VietnaMonAmour

This weekend I had my first experience eating Vietnamese food in Italy at VietnaMonAmour (Via Alessandro Pestalozza 7, 20131 Milan0- 02 70634614).  I am always a little bit skeptical about ethnic restaurants in Italy because I have found many of them to be over-priced with less than average food, but since this was recommended by one of our chefs I figured I’d give it a try.  Arriving at the restaurant I saw all the postings on the front door of the various food journals and awards that they have received over the years so I was feeling a little more hopeful upon entering.  We were seated in the “Winter Garden” of the restaurant where there were various plants, umbrellas and Vietnamese pictures setting the scene for our Vietnamese experience.  There was oriental music in the background and the heater blowing down on us, in a way making you feel like you were in a hot, humid outdoor climate, which wasn’t very pleasant.  The service (or lack there of) was quite slow, almost non-existent.  The waiters didn’t come and check on us so we ended up having to get their attention to ask for our menus and once again to order.  We started off the meal with a mixture of appetizers of various meat, vegetable and fish spring rolls and papaya and mango salads.  The rolls were really flavorful with a nice blend of spices that worked well with the dipping sauces but the salads were tasteless.  For the main course I ordered seared tuna in a passion fruit sauce with mixed vegetables.  The passion fruit sauce was literally half of a passion fruit spooned over the tuna.  The flavors didn’t blend well and the overall presentation of the dish wasn’t very appetizing.  That much said the other dishes ordered at my table were quite good:  chicken marinated in ginger and honey, orange flavored duck and curried pork were some of my favorites.  Since the restaurant stated in their menu that desserts are rare in Vietnamese cuisine I opted to pass on their options of Italian styled desserts mixed with Vietnamese ingredients.  As far as drinks go I did enjoy their selection of cocktails offering basic drinks adding “Vietnamese” ingredients: ginger mojitos, passion fruit martinis and spicy pepper gin lemons. On a scale of 1-10 I would give this restaurant a 6.  I personally didn’t enjoy my meal and the service wasn’t up to par, but the location is very welcoming and I think the restaurant has some potential in their menu.  It was a little pricy for what we got (40 Euros per person – cocktail, appetizers, main course, wine and coffee) but I might be willing to go back to try their 12 Euro lunch menu sometime. 

 

There’s A New Fashion Foodie in Town

Ciao everyone and welcome to my new blog!  A lot has changed in my life since starting Edible English but one thing has stayed the same over the past year…..my love and passion for food.  Seeing as I’m officially beginning a new chapter of my life I found it absolutely necessary to give my blog a make over as well. I have officially moved on from teaching English and have just celebrated my one year anniversary as a Floor Manager (in training) for one of Italy’s most “fashionable” department stores: La Rinascente in Milan.  Now don’t be confused…I don’t actually work in fashion…just in a fashion store.  On the top floor of this touristic shopping destination you will find the “Food Market” where you can come to eat, drink and buy some really top-notch (and sometimes pricy) food products and that’s where you can find me.  It has been a long, but rather smooth transition for me from working as a part-time English teacher to a full-time manager and I realize that I have adapted new loves and interests in the food world that I want to share with my readers.  I am still completely obsessed with the tradition and history behind Italian food products and culinary customs, but my interests are branching out to trendy food fads, gastronomic innovations, up-and-coming chefs and restaurants and the “what’s hot” (or not) in the world of food today.