vietnamese restuarant. what to order???

joliejolie123456
joliejolie123456 Posts: 60
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
hi everyone,
i'm going to a vietnamese restuarant tonight with some friends and i'm not sure what to go for.
last time i went for steamed veggies and prawns with boiled rice... but it was so bland. what sauces can i opt for that are not laden with calories? (they are a local independant restaurant so i cant check the calorie content online).
any help much appreciated. thanks!

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Pho!
  • scircle
    scircle Posts: 16 Member
    Pho, for sure. Or, "pho' sho'!"
    Oh dear, I can't believe I even said that.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    Haha! I eat Vietnamese every Friday night with my wife. It's our dinner date!

    1. PHO!!!!!!
    2. Lemon grass chicken with steamed rice!!!!
  • daniface
    daniface Posts: 338 Member
    PHO
  • daniface
    daniface Posts: 338 Member
    hahaha wow glad we all agree on that
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
    Load up the Sriracha.
    -wtk
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
    ..and just in case you didnt get the hint...pho...
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    It is all good just stay away for the amazing fried appetizers. MMmmMMm oh Wait pad thai or fried rice would be not to low cal or low fat. I always get grilled chicken on vermicelli with lettuce, mint carrots on the side. and their spring rolls are the best. :)
  • FitForeverAgain
    FitForeverAgain Posts: 330 Member
    I eat VN'ese once a week as well. My typical meal is an order of Goi Cuon (Fresh Spring Rolls), and an order of Pho Thai (Rare Beef Pho), with 1/2 the noodles, and extra broth. But BEWARE...if you are prone to bloating, the sodium content is a monster and you will know it in the morning. Steer clear of the brown sauce, and hit both with the fish sauce and / or the sriracha.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    BTW it's pronounce "FUH". Most people say "FO".
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
    Everyone else has beat me to it, but I'm going there anyway.

    PHO.
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    A little dog meat with noodles, HAAAA Just kidding like everyone else PHO, just watch out of the noodles if it comes with it. If you're not into tripe/stomach, make sure you order with regular cuts of meat. I'm not crazy about the meat balls, they put weird stuff in there, stick with the steak or chicken. Vietnamese pork chops are real good too, a little fatty, but really good! DON'T get a coffee, it's about 50% cream and sugar.

    - Mike
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Whatever you do, don't get pho.

    No, you should get pho.
  • If you want to eat clean, have them steam everything LOL.

    Seriously though, you gotta watch out for the sodium, fat and mostly "sugar" load in the sauces they use.

    Asian food can be a tricky deal sometimes, depending on your nutrition goals.

    Also, if they offer brown rice, I choose it and (I know it sounds crazy), I make my own clean dressings/sauces and bring them with me and use it on the steamed food. That way I know what is in it.

    Everytime I have tried to get away with eating their sauces, major water retention, headaches and lethargy. But thats just me, might not happen for you.
  • Carina116
    Carina116 Posts: 20 Member
    Pho & Shrimp Sping Rolls :] yum
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    A little dog meat with noodles, HAAAA Just kidding like everyone else PHO, just watch out of the noodles if it comes with it. If you're not into tripe/stomach, make sure you order with regular cuts of meat. I'm not crazy about the meat balls, they put weird stuff in there, stick with the steak or chicken. Vietnamese pork chops are real good too, a little fatty, but really good! DON'T get a coffee, it's about 50% cream and sugar.

    - Mike
    Tripe, tendon, Vietnamese meatballs make it the best!!!!!
  • Carina116
    Carina116 Posts: 20 Member
    Pho does tend to have a lot of sodium and some calories though! stick to a smaller bowl if your going to get an appetizer too.
  • haha pho is is then. thankyou everyone! much appreciated x
  • Everyone is giving great advice. My go to meal at my local Vietnamese place is a pork or chicken noodle salad without the noodles! They are very accomodating and make it for me. They compensate for the "no noodles" by adding more lettue and extra bean sprouts. Their meats are very nicely marinated and the spicy fish sauce they serve on the side are plenty to spice it up. So it's tasty, quite low in calories and even low in carbs (if you are watching those, too). The only bad side is that it is a little high in sodium (fish sauce), but it doesn't bother me much. I consume about a gallon of water a day, so I don't have much of a problem with sodium affecting my weight.

    Enjoy your Vietnamese...I think the hubby and I are actually going for Vietnamese ourselves tonight!
  • by the way i've got around 800 cals to spare today. will pho chicken be less than that do you think?
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    A beef broth based soup with vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, chili, basil, lime, onion, and your choice of meat.

    Or pho.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    by the way i've got around 800 cals to spare today. will pho chicken be less than that do you think?

    Depends on weather you get chicken or beef. I assume a normal size bowl of beef would be around that. Chicken would be less of course (round 4-500 maybe?)
  • Carina116
    Carina116 Posts: 20 Member
    by the way i've got around 800 cals to spare today. will pho chicken be less than that do you think?

    I know that the beef pho bowl is about 500 calories. not too sure about chicken.
  • i like vermicilli grilled pork and shrimp.....and of course you can never go wrong with Pho!
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