Rice Paper
When Mousie suggested lunch at Rice Paper, I almost wanted to say no because I was so tired of Vietnamese food. I probably had more pho in the last 6 months than I've had in my entire life due to the large number of Vietnamese restaurants in Edmonton. I find that there is a lack of ethnic foods apart from Vietnamese and Indian cuisine. But in any case I'm glad I agreed to try Rice Paper because it showcases a popular dish that's NOT pho — rice paper wraps!
One order of rice paper wrap is more than enough for one person. I decided to get the grilled ground shrimp on sugar canes ($16.99) because I was curious as to what it looked like. The ground shrimp was grilled around a strip of sugar cane, so it absorbed some of the sweetness. The dish also included vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts and a sweet and sour dipping sauce.
I wasn't very successful in creating my first wrap. I found out that the rice paper would curl up if only one side is wet. And if it's left in the water for too long, it becomes mushy and breaks. Generally a few seconds is good enough.
A little bit of ground shrimp and vermicelli and veggies go into each wrap. The sugar cane has too many fibres to be eaten, but the sweet nectar can be enjoyed by chewing on it. Unfortunately there is no elegant way of eating this, so it ends up looking like something spit back out onto the plate.
My sloppy first attempt:
By the end of the meal, I still wasn't very good at it.
Making nice looking wraps takes practice. Even though the ones I made didn't look very pretty, I think the hands-on eating style is part of the cultural experience and it's a lot of fun. I enjoy the food here, so despite the mediocre service, I'll be back next time I have a craving for some rice paper wraps.
One order of rice paper wrap is more than enough for one person. I decided to get the grilled ground shrimp on sugar canes ($16.99) because I was curious as to what it looked like. The ground shrimp was grilled around a strip of sugar cane, so it absorbed some of the sweetness. The dish also included vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts and a sweet and sour dipping sauce.
I wasn't very successful in creating my first wrap. I found out that the rice paper would curl up if only one side is wet. And if it's left in the water for too long, it becomes mushy and breaks. Generally a few seconds is good enough.
A little bit of ground shrimp and vermicelli and veggies go into each wrap. The sugar cane has too many fibres to be eaten, but the sweet nectar can be enjoyed by chewing on it. Unfortunately there is no elegant way of eating this, so it ends up looking like something spit back out onto the plate.
My sloppy first attempt:
By the end of the meal, I still wasn't very good at it.
Making nice looking wraps takes practice. Even though the ones I made didn't look very pretty, I think the hands-on eating style is part of the cultural experience and it's a lot of fun. I enjoy the food here, so despite the mediocre service, I'll be back next time I have a craving for some rice paper wraps.
I make these at home all the time, they are yummy! Such a cool dining idea. I might get the family to roll their own too..
ReplyDeleteI never thought about making them at home before! Would be a bit challenging to grill the ground shrimp on sugar cane though, and I'm too lazy to prep all the ingredients. But I can imagine it'd be a great family activity.
ReplyDeleteYou've just given me an idea for lunches when it's hot out. =)
ReplyDeleteWish me better luck wrapping with rice paper!
Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll be better than me at making those wraps given all the cooking experience you've accumulated over the past few years :P
ahahaha. If I succeed, it'll be posted on the internet (probably FB). If I fail, no one will ever hear of this.............
ReplyDelete