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Have you been anywhere exotic lately, Darlings? I have … I took a trip to Vietnam just the other day. Ok, I didn’t physically go there but it felt like I did when I tried out this scrumptious new menu at Hyatt Regency’s oneNINEone restaurant. It’s part of a week where they celebrate the unique food and flavours of Vietnam … so, naturally, I just had to give their menu a try!
I love food! There, I said it – I would much rather indulge in a new menu offering at a restaurant than slave away at the gym. (A big thumbs up though to all the ladies who can do both!) Having said that, the thing I loved most about the Vietnamese-inspired menu at oneNINEone was the way the food was prepared and presented – everything looked so tasty and so … well … healthy!
Brenden (my fiancé, if you don’t know by now) and I weren’t exactly sure what to expect when we decided to go to oneNINEone for supper … but I’d like to think that I’m adventurous (when it comes to trying out certain menus anyway) so we just decided to go for it! Hyatt Regency flew in Vietnamese-born chefs Ma Khi Tan and Duong Bao San from Grand Hyatt Dubai’s WOX Asian Restaurant … so expect authenticity if you would like to try out this menu.
Firstly, we got to enjoy sourdough bread with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil … which was so good! Then, for starters, Brenden had the Goi Cuon Tom Thit (R70) – which is shrimp and minced pork spring roll (don’t worry, the menu does have the English names too) and I had the Goi Mien Salat Thit Xay Tom (shrimp and chicken glass noodle salad) which costs about R90. We both loved – and I mean LOVED – our starters! Both were fresh and light, and tasty!
For the mains, I went with seafood fried rice (Com Rang Hai San – R220) and Brenden went with the minced chicken roll and steamed rice cake (Banh Cuon Thit Ga – R160) – both of which were really filling (so go hungry!). We loved the influence of certain ingredients in the dishes – like different types of seafood as well as nuts. The desserts were heavily-centred around coconut – I had che Chuoi Tran Chau (banana sago and coconut cream – R60) while Brenden went with che Cu Nang Cot Dua (also known as water chestnut dumpling and iced coconut milk – R60). The desserts weren’t excessively sweet and had a unique and really simple taste to them, which I think is a nice way to end off a meal.
It’s important to note that oneNINEone’s Vietnamese week runs from 3 to 12 September, which means that you need to book your place ASAP if you want to try out the menu. There will also be a specialty buffet on 12 September at a price of R340 per person so now you can really take you taste buds on a journey. Enjoy!
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