California Eats: My Khe

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

My Khe - San Jose

Vietnamese food has a lot more than Pho, and rice/noodle bowls. The menu at My Khe (no website, but here is the yelp link), a Central Vietnamese restaurant, proves that.

My go to dish here is Com Hen (Rice and baby clams), a dish traditionally made with mussels and leftover rice. This yummy bowl of clams, comes topped with finely sliced cabbage, green onion, crushed peanuts, sea weed, and a crispy rice cracker. Served along with a side of steamed white rice (or noodles on request), and a bowl of the yummiest, fishiest, and did I mention yummiest sauce.

The idea is the mix in the fish sauce (made with Vietnamese Fermented Shrimp Paste) to taste, break the rice cracker into bite sized pieces and enjoy the contrasting textures and flavors. Without rice, it is a light salad like meal, add rice and you have yet another texture for contrast and something that will last in your stomach till dinner time.

Fair warning though - do not underestimate the fishiness of the sauce. I suppose you could always use soy sauce instead, but I can guarantee you it just won't be as good.

Com Hen

If I scared you off com hen, there are a bunch of other things to try here! I am sure you have eaten, and enjoyed the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. Meet a close relative - Bahn Uot. Think of a slightly thicker rice paper wrapper, almost pancake like, wrapped around grilled pork, lettuce, green onions and served with house spam. If you ask me, this is far better than any spam I have ever had before!

Other must try's are the Banh Beo, little bowls of steamed rice flour topped with dried shrimp and fish sauce. A really yummy appetizer.

And since I started this post backwards, I suppose it makes sense that I end it with what to drink. On a hot day, there is almost nothing more refreshing that Soda Chanh (fresh lemon soda), or if you are in the mood for strong, sweet coffee, you can never go wrong with Ca Phe Sua Da (strong vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, over ice).