Vietnamese spring rolls at Koh Phangan – at Beach Garden restaurant
A few months ago, I told you about the Beach Garden restaurant which I really love. We go there once or twice a week because not only is the food good, but the ingredients are top-notch and simply the best in the world.
The big boss, Jérémie, always picks the best possible ingredients: pepper from Cambodia, olive oil from Greece… nothing is left to chance.
Over time, we became friends, and when I started complaining about the lack of Vietnamese restaurants on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, I had an idea: what if I gave him the recipe for Vietnamese spring rolls? It came from a very selfish desire: that way, I’d have a place to eat spring rolls whenever I want 😀 ahahahah
A big fan of spring rolls himself, the chef was enthusiastic and on board with the idea. I gave him the list of ingredients, and because of Covid, it took ages to gather the best ingredients in the world.
Test & learn
Before that, I had to test the recipe at home first to make sure I had the right one. I had to call my mom several times because cooking for yourself is not the same as serving a dish in a restaurant. She had to give me the exact quantity and the exact order for mixing the ingredients for the sauce. On my end, I also had to test all the rice paper wrappers available on Koh Phangan to choose the one that suited me best.
The first attempt was passable — pretty decent for homemade.
I offered three to the hotel ladies. They were super happy and thought it was delicious. They weren’t golden enough for my taste, but they were good, and that’s what matters!
The second attempt was the one: the spring rolls were nicely golden and crispy just right.
From family cooking to restaurant
The big day arrived. This time, I cooked with the chef’s quality ingredients: organic pork, Vietnamese nước mắm, Cambodian pepper, organic vinegar… and with a team of 4 people. The meat was minced on site, the pepper was ground on site… I discovered a whole bunch of techniques and professional machines I had never seen before. Frying, prep, organization, and hygiene techniques…
We tasted the first spring rolls with great excitement. They were really, really good!
The difference in taste between a store-bought wrapper and sauce — which I made at home — vs. the chef’s quality ingredients was undeniable! We tested two types of wrappers, and the one that was eliminated really had no flavor. Same for the sauce made with supermarket ingredients.
For the first time, I had proof right in front of my eyes that the recipe isn’t enough; the priority is the ingredients!
Since then, Vietnamese spring rolls are on the menu. You can now eat real Vietnamese spring rolls (Hanoi recipe) on Koh Phangan!
The chef has improved the recipe to please those who don’t eat pork: spring rolls with chicken, duck, and beef. The traditional Vietnamese recipe is pork & shrimp spring rolls, but you’re free to try and eat whatever you want. Each portion contains 3 spring rolls and a bit of vermicelli.
From left to right: pork & shrimp spring rolls, duck spring rolls, beef spring rolls. Since then, the chef has been able to import Vietnamese wrappers. The spring rolls are even crispier. A must-try!
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