Fried Frog Legs at Chim Sao

June 14, 2010.  Hanoi, Vietnam. Thought Ha ordered pork. After unknowingly eating two fried frog legs, I tell Ha that it doesn't look like nor taste like pork but tastes like chicken.  I do think that I turn deaf when I'm hungry.  I didn't hear right when the orders were made.  Recall my Sri Lanka story.  It was my second time at Chim Sao.  This restaurant turned out to be a favorite of mine during this trip.  I like it better than Quan An Ngon.  Chim Sao, housed in a traditional Vietnamese structure, has two floors of seating.  On the first floor, you have tables and chairs.  Meanwhile the second floor evokes a more relaxed atmosphere as guests sit on cushions and food is served on low tables.  Too bad the a/c wasn't working all that well so it was pretty warm especially when you order a bowl of hot soup.



Wait, back to the fried frog legs.  Truthfully, it was actually tasty.  Similar to chicken but better.  The meat was crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.  The dish was served with fried onions and slivers of bird's eye chili.  I know that frog legs aren't all that peculiar for my dad.  I know it's served where he's from.  But well, it's not as if you can actually see this in your favorite grocery in Manila, right?

Shoes and slippers are not allowed on the second floor.  Just wished that the floors were cleaned a bit more.  I'm not an OC-type-of-person but I am quite particular with having clean floors especially when going barefoot.  Oh and I avoid going barefoot if I can.  This can be traced to my training as a child when my Lola Nena used to tell me that if I did not wear my slippers, the worms would somehow go through the soles of my feet and into my body. Yuck, right?! Ok, this may be too much info for you.

Back to the food.  For starters, we had sliced cucumber paired with a sweet, salty, spicy dip.

And a green mango salad.

Then stir fried chayote tops.

Finally, the star of the show, fried frog legs.

Go and visit Chim Sao.  It's worth the try, especially the fried frog legs.  I would go back...and it's not just because of the frog legs.  Food is good here!