Friendship brings Aussie Vietnamese resto to Manila
THE FADING signage of Tra Vinh in Banawe hides a story of good food and friendship that spans decades.
A visit by BusinessWorld earlier this month to the Vietnamese restaurant showed not much in terms of decor, the only interesting detail to note being conical Asian hats serving as lantern covers — blazers off for this restaurant, you’re better off in a Tshirt. We’d like to think that the casual atmosphere in the restaurant contributes to really savoring the food, for surprise, surprise; we think we’ve found one of the most delicate-tasting phos out there, as opposed to the more aggressive options other Vietnamese places in the country can offer.
BusinessWorld began the meal with Vietnamese spring rolls: wrapped in delicate rice paper, it bursts with fillings of herbs, vegetables, noodles, pork, and prawn, with very little space in the roll for a gasp of air. Despite its full texture, it’s remarkably light, paving the way for the combination beef pho and the raw beef pho.
The raw beef pho had lightly seared, lacy beef slices with ruby red centers, while the combination beef pho had meatballs, tripe, and slices of mediumrare beef. While the flavor of the beef is quite pronounced, its flavor sits in a class different from others, as it can’t be called aggressive, for its texture and taste is almost akin to dairy, like biting into more solid butter. The broth, meanwhile, is lightly and perfectly flavored, achieving a balance between the 16 herbs and spices used in its preparation. The noodles also had a perfect texture; slimy, messy, and fun to eat, yet still al dente, as if slyly waiting for you to praise its freshness.
Co- owners siblings Maria and Michael Ang attested to the ingredients’ quality by their being imported from Australia. According to Mr. Ang, the only thing they get locally is the sugar, while the beef is sourced from Australia and New Zealand, and the spices are sourced from either there, the Middle East, or Vietnam itself. While some might attest to the merits of sourcing locally (a slowly accumulating carbon footprint, for one, and the freshness of ingredients from a 45-minute drive away), the siblings both say, “The quality” makes the difference. Mr. Ang continued, “Even though it’s the same type of [cow] they have in Batangas, the way they feed them in Australia is different.”
Now, if the family concentrates on ingredients from Australia, that’s because they’re very familiar with the area. As former expatriates, they’ve only been back to the Philippines for four years.
Tra Vinh was originally an Australian restaurant and was brought here after the Angs struck up a friendship with the restaurant owner named Van Chien Ho. “It’s our favorite restaurant; we’ve been going there for over 20 years,” said Mr. Ang. Apparently, they met because the feng shui master Mr. Ho employed for his restaurant was the same one hired by the Ang family for their own home. According to Mr. Ang, Mr. Ho enjoys quite a reputation for his broth — located at the Australian West Coast, Vietnamese chefs from the East Coast go all the way there just to learn from him. This is Mr. Ho’s first venture outside Australia, and, according to Mr. Ang, Mr. Ho has been approached to open restaurants in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. The Angs formed a partnership with Mr. Ho, and the restaurant was built just around two years ago, though the Ang siblings’ mother had already approached Mr. Ho about bringing the restaurant to the Philippines as far back as 2003.
As for the Philippine restaurant, they have plans to open a second branch in Ayala Cloverleaf.
The story of Tra Vinh is one of diaspora: the spread of Vietnamese cuisine in the English-speaking world really began to kick off with the flight of Vietnamese families from the Vietnam War, and of the large number of Filipinos who live and work abroad. Tra Vinh, after all, is a province in Southern Vietnam, which explains the relative opulence of the food — Northern Vietnamese cuisine is a lot more subdued. On the other hand, there are the Angs, expats who came home. In these two different stories, they merge into a confluence that both end in a bowl of noodles, something you can find in most Asian countries.
When asked why Vietnamese cuisine fits into the Philippine palate, Mr. Ang, said: “Healthy, fresh, light — good for the weather.”
Tra Vinh is located in Unit 3, 109 NS Amoranto corner Cordillera Sts., Barangay Maharlika, Banawe, Quezon City.