He thoroughly enjoyed the dish without fear or hesitation, unlike some foreigners who do not like the shrimp paste's odd smell.

Choi Jongrak, a South Korean content creator, living in HCM City for over five years, has a YouTube channel which attracts over a million followers. In a recent video, Jongrak invited his foreign friend, Cody Jon, 22, a famous Australian singer and songwriter, to a restaurant in ThaoDien Ward, Thu Duc City, in HCM City to experience traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Jongrak introduced Cody to several familiar dishes often found in Vietnamese family meals, including rau muong xao toi (stir-fried rau muong (water spinach with garlic), ca phao (pickled eggplan)t, thit kho tau (Braised Pork Belly in Coconut Water), cha gio (spring rolls), and canh chua (sour soup).

The Australian diner eagerly tried rau muong xao toi first, commenting that it is good to dip in soya sauce.

Next, Cody tasted the sour soup and found it pleasing. "I've never tasted anything like this before. It's very delicious," Cody said.

The South Korean YouTuber said in Korea, people rarely cook soups with pineapple and tomatoes, so the concept of Vietnamese sour soup initially surprised him. He admitted that at first, he did not want to try sour soup. 

“However, I found the soup very good after trying it. For me, it is now one of the most delicious dishes in Vietnam,” he said.

In addition to stir-fried water spinach and sour soup, Cody tried hot rice with spring rolls and braised pork. "It's been a while since I've had such a delicious meal."

Cody revealed that due to his busy schedule, he seldom eats well and usually resorts to fast food. Thus, traditional Vietnamese meals have impressed him with their fresh and appealing flavors.

Seeing Cody’s excitement, Jongrak said the dishes they had tried are very popular in Vietnam.

Jongrak decided to challenge Cody with a more niche Vietnamese dish: pickled eggplant dipped in fermented shrimp paste.

He warned that the smell may be unpleasant, but affirmed that the taste is good.

Cody took a piece of eggplant, dipped it in the shrimp paste, and ate it with rice. He described the taste as odd yet acceptable.

"This sauce makes the eggplant taste even better," Cody said.

Thao Trinh