The Mekong Delta
Nine river mouths, floating markets, and the sweet-sour generosity of canh chua and claypot fish.
GốcFoundations·20 min·Beginner
Caramel SauceNước màu
Vietnamese caramel sauce — sugar taken past amber to bitter mahogany, the color and backbone of every kho. Stages by shade and smell, jarred for months.
PhởPhở & Noodle Soups·220 min·Intermediate
Hủ Tiếu Nam VangHủ tiếu Nam Vang
The Phnom Penh–style noodle soup of the Mekong world — clear pork-and-dried- seafood broth, chewy noodles, shrimp, quail eggs, and a slick of fried garlic oil.
BánhThe World of Bánh·70 min·Intermediate
Sizzling CrêpesBánh xèo
The south's giant turmeric-and-coconut crêpe, fried lacy-crisp around shrimp and pork, then torn, rolled in lettuce with herbs, and dragged through nước chấm.
KhoKho & the Claypot·60 min·Intermediate
Claypot Caramel FishCá kho tộ
Catfish braised in bittersweet nước màu caramel and fish sauce until the sauce turns mahogany — the Mekong Delta's claypot standard, saucepan route included.
KhoKho & the Claypot·50 min·Beginner
Sour Fish SoupCanh chua cá
The Mekong Delta's everyday sour soup — catfish simmered with tamarind, pineapple, and tomato, finished with rice-paddy herb and a spoonful of fried garlic.
UốngDrinks·20 min·Beginner
Iced Tamarind CoolerĐá me
Sweet-sour tamarind syrup shaken with ice and crowned with roasted peanuts — a Mekong Delta street drink built for the region's hottest afternoons.
ChèChè & Sweets·60 min·Advanced
Palm-Sugar Honeycomb CakeBánh bò thốt nốt
An Giang's amber steamed cake — rice flour and Khmer palm sugar risen with yeast into a bouncy, honeycombed crumb, sliced thin and eaten by hand.
GốcFoundations·30 min·Beginner
Kho Quẹt (Scrape-the-Pot Caramel Dip)Kho quẹt
A scarcity-era dip of caramel, fish sauce, pork fat, and pepper, cooked down thick enough to scrape from a claypot with blanched vegetables.
ChèChè & Sweets·40 min·Beginner
Banana-Coconut ChèChè chuối
Overripe bananas simmered in coconut milk and tapioca pearls until the fruit turns jammy — the Mekong Delta's warm, everyday chè, served hot or cold.
BánhThe World of Bánh·50 min·Beginner
Bánh Tằm Bì (Silkworm Noodles)Bánh tằm bì
Thick round rice noodles under shredded pork skin and rice powder, drenched in coconut cream and nước chấm — the delta's silkworm-shaped comfort plate.
KhoKho & the Claypot·75 min·Intermediate
Duck & Fermented-Tofu HotpotVịt nấu chao
Duck simmered in chao — fermented tofu — until the broth turns creamy and faintly funky, with taro to thicken it. The Mekong Delta's favorite hotpot.
GỏiRolls & Gỏi·50 min·Intermediate
Lotus-Stem SaladGỏi ngó sen tôm thịt
Shrimp and pork over shredded lotus rootlets, squeezed and dressed until every strand snaps — the Mekong Delta's crunchiest gỏi, jarred rootlets included.
NướngGrills & Lemongrass·40 min·Intermediate
Whole Field-Fire SnakeheadCá lóc nướng trui
The Mekong Delta's straw-fire fish, reproduced on a home grill — snakehead skewered whole and charred bare, no scaling, no seasoning, until it's done.
PhởPhở & Noodle Soups·95 min·Advanced
Bún MắmBún mắm
The Mekong Delta's darkest, most fearless noodle bowl — a fermented-fish broth rooted in Khmer prahok, loaded with pork, shrimp, and eggplant.
BánhThe World of Bánh·65 min·Intermediate
Bánh Cống (Sóc Trăng Shrimp Cakes)Bánh cống
Sóc Trăng's Khmer-rooted fried cake — mung bean, pork, and a whole shrimp cast in a mold and dropped into hot oil — wrapped in lettuce and herbs with nước chấm.