Hu Tieu Go, Hu Tieu Nam Vang, or Hu Tieu Mi are dishes that are very familiar to Saigonese. However, few people know that Hu Tieu Satay Deer is also a delicious version with a completely different flavor.
Hu Tieu Satay Deer is a familiar dish of the Chinese community in Vietnam. From the traditional Hu Tieu version, the maker skillfully transforms both the ingredients and the preparation method to create a unique, impressive flavor that is not inferior to other types of Hu Tieu.
The broth of Hu Tieu Satay Deer is cooked from more than 30 different ingredients and spices such as coconut milk, five-spice powder, onions, garlic, chili, various Chinese medicinal herbs... and especially satay for a fragrant, mildly spicy flavor. The broth has a thick, quite dense consistency.
Unlike Hu Tieu Nam Vang, the noodles of Hu Tieu Satay Deer are soft, fresh, and smooth, similar to pho noodles or banh da in the North. Some restaurants serve soft or chewy noodles upon customer request. When eating, diners will feel the characteristic richness of coconut milk, the mild spiciness of satay, and each noodle strand soaked in spices.
Especially, the topping of this Hu Tieu dish is fresh deer meat. The deer meat is skillfully processed and marinated with rich spices, so it no longer has a gamey smell, is chewy, and very appetizing. Deer meat is usually bought from free-range farms, not wild deer, priced at 370,000 VND/kg.
To make the Hu Tieu Satay Deer dish perfectly delicious, the broth pot is always kept hot and boiling. This way, when poured over the noodles, they become soft and smooth, the deer meat is hot and does not have a "gamey" smell. Additionally, diners are also served a bowl of dipping sauce with galangal, lemongrass, chili, and black bean sauce... to dip the deer meat for a richer flavor.
Some places selling Hu Tieu Deer in Ho Chi Minh City that diners can refer to are Hu Tieu Satay Deer To Ky (Go Cong Street, District 5), Hu Tieu Deer 192 (Van Kiep Street, Binh Thanh District), Hu Tieu Deer Ong Le (An Duong Vuong Street, District 5).
With quality ingredients, Hu Tieu Satay Deer usually costs more than other types of Hu Tieu, about 70,000 - 85,000 VND/bowl. However, this dish still attracts many diners to experience it because of its unique, appealing flavor.
