SQUARE - SEA - CRAB SPRING ROLL – LOVE AND SEA ESSENTIALS ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE FLAVOURFUL BAG

138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street (opposite Independence Palace), District 1, Ward Ben Nghe, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tel: 08-38279666 ; 08-38254979

Email: ngon138@saigonkhanhnguyen.vn

Website: www.ngon138.com.

Hai Phong sea-crab spring rolls are popular with both Vietnamese and foreigners. What makes it stand out among all Vietnamese spring roll varieties is the use of fresh crab meat for the stuffing and its unique square shape.

Sea-crab spring rolls may change a little from region to region to suit the local palate and the cook's technique. If you visit Ngon 138 restaurant at 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1, Saigon, you will have the chance to try a very scrumptious Hai Phong sea-crab spring roll that is different from what is served in other restaurants. The owner of this restaurant grew up in Hai Phong and has a passion for his local cuisine. The sea-crab spring rolls here have been created, tasted, and altered to make the perfect dish for customers. Besides all the necessary ingredients required for a proper dish such as fresh seafood and sweet crab meat -- which does not include the crust and is cut into moderate-sized pieces -- the restaurant adds some original ingredients to enhance its flavour. Besides, after being fried, the spring roll must have a crispy covering but soft stuffing. To make the roll more flavourful and delicious and give it a delightful golden brown cover, the rice sheet is dipped in a special batter before rolling. The size of the spring roll, the amount of boiling oil and the temperature of the oil must be balanced to give the rolls a soft inside and a crispy outside.

Fish sauce is traditionally made by Vietnamese; however, Chinese-style vinegar and chili sauce are popular in Hai Phong. The restaurant recipe has taken all of these elements into account. And the result is a sauce whose sour, sweet, and hot taste must not overwhelm the great savour of the spring rolls but bring out the sweetness and fragrance of the crab meat. This dish is served with raw vegetables. The sweetness of the seafood, the crispiness of its covering, the freshness and coolness of the vegetables and the sourness of sauce create a delightful explosion of flavours. "All feelings and thoughts are wrapped in this sea-crab spring roll," the owner of Ngon 138 restaurant says.

The talented American singer David C Murray chose Vietnam to develop his passion and talent for music. During his three years of living here, he has become very interested in this dish. He has travelled to many places and enjoyed many different spring rolls. But he is effusive in his praise for the dish at Ngon 138: "This is the best spring roll I have ever tasted!"