--- product_id: 6830087 title: "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam's Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks" brand: "mai pham" price: "VT11735" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 12 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/6830087-pleasures-of-the-vietnamese-table-recipes-and-reminiscences-from-vietnams store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam's Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks **Brand:** mai pham **Price:** VT11735 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam's Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks by mai pham - **How much does it cost?** VT11735 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/6830087-pleasures-of-the-vietnamese-table-recipes-and-reminiscences-from-vietnams) ## Best For - mai pham enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted mai pham brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam's Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks ## Images ![Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam's Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71VGya42lRL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A good choice... *by J***L on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 12, 2001* This book works best for those who have access to very good asian markets and previous experience with Asian cooking otherwise, some of the recipes may be difficult to carry out since substitution of ingredients is not a very good option.Layout --the layout is done on a matte textured paper. The ingredient list is done in an orange-brown ink while instructions and other text is done in black ink. There are informational inset boxes such as, "cooking with claypots" and "how to enjoy pho at a restaurant". Pictures are more decorative and done in a sepia kind of black and white . There are brushstroke paintings of certain ingredients.I think it would have been better with color photos of ingredients and of the country but that is just my personal preference.Information --More detailed in its information of ingredients and it does a great service in that category. Now, if one is shopping for the various sald herbs listed in the book it may prove difficult since there are only brushstroke painting of said plants. A marked improvement is listing some brands of ingredients which makes shopping a whole lot easier. For even more detailed information on ingredients I highly recommendBruce Costs's book on Asian ingredients.Recipes --These recipes cannot be done without access to a good asian market and also a devotion of time. Pham has tried to provide recipes that will work in less time and with less fat but if you are going to do "down home" recipes you might as well devote the true amount of time needed otherwise it will taste not quite right. The recipes are in some instances more aggressive with the spicing than her previous book (5 spice chicken) and sometimes not (dipping sauces) . If you have her first book compare the recipes and see which one appeals to you more e.g., pho though there are many recipes that are not in her book it still behooves you to compare if possible.Style --The book is both a personal memoir and cookbook of recipes. It tries to provide both a pesonal and cultural context for the recipes. She did this previously in her last book but she goes to greater lengths in this one. For those who are not into personal information this is an annoying feature but for others it provides interesting reading.Caution --Many of the recipes listed are those found in markets and cafes and home so the quantity can be large or the amount of labor involved is more geared to a larger payoff of people helping and eating with you. Some recipes quite frankly, do not taste good unless cooked in quantity e.g., pho broth. If you live near good Vietnamese restauarants it might be better to buy the certain dishes than make them at home because of the time constraints. Also, if you are near Vietnamese stores you might have more convenience making some dishes with prepared items instead of making from scratch all the time.Overall, I liked the book and thought it a good addition to my collection. My main fear was that the recipes would be recycled from her earlier book but that was not the case.Get her first book if you are just starting on Vietnamese food and do not want too much robust or aggressive flavors and take this book for more background and experience. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great, well rounded cookbook *by L***O on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 4, 2013* I returned from my second trip to Vietnam with a hankering for pho that the local restaurant could not satisfy. After several hours of online research, I purchased this book, along with a pound of star anise and pho noodles at a local Asian grocery store. I made the quick chicken pho (someday I will have time for the traditional beef pho) and was really impressed with the delicate and balanced stock for a relatively easy and quick version of pho. Toasting the star anise and cloves, as well as charring onion and ginger, contribute beautifully to the flavor.I moved on to a few other soups - a beef noodle soup similar to pho, but with 5 spice powder. Really good. Then, the ramen noodle soup with crispy skin duck. I got 1/2 of a Pekin duck delivered from a local restaurant for this one, and it was SO good. I will make all of these again, but the quick chicken pho is my favorite so far.I've also tried the sweet potato curry, which is homey and nice for cold weather. I couldn't find Thai curry powder.The lemongrass tofu is excellent and now one of my favorite tofu recipes. Also, it looks beautiful.I am looking forward to making the street crepes and some of the salads.It's been a joy to peruse this book and it has inspired me to spend more time creating in the kitchen. Thank you. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent introduction *by U***E on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 26, 2014* I found this book to be an excellent introduction to Vietnamese cooking.I enjoy the author's vignettes about the history of and ways of enjoying the food / recipes, her family and the country. The recipes are accessible, clear and easy to create, especially for those without a lot of time and this also makes them easier to remember, freeing one from over reliance on the book when making the dishes later.Although there are no pictures of finished dishes, nor am I very familiar with how the finished dishes 'should' appear, I do not find this to be a detriment as it seems to be fitting for the particular style of cooking to allow one to add their own interpretation of the dishes. Also, one can always Google photos on the web for dishes, if desired. It seems too many modern cookbooks are chock full of full page pictures that have absolutely nothing to do with the recipes. Thankfully, Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table is not one of them. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/6830087-pleasures-of-the-vietnamese-table-recipes-and-reminiscences-from-vietnams](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/6830087-pleasures-of-the-vietnamese-table-recipes-and-reminiscences-from-vietnams) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-09*