Alright, so I got that right now. Oh yeah! It was easy. But now I can’t figure it out.
Bun Beo – 8: it up. What’s
Niall: It’s like what, you’re gonna
Thinh: drop?
Bun Beo – 8: that?
Thinh: I think you’re gonna have like, five more, man. To fill you up.
Bun Beo – 8: it. I’m pretty full
Niall: I’m pretty full already. Oh really? Nah, you’re a little bit full. What I do like, I don’t like shrimp or, I don’t eat shrimp or fish generally.
Bun Beo – 8: the time. I
Niall: don’t like seafood, I don’t like the flavor, but these aren’t very strong.
It’s not like super shrimpy. Did you get like Bun Rieu? It’s made with like shrimp paste, right? And I say that one right, Bun Rieu. Yeah. I can’t eat that. I tried it once and I literally cannot eat it because it’s so shrimpy. But this one’s alright.
Thinh: Just can’t pick it up very well. I haven’t seen anyone [00:18:00] who’s a foreigner can eat, uh, shrimp paste.
I haven’t seen anyone. Have you
Niall: seen anyone? Oh, cause it’s really shrimp paste, it’s like really fermented. This isn’t fermented though, is it? No, it’s not fermented. It’s not shrimp paste, is it? Yeah.
Bun Beo – 8: it? I
Thinh: think they made it with dry shrimp or something.
Niall: Yeah. I’m making a mess myself.
Bun Beo – 8: Um,
Niall: But you’re talking about accents, you’re talking Same in Vietnam though, you guys all have different accents, right?
Thinh: Couldn’t say
Niall: Vietnam
Thinh: accent. Vietnam accent is kinda weird.
Niall: So it sounds stupid that you Somebody says Vietnam accent. That’s what it sounds when someone says to me a British accent. Because we have four countries, and then each of those countries have so many accents. Yeah. So when somebody says, oh, I like British accents, or I don’t know. anything to do with British accent.
It’s like, it just doesn’t exist. It’s [00:19:00] not a thing at all. Just like if somebody said to you, a Vietnam accent, you’d be like, there’s no such thing. It doesn’t exist. But how about the different accents, right? Because even within Vietnam, you obviously have different accents. I can hear the Northern one a little bit.
I’ve met some people where they speak even in English and they’ll be like, are you from the North? How did you know? I said, I can hear it a little bit. But what are the main differences? I
Bun Beo – 8: I
Thinh: know how to describe it into English though, because if people know how to speak Vietnamese, they hear it, they will, it mostly, the difference, not because of the accent itself, but the word they say, they pronounce the words a little bit different.
Not a little bit different, like huge difference compared to your North and your South.
Bun Beo – 8: difference compared
Thinh: And there’s some,
Bun Beo – 8: And there’s some,
Thinh: areas in Central Vietnam. I, I, I even can’t understand half of what
Niall: [00:20:00] you’re saying.
Thinh: Yeah,
Niall: it’s very hard to understand. So I’ve told this story many times, probably told it on the podcast. But one of the funniest things, and we tell this story when we’re hanging out with people a lot as well, one of the funniest ones.
You met my friend Kim, right? Yeah, yeah, you met her. I just mentioned her. So, she is, uh, Vietnamese from the South, Saigon. Yeah,
Bun Beo – 8: Yeah.
Niall: lived in the UK, can speak English really well, and we were in Da Nang, and uh, she acts as our translator when we’re together, right, so the waitress comes over, we’re in a little place like this, we’ll order this, we’ll order that, ask her to translate, she tries to speak to the waitress, and her and the waitress cannot understand each other at all, both speaking in Vietnamese, because she’s speaking in like Central Vietnamese, him speaking Southern Vietnamese.
They just start speaking in English to each other, because the waitress and Kim can both speak English, and it’s just mind blowing that, too. [00:21:00] And I’ve seen this before. Some people from different areas of Vietnam will find it easier to speak to each other in English than in their local language, because they’re so different.
Bun Beo – 8: different.
Thinh: Even in, um, Vietnam, they also have different languages. Do you know that?
Niall: In Vietnam,
Thinh: yeah. Some minor issues. Uh, they live in Ha Giang or something.
Bun Beo – 8: Yeah,
Thinh: Same mountainous area from the north side.
Bun Beo – 8: They are my
Thinh: they, they are my neighborhood. And back in Dak Lak, they are my neighborhood. They, they look a little bit different, but they are a bit Oh, shit.
What a scene.
Niall: See, I told you I was gonna drop it. Sorry, I got some.
