For an example of how to eat healthfully, simply and well every day, look to Vietnam for inspiration, says Mai Pham, chef-owner of Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, California. This Southeast Asian country has one of the leanest and freshest cuisines imaginable, based largely on fresh leafy salad greens, fresh herbs, rice or rice noodles and lean grilled or simmered protein.
In Mai’s restaurant, she layers rice noodles, herbs and lettuce in a bowl, then tops it with sizzling grilled shrimp or sliced pork and chopped peanuts and drizzles the sauce on top. In Vietnam, the same ingredients might come to the table in separate mounds. The diner tucks rice or noodles, herbs, peanuts and grilled meat into a lettuce-leaf wrap, then dips the savory package into nuoc cham, a dipping sauce. Cool and hot, crisp and soft, tart and sweet—all come together in these delicious wraps.
Excerpt from Restaurant Business Magazine’s November 2007 article, “Vietnam’s Lean Cuisine.” Reprinted with permission of Ideal Media, LLC.
