Rating: 
Summary: A disappointed Fan
Review: Another cookbook without pictures! I saw this book in the store, but didn't want to get it. I have been going to the Lemongrass Restaurant in Sacramento for the past 3 years. The last time was about 2 months ago. Big disappointment. The food looked good but the taste wasn't Vietnamese or Thai at all (I am Vietnamese). It looked more European. Wonder what she was trying to do? We were not happy with the whole dinner. We decided not to return to the restaurant. I have her first book but haven't used it the past 2 years. For someone who is popular in the Bay Area should do a lot better! I think her cooking is overrated from the SF Chronicle.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is wonderful
Review: From the photos to the stories to the food and the recipes themselves, this is a wonderful cookbook. I have a tattered and torn copy of Mai's first book, The Best of Vietnamese & Thai Cooking, from which I've made many a memorable meal for family and friends. In the years to come this new book will see just as much use.
Rating:
Summary: Loving it!
Review: Having traveled to Vietnam, I was so happy to pick up a copy of Pleasures of
the Vietnamese Table. I fell in love with the country and the food, and
this book provides a wonderful way to relive my experiences. I've only
cooked a few recipes but can tell you they're simple and utterly delicious -
just the way I remembered it! The author also gives great insight into the
recipes (check out her chapter on the Vietnamese beef noodle soup - pho) and
the stories she writes are heartwarming (especially the story about her
102-year-old grandmother). After reading this book cover to cover, I feel
like I can have a good grasp of the cuisine and even think I know the
author!This is truly a special cookbook. If you're planning trip to Vietnam, or
just want to learn how to cook this fabulous cuisine, this book is
definitely a must.
Rating: 
Summary: over rated
Review: I find this cookbook highly over rated. Frankly, I am not interested in the author's personal stories, which had been mentioned over and over already in her first cookbook. Her recipes require too many ingredients, most of them are not easy to find. In short, I don't find this cookbook useful at all.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: I have to admit that I am biased in favor of this book, we know the author personally and have been dining at Lemon Grass since it opened in 1988. The book, as noted by almost all reviewers is a wonderful collection of recipes combined with beautiful pictures and stories. I am writing this review to respond to the "review" of TL from San Francisco. TL's review was not a review of the book, but sounded like the whining of a jealous individual. Every review recognizes the wonderful pictures; TL contends there are none; TL states they have been dining at the restaurant for three years; but has not looked at the author's first book for two years; why were they going if they did not like the food? None of TL's review rings true and it is a disservice to the author and this book to have the review posted.
Rating:
Summary: Oustanding Cookbook, very authentic - excellent reference
Review: I just recieved this book today as a gift and have already read it from cover to cover. Each dish is explained in simple terms with the history and customs added for interest. It is clear that Mai Pham knows her stuff! I will be back to write more after I sample some of the truly scrumptuous looking dishes she offers !
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed!
Review: I must admit, I really like Mai Pham's first cookbook "the best of Vietnamese and Thai cooking." So the minute I saw "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table"I bought a copy right away. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed with this one. Besides the culture and history aspects, which I am not looking for mainly in a cookbook, I find her recipes in this book too tedious and complicated. Furthermore, I tried two recipes (Hue beef vermicelli soup and tofu, tomato and chile soup)and both did not even taste too good. I decided to give the book to my friend, a great fan of Vietnamese food. She returned the book to me after two weeks because she cannot find half the ingredients called for in the book. Since my friend and I are not hardcores when it comes to "authentic" ethnic foods, this book is definitely not for people like us.
Rating:
Summary: Definitive, authentic, the real deal
Review: I was skeptical when I saw this book but after reading the recipes and trying many of them, I can say that, as a Vietnamese person, the recipes are truly authentic. They're what you would expect to eat if you spent time in Vietnam. Also, the sections that give historical and culinary background information are great! If you only had one Vietnamese cookbook, this would be the one.
Rating:
Summary: The most authentic Vietnamese cookbook available today.
Review: I'm Vietnamese, and I've been looking for an authentic Vietnamese cookbook for a long time. "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" contains deliciously authentic recipes that could be duplicated at home. This book also has lots of great background information regarding each recipe. Other people complain that this book has no pictures of the food, but I really don't need the pictures because I've grown up eating the same food, so I know what they should look like. If you need pictures of the food, then I suggest Nicole Routhier's "The Foods of Vietnam", which has beautiful pictures of the foods. I find that Nicole Routhier's recipes are just a little bit more elaborate than Mai Pham's recipes, so I prefer to cook using Mai Pham's book. If you know Vietnamese food well enough, you could leave some ingredients out of Nicole Routhier's recipes, and they will still taste delicious. For example, Nicole Routhier uses milk to make fresh coconut milk, but Mai Pham uses water instead. I think using water to make coconut milk is simpler and also more authentic. I recommend Mai Pham's "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" for anyone interested in cooking authentic Vietnamese food. I also recommend Nicole Routhier's "The Foods of Vietnam" for its beautiful photographs of the food and also for many of its recipes. You can't go wrong buying these two books, and I do think you need both books in order to have a complete understanding of Vietnamese cuisine.
Rating:
Summary: The most authentic Vietnamese cookbook available today.
Review: I'm Vietnamese, and I've been looking for an authentic Vietnamese cookbook for a long time. "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" contains deliciously authentic recipes that could be duplicated at home. This book also has lots of great background information regarding each recipe. Other people complain that this book has no pictures of the food, but I really don't need the pictures because I've grown up eating the same food, so I know what they should look like. If you need pictures of the food, then I suggest Nicole Routhier's "The Foods of Vietnam", which has beautiful pictures of the foods. I find that Nicole Routhier's recipes are just a little bit more elaborate than Mai Pham's recipes, so I prefer to cook using Mai Pham's book. If you know Vietnamese food well enough, you could leave some ingredients out of Nicole Routhier's recipes, and they will still taste delicious. For example, Nicole Routhier uses milk to make fresh coconut milk, but Mai Pham uses water instead. I think using water to make coconut milk is simpler and also more authentic. I recommend Mai Pham's "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" for anyone interested in cooking authentic Vietnamese food. I also recommend Nicole Routhier's "The Foods of Vietnam" for its beautiful photographs of the food and also for many of its recipes. You can't go wrong buying these two books, and I do think you need both books in order to have a complete understanding of Vietnamese cuisine.
|
