Sliced Pork and Spring Roll Noodle Bowl

So there I was, facing a serious decision. What meal should I talk about for my first real posting? Should I go to a New Orleans staple like Mother's, or should I be lazy and just have a kick-ass PB&J? Then I thought "You know what? It has been too long since I have eaten Vietnamese noodles". So I decided to ignore all of the poor boys around town and go for what has to be my favorite East Asian cuisine. It was not until after I had looked up how many Vietnamese restaurants are in NOLA that I realized that I was eating a staple of the city. It turns out that during the Vietnam War there were 5 waves of Vietnamese immigration into the United States starting in 1975. One of which was one of the largest relief efforts in United Nations history. But why come to New Orleans? As it so happened the city, and the entire state of Louisiana, was very active in welcoming refugees from the war. The large Catholic community and climate similar to their native land were also incentives the refugees. And as word spread that a large Vietnamese community was growing in New Orleans, more and more people arrived. Over the next few decades Vietnamese groceries and restaurants appeared and their popularity spread. Now there are many restaurants throughout the city that feature the cuisine.
And all of this history and preservation of culture was the reason that I had the Sliced Pork and Spring Roll Noodle Bowl sitting in font of me. I was lucky, I had arrived during the lunch hour which meant that my order also included a small soup. Now this soup was just the beginning of an absolutely wonderful meal. The thing that first appealed to me about this soup was the simplicity of it. It was just chicken broth with rice noodles and cabbage with cilantro and chives as garnish. That was it. A little something before the meal with just enough flavor and substance to to stave off hunger without filling you up. It satisfied you, but left you wanting more, which is where the noodle bowl came in. First of all, just look at that. It is a work of art, a sense of symmetry among all of that chaos. And then there was the FLAVOR! The main reason that I love Vietnamese food so much is that it plays with both light and intense flavors that somehow blend together perfectly. My first instinct was to taste the cut up spring roll, which was filled with a rich, earthy combination of vegetables, bean curd noodles (what my little brother calls cellophane noodles), and soy sauce all bundled up together in a crispy, crunchy wrap. Then, having poured the sweet, sour, and spicy side sauce all over the noodles so that they do not stick, I jumped right in. After trying a bite of noodle, wonderfully light and filling in case you were wondering, I could not resist taking a bite of that perfectly cooked pork. Oh, what a sensation! The pork had been grilled with spices right in the pan, creating a flavor filled crispy edge to the meat that had the perfect amount of give and chew. Having taken a few bites, I then discovered a surprise hidden underneath all of those noodles. There was a bed of shredded cabbage, carrots and cabbage that had been in a light vinegar brine. This provided just a hint of sour and salty elements to the dish. Having found all of the aspects of such an eclectic dish, I then spent the rest of the meal combining different combinations to find which flavors I liked best. This playful experimentation made me realize that the light aspects of the noodles and vegetables were absolutely delicious when combined with the heavy, intense flavors of the meat and spring roll. But the true miracle in that bowl is that no matter how strong the meat was, those light elements were able to shine through. It was a perfect balance of the flavors that was savory, sour, sweet, spicy, and yet was so light that I could clear my plate without even thinking about it. The heavy sauces of other cuisines, Italian marinara comes to mind, are all wonderful. But for the life of me, I always have to struggle to get through a full meal and clear my plate. (a rule I made for myself after working 4 years as a dishwasher). If I were to recommend this dish to anyone in particular, I would have to say that it is perfect for the Distracted Eater. For the person who can never finish a meal because they simply get bored with the flavor, this is the cuisine for you. Every time I took a bite of this meal full of its delightful little contradictions, I discovered a new experience in flavor that I had not noticed before. I left the table satisfied, full, and ready for more.