Bun Beo – 8: time. I added
Niall: some chili, now it’s super spicy. Which is good. I do this all the time, though. I tell myself I’m gonna It’s okay. Yeah, I end up adding too much.
Thinh: You must love Korean food.
Niall: I just like Korean food. I don’t love it. It’s super spicy.
It’s [00:22:00] mostly meat though. It’s like super meaty. Like it’s always with a Korean barbecue and things like that. I don’t eat that much meat. Like I don’t do barbecues. So I don’t eat much
Thinh: Korean food.
Bun Beo – 8: I’m a little
Thinh: For some real reason, Vietnamese, Vietnamese teenagers love Korean food. Like maybe it’s because of the K pop culture.
Alright,
Niall: three down. So delicious.
Bun Beo – 8: You
Niall: first brought me here a long time ago, right? So, Turd is my personal trainer. We’ve been working out together for over a year. And I know what you’re thinking, you’re looking at me going, He must be the shittest personal trainer in the world because he looks like shit. And it’s true, he is really bad.
No, I mean, so we laugh, and I posted it on other videos as well. You can [00:23:00] go back and see how skinny I used to be. I went from 63 kgs to I’m down to about 81 now. Eating on purpose, trying to lose some fat. I’d already, before I met Tun, been working out by myself for many years and increased my weight and increased my muscles, but
Bun Beo – 8: not sorry.
Niall: this has been the longest and the steadiest and it’s the best.
Because Joe, sometimes I don’t work out with you. Well, we work out three days a week and I work out five. I do a couple on my own and I’m like, I miss it. Oh, the other day, that was so funny. I was like, I’m going to increase my weight on the biceps. And then we did biceps together and he shows me the correct form of how to do it.
The weight just instantly went back down. I was so dejected. I was like, oh. So he keeps me right with my form, which is great. It’s good but can be so dejecting sometimes. Yeah, I’ve increased my weight. So, but I guess my point is if we weren’t working out to get up, um, and when I have done it by myself in the past, I’ve probably just done it wrong.
And it’s good [00:24:00] to have Tim to keep me on the straight path, the straight and narrow. If only he could learn to use the stopwatch properly, then we’d be, we’d be soft.
Bun Beo – 8: back? Definitely come back.
Thinh: We should come back. We should come back. Come back. I’ve definitely come back. You’re finished already. Yeah. So Hungry
Niall: protein, I’ve noticed with Vietnamese people, man, you eat your food. The guy is come and going when I
Bun Beo – 8: Can I go
Niall: oh yeah, the guy
Bun Beo – 8: The guy behind me is
Niall: come and going. Yeah, I go out for like me one. It’s a big bowl of soup.
Takes me a long time. Ill take, I’ll just take my time as well and like just what happens just now people come in, get the food and go and I’m blink and I’m like. How did you just eat a massive bowl of pho?
Bun Beo – 8: pho?
Niall: Should we be ashamed about it?
Bun Beo – 8: I don’t think
Niall: I don’t think so, it’s just
Bun Beo – 8: There is a big girl. She [00:25:00] is my mother. My mother is not here. She is at home. My grandmother
Thinh: So it was like, um, so she basically, she’s uh, she go to Saigon in 2006. She learned to get to a university and she learn here until, and she doing, um, some office job as well until about
2017, she’s quit the job and opened this restaurant as well.
Bun Beo – 8: a restaurant. So,
Thinh: uh, there’s, there’s, when we first moved, uh, tried the dishes, uh, there’s this, her mom, uh, cooking the dish and then serve us as well and now I don’t see her, she, she now come back to, uh, her, um, hometown. Yeah, that’s right, for a living right now.
And, yeah, she just want to say, you know, office job is kind of boring for her. She just want to, done. I want to do some things on my own. Nice. Yeah. Nom, nom, nom. Delicious. Delicious. [00:26:00] Because
Ha: I really like it.
Thinh: Is it, is it, like Delicious? Like, is it very Does it make any difference? Make you feel like
that appropriate for your taste buds, is it?
Ha: Yeah, yeah. It’s
Thinh: delicious. Good?
So basically, uh,
Bun Beo – 8: First,
Thinh: first, the first menu was like, just only , right? Right. Just only me. And then more people come in and they say, you should open more, you should, you know, spread open, make menus more, you know, variables. And now they’ve got , which is something I don’t think you, you can taste it though. It’s the strong smells, um, is kind of similar to stream paint.
