Che Chuoi Nuong, Nha Trang, Vietnam

After the spectacular nem nuong, I was craving something sweet to end off the meal. That's when I chanced upon the perfect cure for this craving. A streetside dessert vendor, boy oh boy, could my day get any better?

There are many streetside vendors scattered around the streets of Vietnam. This one was selling ceh chuoi nuong which translates to "grilled banana dessert". It's not really just a banana grilled straight but it's coated in glutinous rice before being wrapped in some banana leaves and then grilled over charcoal till the banana is soft and warm. It's then doused with an excellent sauce of coconut cream further thickened with sago and topped off with crunchy peanuts.

Despite eating at places far and wide and with large diversities in price ranges, somehow my most memorable and satisfying meals are always by the streets. Crouched over a dingy table, eating from a chipped porcelain plate.

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Nem Nuong, Nha Trang, Vietnam

Nha Trang is a seaside town about 450km from Ho Chi Minh. As a popular retreat for tourists and city dwellers, this place does get pretty touristy in some areas. Besides having some pretty excellent seafood, Nha Trang also has a particular store that does a kickass nem nuong (grilled pork sausage) and that's what I was here for.

With a crowd of so many locals, I knew this wouldn't be a wrong choice.

Nem Nuong tastes abit like a hybrid between a satay, kebab and Taiwan sausage. It's coated over a wooden stick and grilled over a charcoal flame. It tastes predominantly savory with a hint of sweetness. It's pretty tasty by itself but it's more commonly eaten as a rice paper wrap.

It's coupled together with some crispy bean skins, lettuce, herbs, cucumber, raw banana, raw mango and raw carambola (starfruit) slices.

It's then dipped in a tangy chilli fish sauce and inserted into a hungry mouth!

This place also serves bo luc lac which is a grilled beef dish that is commonly eaten with thick rice vermicelli. The slices here were well marinated but the cut of beef was just too slightly too tough. The nem nuong is what makes this place popular.

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