In recent days, the food-loving community in Hanoi has been buzzing about a unique but controversial fusion dish - beef pearl milk tea noodles from a famous Taiwanese (Chinese) milk tea and noodle chain.
A bowl of noodles costs nearly 100,000 VND
Ms. Nguyen Hong Thu Trang (Ba Dinh, Hanoi) - a "fan" of pearl milk tea, tried milk tea noodles as soon as the dish was launched.
Spending 98,000 VND to try a bowl of noodles, Ms. Trang said that this is a reasonable price compared to dishes in the same segment. In return, diners get to experience a new and unique flavor.
According to the female customer's description, the beef pearl milk tea noodles have a rich flavor of beef, combined with the sweetness and slight astringency of tea, and the richness of milk.
The highlight of the dish is the plump beef. Ms. Trang shared: "The beef is tender and stewed without breaking the muscle fibers, and the most interesting thing is probably the chewy texture of the tapioca pearls."
Ms. Trang likens this flavor to creamy mushroom pasta, but with a thinner sauce and stronger tea flavor.
Although she doesn't like thick noodles, she still appreciates the creativity in the cuisine and considers it a worthwhile experience.
"For me, every new experience is valuable. Creativity in life is essential, especially in cuisine, when people today are gradually focusing on eating well and deliciously rather than eating to be full," she shared.
"Out of place" taste
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Duc Anh (Dong Da, Hanoi) - a regular customer of this milk tea brand, had a negative experience.
Anh Duc Anh enjoys a dish for 98,000 VND (including VAT), with a 20% discount if customers check-in on social networks.
"The overall flavor is not impressive or special," Duc Anh commented. "The noodles are not as disgusting as many people imagine, but they are disjointed and tasteless. The flavors of each ingredient do not really connect with each other."
Anh Duc Anh pointed out that milk tea is quite bland, with no clear taste of saltiness or sweetness, creating a feeling of both fullness and blandness when combined with beef noodle broth. He also said that black tapioca pearls are completely unsuitable for this salty dish.
Sharing the same opinion with Ms. Thu Trang, Mr. Duc Anh said that the quality of the beef is a big plus point of the dish. "The quantity of meat is quite large, each piece of beef shank is soft, rich and fragrant, probably thanks to being simmered with milk tea," he shared.
After finishing the beef, the male diner left the bowl of noodles because the rest of the dish was "very tasteless". He affirmed that he would not choose this dish next time if the restaurant did not change anything about the ingredients and preparation method.
"Fusion Food" trend
Although there is still much controversy surrounding the taste of the dish, both diners appreciate the spirit of creativity and innovation in cuisine.
Ms. Trang believes: "In cuisine, there is no such thing as good or bad, only suitable or not suitable." At the same time, she emphasizes the importance of trying new experiences.
Although Duc Anh was not satisfied with the dish this time, he still appreciated the milk tea company's openness. "The staff were very enthusiastic in introducing new dishes and even asked for customer feedback on the dish experience in a very open-minded manner," he said.
At the same time, he shared that this brand is inherently famous for two dishes: beef noodles and milk tea, so combining and creating the dish "beef milk tea noodles" is quite reasonable.
However, more adjustments and research are needed on the preparation method to achieve a balance of flavors. "If there is a new version of this milk tea noodle dish, I will definitely have the courage to try it again," commented the male diner.
The emerging beef bubble tea noodles are a prime example of the growing “Fusion Food” trend in modern Vietnamese cuisine. Despite its controversy, the dish has succeeded in attracting attention and creating a lively discussion about the limits of culinary creativity.
Previously, diners were buzzing about durian ramen, crocodile leg noodles, sea urchin noodles, ice cream cone ramen in Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan (China)...
