TMG – Designed with a touch of traditional Indochina architecture, Le Longanier Restaurant in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang mainly serves traditional dishes of southern Vietnam.
Le Longanier is in Cai Be District, around 50 kilometers from My Tho, the capital city of Tien Giang Province.
The restaurant is a two-story villa modeled after a turn-of-the-century French colonial home, carrying Indochina-style architectural designs in combination with contemporary style of the Mekong Delta region.
The restaurant is named after a famous tropical fruit – the longan tree which can be found right on its premises.
The restaurant features arched entrances, vintage ceiling fans and doors painted in green, a traditional color of traditional French architecture.
The restaurant is only open for lunch and reservations should be made in advance.
Henry, a French tourist, said he stayed at a resort in Can Tho and booked a cruise tour to explore the Mekong Delta waterways before stopping at the restaurant.
“The food and service quality were very good. I would give it five-star rating,” he said.
The second floor of the restaurant is designed in a nostalgic style, with special details such as carved lanterns, a gramophone, an old telephone or wooden tables and chairs.
The female service staff wear white ao dai (traditional long Vietnamese dress).
Pham Huu Nghia, manager of the restaurant, said 80% of its customers are mainly Western tourists who book Victoria cruise tour from Can Tho to Cai Be Town in Tien Giang to explore the waterway life and floating markets as well as ancient houses.
The cruise tour will include a stop at Le Longanier Restaurant for guests to enjoy a lunch.
The most expensive menu served at the restaurant is called Rubis with prices of VND681,000 (US$28) per person, excluding drinks.
The appetizer of the Rubis menu is cha gio (fried spring rolls) placed on a pineapple.
Spring rolls are made by wrapping filling in clear rice paper wrappers. Depending on the region, the filling may have slightly different ingredients, but it normally includes ground pork, vegetables, wood ear mushrooms, and glass noodles.
The rolls are fried until golden and crispy and they’re often served wrapped with lettuce and herbs, with a dipping sweet and sour sauce.
Its signature dish is fried giant fish (elephant ear fish) wrapped with rice paper and herbs.
Fried elephant ear fish is a typical Vietnamese dish with origins in the Mekong Delta. The fish is fried deeply until crispy and fully cooked. It will then be placed upright on a dish and cut into serving pieces.
The fish is sometimes covered with toasted ground peanuts before serving. The crispy exterior of the fried elephant ear fish contrasts with the delicate meat inside.
At Le Longanier, the restaurant’s staff initially will place the fried fish on the table.
Then, they will tear the fish and roll it with rice paper and herbs before serving the rolls to guests.
In addition to fried elephant ear fish, the Rubis menu also includes pumpkin soup and braised meat in a clay pot.
A boat model with two baskets of rice is placed in front of the restaurant, highlighting Mekong Delta as Vietnam’s major agriculture hub.
In the past, boat is the main means of transport in the region.
After leaving the restaurant, guests can continue their river tour to a 173-year-old house on the banks of Phu An River, the home of eight generations of Ba Duc’s family, blending Vietnamese – Chinese – French architectural imprints of the late 19th century.
There are also two options to experience the riverway in Cai Be: Cai Be Princess or Song Xanh (Green River) boat.
Both types take visitors to visit ancient riverside houses, coconut candy-making factories, brick kilns, floating markets, enjoy regional fruits and have lunch at the Le Longainer restaurant.
Cai Be Princess boat (pictured) is only for two or more people on a day tour while Green River boat is for those wishing to stay on the river for two days and one night.
Source: VnExpress
