From the Vietnamese kitchens of casual gastronomes comes the first in the series of nerdy good eats: my pseudo-all-time fave greeny treat.
All right, that's a lie and a half. Coz this candy-colored confection of a salad is as un-green as they come. The mussed-up array of reds and pinks is done with such aplomb that it almost looks like sin.
As much as I want to say that this is a health dish, the truth is that it's not. Coz nestled underneath all that shredded kani is really mostly water. Specifically, I believe the biological term would be cucumber. Now I don't usually like cucumber; I don't think they provide enough taste to make you forget how oddly damp to the tongue they feel inside your mouth. But in this dish, sliced thin and stiff, they work.
The dish has a smattering of nuts on it, a bed of shredded carrots sitting just beneath the kani, some onions for that snippy kick, and, as if to validate its salad-ness, some lettuce to balance out all that fusion of corals.
So far, I'm going on and on about color and placement, which might lead one to infer that I'm all about the looks. The truth of the matter is, the visuals matter as much as the taste. Well, okay, just almost. I'm not sure about the Vietnamese, but Asian cuisines such as the Japanese and the Korean are nuts about color, and they have a set of standard colors that determine the construction of a well-made dish. For such cultures, the visuals enhance the sense of anticipation of the meal and ultimately contribute to its appreciation. For the Koreans, it's more than a toast to epicurean living. Deriving from the principles of feng shui, they believe that the harmony of colors in the food they eat brings about good fortune and health. This might very well be true, as many foodies regard Korean cuisine as among the healthiest in the world.
So before I veer off further into the quasi-unrelated unknown, let me get back to the all-important factor that led me to write about this here flamboyant-looking salad: Do I like it? Well. There's nothing to dislike about this dish. Now you ask, so what is it then really? To break it down for you in three words: Sweet. Tart. Succulent. Of course, the last one is coz of the pomelo slices, not the paltry shrimp bits, which is actually my only complaint. But that minor injustice doesn't really matter, coz overall it's A-okay. The flavors meld together ever so prettily, like a tart-flavored cotton candy sky. For me, the secret lies really in the vinaigrette. I think it's what gets the job done. It's just so right. Plus, you never run of of it, seriously!
I'm telling you, this is a dessert masquerading as a main dish. (And I'm not talking about the inclusion of fruits in a supposedly simple meal.) Now you might think I'm mixing up my appetizers with my main courses. But you see, I don't believe in appetizers, which is why I keep referring to salads as main courses, what-have-you. Although, of course, salads can only go so far in the "gas-filling" department. More likely than not, your tank might feel a little like "gas empty" again in a couple of hours (if you're anything like me). So to help counteract that possible effect without having to cancel out the benefits of a painlessly healthy meal, might I suggest that you fill up with loads of water, or a pandan-flavored green tea drink, or a sugar-free iced tea from the nearby Wendy's. Whatever floats your boat, it's all good. Let me tell you, salad days like this have never been so refreshing. Enjoy!
Pomelo Shrimp Salad (Php174)
Pho Hoa Vietnamese Noodle House
No comments:
Post a Comment