A Saucy Substitution Proves He's Worthy

What was clear as the two chefs marched through the menu's dishes was that lightness reigns supreme; there is no heavy reliance on oil as in, say, Chinese cooking. Balance of texture (crunchy, chewy, soft) and flavor (sweet, salty, sour, spicy) is critical.

Though a meal may include protein, it is not the central focus, as Bansal discovered while putting together the summer rolls. "They are really just salad and noodles rolled up in rice paper, aren't they?" she observed.

In the green papaya salad, a fruit took center stage, but in savory form.

"Most of the rest of the world doesn't use unripe papaya," Colletti said. "But the Vietnamese use what is available at the time, so one thing winds up being used for a sweet palate and a savory palate." The sweetness in that dish came from pineapple; a finishing crunch came from chopped peanuts and crisp fried onions, often used as a crowning garnish.

Herbs such as cilantro, rau ram (referred to as Vietnamese coriander or Vietnamese mint), rice paddy herb (citrusy and mildly cinnamony), Thai basil, mint and reedy, fragrant lemon grass abound in Vietnamese dishes.

So do powerful little green or red Thai bird chili peppers, which Mendelsohn said are spicy but not overwhelming. "They are really good for you," he said. "They clean your system out."

Considering that the country borders the sea for a 1,000-mile stretch, it makes sense that the main flavoring of Vietnamese cooking is nuoc mam, fish sauce obtained by fermenting salted anchovies. The sauce provides body and subtle saltiness rather than cloying fishiness, especially when it's the high-quality stuff. (Many food lovers recommend the Three Crabs brand.)

Accompanying most dishes is nuoc cham, a dipping sauce made from nuoc mam, lime juice, garlic, chili peppers, chili sauce, sugar and usually shredded pickled carrot and radish. That was great for Bansal. "My son loves two things: dipping and noodles," she declared.

So the lemon grass chicken dish, a flavor-rich stir-fry in which sweet soy sauce caramelizes from the high heat of wok cookery, was perfect. Mendelsohn added cooked egg noodles at the end and showed Bansal how to jerk the pan the way professionals do so the noodles wind up on the bottom.

"What if I don't want to use any meat?" she inquired.

"No meat," answered her teacher. "Saigon noodles!" He topped the dish with bean sprouts and crisped shallots and moved on to the clay pot prawns. (The dish's name refers to the vessel traditionally used in Vietnam, but a wok or skillet suffices.)

Here, sweet and salty went head to head. After the prawns were sauteed, Mendelsohn caramelized sugar with lemon grass, ginger, red onion and chili peppers, then balanced it with fish sauce and coconut juice. He returned the shrimp to the pan, coating them with the sauce and finishing them in only minutes.