[Note from Frolic: Today, we welcome author Loan Le to the site today. She’s whipped up a delicious Valentine’s Day menu to go along with her debut novel, A Phở Love Story. Take it away, Loan!]
Growing up in my household, romance and love came in small gestures. Love was my mom spontaneously buying my dad new jeans from Costco. Love was my dad getting whatever my mom needed from the second fridge downstairs. (Yes, I said second.)
My young adult debut novel, A Phở Love Story, lingers on these tiny moments of love, and oftentimes, the characters communicate their affections best through food. My main characters, Linh and Bảo, have always been prohibited from speaking to each other since their families own rival restaurants, but they share their first real conversation over boba, a Taiwanese creation now embraced by many communities. In one scene, Linh’s mother lovingly gets her up in the morning by bribing her with bánh patê sô, a warm, savory, and flaky pastry. In another scene, a simple rice and soup meal symbolizes a peace offering between parent and child.
While there’s no go-to Vietnamese food for Valentine’s Day—in the way that some might associate fine Italian dining with romantic dates—Vietnamese cuisine can still comfort you and make you feel completely loved. From tasty sandwiches to desserts that sit sweetly on the tongue, here’s a sliver of Vietnamese cuisine that will make your Valentine’s Day date even more enjoyable.
Start your day with some light options. The following suggestions are ideal because they mostly require one hand, so you’d be free to hold your partner’s hand!
I can easily imagine my characters, Linh and Bảo, sitting in some secluded cafe just as dawn approaches, savoring bites of patê sô, or a French-influenced pastry stuffed with tender, moist chicken, crunchy water chestnuts, and chives.