It has loads of character, an old two-storey shop-house beautifully decorated, along with changing art exhibitions and even a singing mynah bird. There is a choice of seating, upstairs around tea tables on cushions on the floor or downstairs on dark wood platform tables.
We met some great people on our Ha Long Bay tour and after three days of rather average food we were all in need of a decent feed so we returned to Chim Sao. The six of us were all up for the challenge of trying some of the more interesting items on the menu.
We started with tai lon muoi, salted pork ears with smoked and pickled bamboo shoots, trung bac thao 'one hundred years' egg , and nom ngo sen tom thit, lotus rootstock salad with shrimp.
Hats off to the guys - they all tried the pork ears and even had a few more slices after the first. Adam being the meat lover decided that there wasn't enough meat and it was just too much gristle to bother with but Steve and Adrian returned for seconds and thirds. I am not sure if they were really enjoying them, I am guessing it was probably more of a healthy male competitiveness.
The 'one hundred year old' eggs came out looking grey, covered in aspic and sliced into wedges with finely diced dried shrimp. They had an unpleasant fishy metallic after-taste, we were all quite unsure whether they were off or they were meant to taste like that.
The lotus rootstock salad was a hit, julienne of lotus rootstock ( it tastes like bamboo shoot, fresh and crunchy tossed with peanuts, sugar, lime, a little finely diced red chilli and tiny dried shrimp.
After the disappointment of the starters we were really hungry and all ideas of trying the more exotic species like tortoise cooked with green banana and tofu, frog or grilled fighting-cock slipped our minds.
Next on our menu was Vit tron khe - duck meat with green star-fruit, cu den tia luoc boiled red root and thit kho tau, pork caramel.
Slices of duck came tossed with julienne of carrot and red chilli, coriander, basil, slices of star-fruit, shallots and sprinkled with chopped peanuts. The starfruit works really well as it offsets the fattiness of the duck meat.
The boiled red root turned out to be boiled beetroot. A simple dish but excellent. It came in big, chunky wedges with a dipping side dish of crushed and blended sea salt, seaweed, black pepper, white and black sesame seeds and garlic.
The pork came out in a clay pot caramelised, all sticky and brown, they cook it in a fish sauce till tender, its salty but a perfect partner with sticky and steamed rice.
Some of our dishes didn't turn up and when asked we were informed that they didn't have it. So why didn't they tell us that when we ordered? It can be frustrating when you don't speak the local language.
We then tried to order some more pork caramel to replace the dishes that didn't show and we were refused and then I insisted with a promise that we would eat all the food. Eventually it turned up an hour after the rice.
I have heard a story that in some restaurants in Vietnam the waiters get charged for the food you don't eat, so sometimes they conveniently leave out a few dishes off your order or tell you they have sold out to discourage you from ordering too much.
We didn't finish two of the starters we ordered and in fact we had to ask them to remove the plates from the table. Vietnamese don't like to waste food. So perhaps our faux pas was to order food we may not like.
All in all we had 8 dishes between 6 people, we didn't get our feast but the food that we did get to eat, all of it was excellent. Do pay a visit here if you get the chance, its good food we payed $5 each including beers all night - just make sure you are prepared to eat it , pigs ears and all.
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