It’s been just about a year since my trip to Vietnam. With friends there, I think of it often. And fondly. I haven’t tried any more Vietnamese recipes since moving to Vancouver, but I haven’t much tried any recipes, really. Vancouver’s dining options make it so easy for me not to cook. Especially when so many of the options are so good.
But anyway, back to my story. The grey of Vancouver is like the cold of Edmonton. It gets to you in January and you long for something else. Like Vietnam in February. I’ve had some bare bones Vietnamese here—dodgy pho et al—like I got at home. But, what I’ve been craving to wash away the Vancouver grey is the colour and perfume of the fresh food that embraced you every day on the streets of Vietnam.
I caught a little whiff of that tonight when at Chau Kitchen and Bar. Although not really “authentic” Vietnamese, I could taste Vietnam. I liked what I tasted. A lot.
Two of us shared four dishes: papaya salad, pork and mint salad rolls, jungle vegetable curry, and caramel pork.
I will order all again and have a number of other dishes I would like to try. The pork was almost the same as the version I had when in the Mekong Delta.
Thanks to Chau, I can happily say ciao to January.
(I’m sorry, I had to.)
Along the Mekong.
Chau Kitchen and Bar
1500 Robson St
Vancouver
