Appetizers That Transport Diners to A Tropical Paradise

Whether you’re enjoying any combo at a restaurant, food festival, or in the comfort of your own home, you want a balance of flavours, textures, and diverse cultural influences to wow your experience and take you somewhere pleasant and unforgettable. Pho Anh Vu restaurant’s most popular appetizer combo – mango salad with grilled shrimp and chicken wings in fish sauce – will transport you to a tropical resort.

Mango Salad with Grilled Shrimp

There’s nothing quite as refreshing and satisfying as a plate of mango salad. Bursting with vibrant colours, flavours, and a perfect blend of sweet and tangy, mango salad is a culinary dish that transcends borders and is loved by people worldwide. Mango salad traces its roots to Southeast Asia, where mangoes have been cultivated for over 4,000 years. There are over 1,000 different varieties of mangoes grown around the world.

Mango salad is a popular staple in countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines. It evolved to celebrate the abundance of mangoes during the summer months, but here in the GTA, we can have fresh and delicious mangoes imported from Asia, even during the cool months. Pho Anh Vu restaurant’s mango salad is made with tender grilled shrimp on the open flame, making this dish among diners’ top favorites.

PhoAnhVu-front-store-min
PhoAnhVu-front-store-min

Fish Sauce Fried Chicken Wings with Sticky Rice

This mouth-watering dish can trace its origins to Vietnam, where fish sauce, known locally as “nuoc mam,” is an essential ingredient in many dishes. This unique sauce can trace its origins to ancient Southeast Asia, particularly in the region that is now modern-day Vietnam. Historians believe that fish sauce was first created by the ancient Cham people who inhabited parts of present-day Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. These early fish sauces were likely simpler in composition, made by fermenting fish with salt in earthenware pots or barrels. Vietnam is often considered the heartland of fish sauce production. Phu Quoc Island, in particular, became famous for its high-quality fish sauce due to its abundant supply of anchovies and favourable climate.

The combination of tender chicken wings, fried to perfection, with the bold flavours of fish sauce, garlic, and chilli creates a harmonious symphony of tastes that exemplifies the essence of Vietnamese cuisine. Pho Anh Vu restaurant serves freshly fried chicken wings with fragrant sticky rice, and this dish is made to order, so it’s always fresh, crispy and hot. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare this dish, so order this as soon as you are seated at your table while contemplating the main course selections.

These two most popular appetizers at Pho Anh Vu restaurant are a delightful and complementary combination when it comes to texture, flavours and colour contrast presentation. The sweet and tangy notes of mango salad beautifully contrast with the savoury, umami-rich flavours of chicken wings in fish sauce. Mango salad’s crisp vegetables and juicy mango chunks complement the crispy texture of chicken wings. This textural interplay adds depth to the taste buds. Mango salad’s refreshing qualities act as a palate cleanser between bites of the rich and flavorful chicken wings. It offers a moment of respite and balance during the meal. You get a blend of proteins, fresh vegetables, fruits, and various flavours, from sweet and sour to spicy and savoury.