VietNom, the iconic Vietnamese restaurant known for its authentic Vietnamese cuisine, launched its newest outlet in the hotbed for restaurants - Assagao, a few months ago. The third outlet in the country it brings flavours of the beautiful Asian country to our state.
A week prior to taking off for Vietnam I thought the timing of visiting VietNom couldn't be better. It would give me a sneak peek into what's in store for me in this country that now has people from across the globe visiting. Inspired by the ancient city, the culture, and landscapes, including the poetic rives Hoai, as you enter VietNom it's a mix of adventure and relaxation. The interior incorporates a natural palette of bamboo, wood, straws, terracotta, and stucco texture, creating an atmosphere that is both warm and inviting.
With indoor and outdoor sitting available, we chose to sit outside overlooking the floating deck at the adjacent Bawrii, enjoying the calming music being played.
We were told to try out the cocktails. Divided into two distinct themes, guests can indulge in the GOAT selection, featuring cocktails dedicated to the greatest artists of all time, as well as the Vietnamese Signature collection, where each drink is inspired by indigenous ingredients of Vietnam. I tried the Van Gogh Effect, a gin-based cocktail. Another interesting one on the menu is The Old Man and The Sea. I hope to try it on my next visit.
The menu in the Assagao restaurant showcases the best of Vietnamese culinary traditions, offering a great array of dishes. Vietnamese food isn't just limited to the pho (flat rice noodles served with meat or vegetables). There's so much more from the salads and rolls to small plates and mains.
Vietnamese meals have been known for having a combination of five fundamental tastes that are sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. At VietNom, you get to choose your dish according to what suits your palate.
The rolls and salads are definitely worth trying. We tried the fresh prawn rolls that were mildly spiced and pan seared with bean sprouts. I also loved the pomelo and papaya salad that had some coconut, mango, fresh pomelo, and raw papaya tossed with fresh Vietnamese herbs and peanuts.
The delicate and crispy soft-shell crabs that come in pairs was mind blowing for being just simple and tasty. The accompanying dip elevated the taste. The lotus stem tossed in a sweet spicy Vietnamese sauce was a bit on the sweeter side, but we still wiped the plate clean.
Unfortunately there were no dim sums and baos available on the day we visited. So we flipped the menu to the pho section that has six options, five in non vegetarian including duck and pork. We opted for the pho with tenderloin and asked for a one by two. The flavours of the pho were so comforting, that I could have skipped everything else and just headed to bed after that.
For mains we were asked to try out the turmeric fish. A fillet of sole fish cooked in coconut cream, dill, red onion and served with steamed rice noodles was all you required to wake those senses up. The sweet potato filled renkon in chilli garlic tamarind sauce was an interesting dish here. The lotus stem here was filled with basil sweet potato mash cooked in a tangy chilli garlic sauce. Another noteworthy dish here is the coconut kaffir lime fried rice.
My friend and I decided to share the dessert and went with the pomelo mango sago. The chilled cream of mango with tapoica pearls, pomelo and vanilla ice cream was refreshing and perfect for the hot humid weather in Goa. The coffee basque cheesecake is another recommended dessert. All in all, this was a wonderful experience to understand the culture of a land and I was as always intrigued by the sauces and how it changes the modality of a dish. Besides this, the ambience, the décor, and the knowledge of the staff makes this an even more delightful experience for any diner.
VietNom definitely stands out as a well thought of and artistically designed space that lends homage to the breathtaking beauty of the Vietnamese countryside.