The historical interrelationships of Southeast Asian countries is fascinating, especially for those in the Indochina parts. Amazingly, they have each maintained such strong individual cultures and that is no more apparent than in the food. You see, after some time in Vietnam a few of us were tired of Vietnamese food. So, obviously we wanted a burger or a burrito or pizza? Right? Wrong. We went for Thai food at a place called Tuk Tuk.

The menu had everything written in Thai, English and Vietnamese, so it was easy to some ordering done and we began with Tao Hu Tord Sauce Makham. This was simply deep-fried tofu with lemongrass and tamarind. As you probably know, I am not the biggest tofu fan, but when it’s cooked right I am all about it. This stuff was done right, with a crispy exterior, a silky interior and a punch of lemongrass, pepper and tamarind on the outside.

For my main course I ordered the Gaem Phed Ped Confit, which was their red curry and came with duck confit, pineapple and lychee. Since I love all of those things, it probably goes without saying that I loved this dish. And the truth is that I really did. I ordered it with just the right amount of spiciness and the flavors paired perfectly with each other. The sauce was so good that I kept sipping it and gave a bunch to my eating companion who had ordered the weirdest version of massaman curry I had ever seen (it was almost like a dry dish).

Things ended with some classic Khaomeow Mamuang, or as I like to call it, Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Ice Cream. It was a perfect not-too-sweet way to end a meal.

And yet, while I enjoyed every aspect of my meal at Tuk Tuk, it is probably worth noting that this place does not adhere to the concept of bringing out food for an entire table at the same time. Certainly, I don’t expect that when I am abroad, but Tuk Tuk took this to an entirely new and frustrating level. Regardless, all is well that ends well and nobody left hungry or unhappy about the food itself. So, you know, if you are interested in breaking away from Vietnamese food in Ho Chi Minh City, Tuk Tuk will do the job.

You may recall that a few years back I paid a visit to Shanghai and had some of their stinky tofu (aka chou doufu in Mandarin). At that time it was pretty much the only variety of stinky tofu I really knew of because I had spent a year living in that city. Stinky tofu, however, seems to come in as many flavors as bread or pasta, with Taiwan claiming one of its own.

I tracked down Taiwanese stinky tofu at the Shilin Night Market in Taipei, which happens literally every night. It’s immediately apparent why the stinky tofu here is different from that of Shanghai. First off, you don’t smell if from nearly a mile away. This is probably due to a different fermentation process, but also because it is cooked by deep frying. It’s then tossed into a bag for eating purposes with a semi-sweet sauce, allowing the tofu to soak up the sauce flavor, while also changing the texture of the tofu.

The result is something entirely different, with a distinct sponge-like texture and more complex overall flavor than that of Shanghai. I can’t say which is better, especially considering how long it has been since I have had the Shanghai variety, but each is very distinct and absolutely worth trying. That may sound crazy coming from an unvegan, but I couldn’t be more confident in stating it.

Thanks to Jeff for the tip.

(via quarrygirl.com)