I almost never cook for myself here in Da Nang and the main reasons for that are two-fold: Nobody and especially not me, has a good sized kitchen and 2, there is no way you are going to be able to make this food for cheaper than a restaurant is selling it for.
When it comes to delivery food, I like to focus on the shops with really small menus. If I log in to my food app and see a place that offers 3 things and 3 things only, I know those 3 things are good and they don't offer more things because they don't have to.
That is the case with Com Ga Gia Vinh Nguyen. Good luck remembering that one. I know i don't and the reason why I ordered it was just luck one day because if you type "rice" into a search in Asia, obviously about a million restaurants are going to pop up.
From the street this place doesn't look like much but then again, I have never actually eaten here. I just ordered one a whim because I like crispy pork belly and I also like the idea of getting a soup and fixins all included for $2. It's actually a bit under $2, delivered.
That's what you get for two bucks. The soup is in a bag of course and some people might eat that on the side. For me, since I like wet food I just pour it all in the same container because the flavors are so good together.
I've been told that this sort of pork belly is actually very difficult to make and takes a long time. I guess this place specializes in this though and they must have a massive prep area where they make just that because like I said, their menu starts with this item, then has a few chicken and rice options and then that is it. Nothing else on offer.
I love this: Either order what we are good at or fuck off to some other restaurant. It is true what they say about places with huge menus and that is that they don't really know how to make any of it very well. I get frustrated when I go into a place and there is a 25 page menu. It's too much to look at and there is no way they know how to cook all of that properly. You always end up disappointed.
All tiny shops tend to have small menus here in Da Nang and the rest of South East Asia that I have visited and the places with enormous menus tend to cater to foreigners and I think everyone knows, including their customers, that this is pretty run of the mill or even crap version of food.
My pupper will stare at me the entire time I am sucking this down, which takes me about 10 minutes depending on how good the film or TV show that I put on is. I never end up finishing those films or TV shows. I have an objective to eat, and that is it.
With this extremely fat-heavy food though, Nadi doesn't get very much of it and this isn't just because I want it all for myself. I give her a tiny sliver of the pork (not the crispy part!) and then we go over to her eating area where she is just as delighted to receive a quarter portion of "Yum yums". The doctor recommended about 5 months ago that I stop giving Nadi big meals and instead give her 4-8 really small meals per day.
The doc has been correct. Nadi has dropped about 30% of her weight and I don't think she really knows the difference between a large amount of food and a small amount. She gobbles it all down regardless.
Of course I am no stranger to rice. Its been a staple of my dining existence for more than 20 years and I know that I need to get out there and do something active before the food coma sets in and before the fuel burns straight through my system.
That is one downside of a $2 lunch, you are going to be hungry again in just a few hours.
The good news is that we already have a plan for dinner. Steak and potatoes!
What can you get for $2 in your country?
