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During Christmas, I went back to Bacolod to spend time with my siblings. On my 5-day trip, I was met by different sets of friends who were excited to meet me before I returned to Cebu. Over the course of my short trip, there was plenty of eating. Having read and seen posts about the new restaurants in Bacolod, I made sure to visit them during my Christmas leave.
One of the restaurants that I got to try was Com Tam Vietnamese Restaurant. Located across AMA Campus Bacolod, the restaurant gave Bacolodians a nearer option so they can experience delicious Vietnamese treats. Of course, the other Vietnamese option in Bacolod is Saigon Cafe in Bata. I was able to eat in the two restaurants already but never got to write the post on Saigon Cafe. For now, let's talk about Com Tam.
It's really refreshing to see that the palate of Bacolodians have expanded and welcomed different cuisines from all over the world. By serving Vietnamese food, Bacolodians can get a delicious, healthy, and affordable treat; especially if they are looking for a light meal.
Food
Goi Cuon | Com Tam (P75)
The first dish that we ordered was the Goi Cuon, a Vietnamese and healthy twist to the ordinary lumpia/spring roll. I particularly love anything wrapped in either pita or rice paper so this was definitely a thrill for me! Especially since it's really hard to come across rice paper in Bacolod, knowing that there is already a restaurant that serves it is a real treat.
Goi Cuon is a healthy dish composed of slices of grilled pork wrapped in lettuce leaves. There were a few other vegetables inside the medley, including slices of cucumber and ripe tomato. The mix was then rolled in rice paper wrapper and served fresh to the customers. If my memory serves me right, the dish costed P75 for three pieces of Goi Cuon.
Bún Thịt Nướng | Com Tam
The second dish we ordered was Bún Thịt Nướng (Bun Thit Nuong), an alternative to the usual Pho. I started to love Bun Thit when I first tried it and this is why I make sure to order it again. Bun Thit is a refreshing and healthy dish that you can eat as part of your lunch or a snack. It is comprised of rice noodles mixed with thinly julienned slices of cucumber and carrots tossed with fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, and some peanuts. It is served with slices of grilled pork on top and a cup of Nuoc Cham-- a light Vietnamese condiment that produces a mix of salty and sour flavors.
Vietnamese Fried Chicken | Com Tam
Finally, we ordered something that the waiters referred to as their Fried Chicken. It was a suitable serving of Chicken Wings cooked in a light soy and fish sauce combination topped with leeks and chunks of white onion. It was a light meal that would have fit the appetite of one hungry man. Since there were three of us and we were sharing the food we ordered, it was just enough to top off the other dishes we had. The sauce was somewhat sweet and anew; and the chicken was cooked perfectly. This made the criteria of a good meal! I wasn't able to get the name of this dish and tried to go online to search for it but had difficulty. The closest thing I found was Pan Fried Pork. If you were able to eat in Com Tam, please let me know what the name of this dish was. Overall, the experience of eating at Com Tam was a good one. I would have wanted to order the shrimp but since we were on a budget, we only got a few items. I will remember to try more of their dishes the next time I'm back in Bacolod (which may take a while). But definitely, this is a restaurant to return to! It's not Saigon Cafe but hey, if you don't have a car, it's the next best thing to a solid Vietnamese feast in Bacolod. Com Tam Vietnamese Restaurant is located at the new building behind San Agustin College in Bacolod City. (I will update this post soon since the waiters didn't even know what the name of the building was.)
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