Bun Beo – 8: to street food. But, uh,
Thinh: It’s a little bit more about, it smells a little bit more fishy than shrimp paste. Um, and then they got, uh, Cơm Gà and then all the other stuff as well. It’s just coming up because more people just come in and say, Hey, open it more. You guys [00:27:00] doing good. And then,
Ha: yeah. Oh,
Thinh: then now they got pancake as well.
Bánh Xèo? Yeah, Bánh Xèo. Come back for Bánh Xèo. That’s one of my favorites. Oh, really?
Niall: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ha: 4 p.
Niall: m.
Ha: 4 p. m.,
Niall: start Phap Banh Xiu. Ok, we’ll be back tonight. No, no, no, but soon, we’ll come back to Phap Banh Xiu. That’s
Ha: right. We cook according to the traditional taste of Vietnam. This restaurant is close to the traditional taste of Vietnam,
Thinh: right?
No,
Ha: it’s not.
Thinh: In the past, when I opened this restaurant, it was in
Ha: the North of Vietnam. We cook according to the traditional taste of Vietnam. This is purple rice noodle.
Thinh: So, basically she, the first Mì Qung she sells was so like original, like nothing different with the one that they sell in, uh, in, uh, her hometown. But it’s [00:28:00] very, but most of what they got, it’s a little bit of controversy because most of it, the noodle itself. In here, they want it to dip in boiled water first before they gotta serve.
And, it’s made, she doesn’t like it, but then she have to, you know, cause it’s a business, right? So you have to adjust it, time by time, a little bit by little. And, now it’s just become what it is right now, and most people enjoy it. So it’s slightly different to
Niall: how it
Thinh: would
Niall: be
Thinh: made. Yeah, that’s right, that’s right, cause the main difference is the noodle itself.
Did they add more sugar for them here? Yeah. Sweeter. No. ? No. No, I don’t think so. Do they make it sweeter?
Bun Beo – 8: Uh, not even close to, but. They’re good. Um, no. No. It’s a 1. 00 bill. Oh, but I don’t know what flavor it is now. No, no, have Shumai, Quang noodles. already,
Thinh: so it doesn’t matter Has any change because the original one is, it’s already [00:29:00] sweet. It’s already sweet. It has a good amount of sweet already. If you want to be a little bit sweeter, you can add some toppings like, uh, you know, cha chews. Yeah, they can add some toppings like that and then it’s just gonna be a little bit more sweetness.
But, uh, normally people, if they don’t want that sweet, they just want the original flavors. They’re gonna have like chicken and then, uh, ribs. Yeah, so. It’s not gonna be that much of a change. Cool. Yeah. Well, I gotta eat my last one. Yeah, thank you. I ate too much. You can tell that I ate too much chili.
Ha: Uh, can you, can you open
Thinh: the, the YouTube channels that you have for, for her so she can subscribe?
Yeah, yeah, sure. Like right now? Yeah, right now. Yeah, right now. My phone is recording, [00:30:00] We tried new wine before.
Niall: Have I
Thinh: tried new wine? No. In this place. Oh, this
Niall: place. I was gonna say we’ve drive
Bun Beo – 8: me one together.
Niall: one together.
Thinh: Not here. Not here.
Ha: Banh Xeo, Nha Banh Xeo. going to try Banh Canh.
Thinh: So after 4pm? Yeah, after 4pm. 4pm. Alright, perfect? Yeah, that’s perfect.
Ha: Alright, The last one.
Thinh: so much.
Ha: Do
Thinh: you live in Quang Binh? No, I’m
Niall: Well, thank you for watching this video. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to Tan for being my translator and guide. As you heard, we’re going to be back here for Vy Quang and we’re going to be back here for Banh Xeo.
And if you do want to book a personal trainer in Saigon, then talk to Tan. Don’t show off your muscles. That’s not a good way to show off. You don’t have any. You’ve got to have muscles to show them off, man.
So embarrassing. I’m kidding, huh? No, he’s a good trainer. Check him out, Tan. Thanks for, uh, listening, watching, subscribing. I meant to say this at the beginning, right? I’m turning 42 this week, and I have the biggest zit [00:31:00] if you’re from the U.S Spot, if you’re from the UK, or plook if you’re from Scotland, I have the biggest plook on my face right now.
42 years old this week, and I’m still getting massive zits. So it turns out pretty well that I was sitting on this side, because you can’t actually see it. This is what happens when you get old, you still get acne. But anyway, remember, follow, subscribe, turn on notifications, do all that good thing, and let me know in the comments what you think of this video, and what’s your favorite Viennese food.
Cheers! Okay, that’s good. Gotta eat the rest of it now.
Thinh: Want some cheddar as well?