It doesn’t matter if I can see my breath or if I have beads of sweat rolling down my face; I always crave a big bowl of soup. I know, a gazpacho or cucumber soup are more practical for those scorching summer temperatures, but when I’m dining at Mai Lee, I’m ordering the Bun Dau Hu Rau Cai (aka No. 16 on the Vietnamese eatery’s expansive menu). No heat advisory is going to stop me from slurping this steamy soup of heavenly status.
Luscious broth simmers in a bowl filled with slivery strands of vermicelli noodles, silky tofu and a treasure trove of all those veggies, still crisp to the bite. Sugary snap peas, verdant broccoli, steamed mushrooms, piquant scallions, sprouts, bright baby corn, crunchy carrots and tangy cilantro fill the bowl with a beautiful color spectrum that screams summer. The rich, flavorful broth pairs perfectly with so many of Mai Lee’s endless meatless options and always hits the spot. I like to think of it as chicken soup for the vegetarian soul.
OK, so maybe a bowl of soup after a 95-degree day makes summer feel that much hotter and cooler temps seem that much further away, but that’s fine by me. I’ll have my soup – and eat it, too.
This article appears in July 2012.