Unique… frog cooked in bamboo tube, frog tomyum

The owner, Ms. Dao Thuy Linh, shared that she was originally a chef and loved wearing an apron and cooking. Her time studying Restaurant and Hotel Management in Singapore helped her learn about frog porridge. "Before, I didn't even dare to eat frog meat, I was even afraid because it was green. But one time a friend invited me to eat frog porridge, I found the frog meat so sweet and delicious. From fear, I became addicted," she said.

Later, during her business trips and travels to China, she realized that people here eat frog meat as commonly as pork and chicken. For them, frog is a nutritious, familiar and necessary food. "Frog meat is white meat, often better for health than red meat. Vietnamese frog meat is firm, chewy, easy to digest, and tastes like both chicken and fish. If you care about nutrition, eating frog meat is very beneficial," she said.

Since then, she has started creating dozens of frog recipes, which have now become a collection of 50 different dishes, inspired by cuisines from around the world.

Khám phá ẩm thực độc đáo với món ếch tại nhà hàng việt nam - Ảnh 1. — Tom Yum sauce can't be found anywhere else but at Linh's shop.

The first dish I tried was frog tomyum. The frog thighs and breast were fried crispy, not in oil, when dipped in a bowl of golden Tomyum sauce, the flavor exploded. According to the owner, this sauce is not available anywhere else, not even in Thailand - the homeland of tomyum. Not as thin as the usual fish sauce, the tomyum sauce here is processed smoothly, blending with the frog meat, the sour and spicy taste is harmonious, slightly fatty but not greasy. Served with hot crispy bread, the dish is even more attractive.

The next dish is salted egg fried frog, which is the restaurant's bestseller. Basically, the frog meat is fried crispy, but the salted egg coating creates a salty, fatty taste. This dish is somewhat similar to tom yum frog, only different in flavor, but still impressive enough for diners.

Khám phá ẩm thực độc đáo với món ếch tại nhà hàng việt nam - Ảnh 2. — Baked Frog with Cheese - a surprising Asian-European fusion

But the baked frog with cheese was a real surprise. The golden melted cheese layer, underneath were pieces of pure white frog meat, the rich European flavor combined with the natural sweetness of Vietnamese frog meat created a surprising Asian-European combination. A dish that reminded me of a bold innovation, but very tasty.

Khám phá ẩm thực độc đáo với món ếch tại nhà hàng việt nam - Ảnh 3. — Frog cooked in bamboo tube with white rice is very delicious.

Finally, frog cooked in bamboo tubes, in my opinion, is the "masterpiece" of lunch. The sour taste of bamboo shoots, the spicy taste of chili, and the soft braised frog meat in bamboo tubes give off a fragrant aroma. The dish is reminiscent of Chinese cuisine, mixed with a bit of Northwest flavor. This dish goes very well with hot rice. The restaurant owner said that during a trip to China, she learned this cooking method and decided to turn it into her own frog dish. "If the musician composes the music, the chef creates the recipe," she said.

15 years ago, Ms. Linh opened a frog farm to proactively source raw materials. After that, she gave this job to farmers, both to reduce pressure and to focus on creating recipes. Now, her dream is to bring Vietnamese frogs back to Singapore. "Bring frogs back to the frog porridge capital of Asia?" "Frog meat in Singapore is not as firm as Vietnamese frog meat, I am confident that my frog dishes will conquer the taste of international diners," Ms. Linh replied.

Khám phá ẩm thực độc đáo với món ếch tại nhà hàng việt nam - Ảnh 4. — Frog restaurant in Xuan Hoa ward (HCMC) is full at noon

Bringing Vietnamese frogs to the "frog porridge capital of Asia", the bold idea of a woman who used to be afraid of frogs made me understand why her restaurant is always crowded. When cooking with passion, the dish is not just a dish, it also conveys the chef's feelings and desire to introduce Vietnamese cuisine to the world .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-la-ech-nau-ong-tre-ech-tomyum-185250923161228603.htm