Beef and Mustard Greens Wrapped in Rice Paper

On our last night in Saigon, we had no definite plans about what nor where to eat. We started packing, double wrapping ceramics in paper and plastic, and making sure they were cradled between soft items. Then, we zipped the bags, put on our pants and shoes, and left the apartment just as the sun was starting to set.

A day earlier, we caught a glimpse of what looked like an open air food court a couple of streets from the apartment and we agreed to make time to take a closer look before flying back home. And so, we did. But we didn’t like what we saw. Apparently, it was an establishment ruled by beer and all kinds of grilled food that are good with beer.

We walked past it, glancing at restaurants and eateries along the way. Then, recalling driving through Pasteur Street days before and noticing the many interesting-looking restaurants and cafes, we decided to try and locate Pasteur Street.

We turned left, we turned right… had we walked farther, we would have reached Pasteur Street. But we passed a narrow restaurant with a copy of its menu displayed prominently out front. There really was no need to walk farther. We went in.

The place is called Wrap&Roll. There were so many items on the menu that we were tempted to order but, knowing it would have been impossible to finish all of them, we settled for a platter with sliced beef, rolls, sticky dumplings and grilled shrimp on lemongrass. There were vegetables and herbs on the side and, on a separate plate, rice paper and noodles.

Because we had been instructed well on how to eat wrap-and-roll style Vietnamese food, we knew exactly what to do. Wet the rice paper, place the vegetables and noodles on it, add the rolls or meat, wrap and roll, dip in sauce and bite. We loved it. The food, how we ate them and the fact that when we ran out of vegetables and herbs, we were given more at no extra charge.

Meanwhile, at a table across the aisle, a middle-aged white woman ordered rolls, and ate them leaving the vegetables, herbs, rice paper and noodles untouched. Too bad. She missed the best part of the wrap-and-roll food experience.

Days later, at home, Alex and I tried to recreate the wrap-and-roll experience. I simmered a slab of beef brisket, sliced the meat thinly then used the beef as the focal point of our rolls. It’s similar to one of the rolls we had at Wrap&Roll but, for convenience, instead of serving the vegetables, herbs and rice paper on the side, Alex formed the rolls so that all we had to do was dip them in sauce and eat.

If you want to make something similar, here’s an illustration.