38802 Tue Aug 16 19:28:09 -0700 2005 2 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 183335 I would like to explore some of the good Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose CA, but cannot read Vietnamese. Does anyone know of a good web site or reference source that has a translation that would help me recognize ingredients, preparation techniques, etc? I have found that an english menu, if avaialble, is sometimes quite smaller than the Vietnamese version. Thanks, Kathy S Tue Aug 16 19:28:09 -0700 2005 0 Kathy S 1 183594 You might get more responses if you repost on the General Topics board since this isn't specific to the bay area. I haven't researched much on websites, but I'm sure there are some good ones out there. Here are some suggestions for relevant resources: 1. www.vietworldkitchen.com Local writer Andrea Nguyen's website on her native cuisine. 2. Lonely Planet's little book called "World Food: Vietnam" I have the 2000 version and it was helpful for my trip to Vietnam. Check your local bookstore or Amazon for other resources. 3. I recommend eating at Vung Tau in San Jose (scroll down for my 2 recent posts), but their online menu is also a good resource since it's bilingual and the English-language descriptions are fairly clear. www.vungtaurestaurant.com 4. Another hound, Alice Patis, compiled and posted a nice summary on "banh" dishes on the General Topics board. This was around April so search that page. Good luck, and please report back on the General Topics board if you find some stellar resources! I'm Vietnamese but very Americanized and my knowledge of Viet cuisine is embarrassingly minimal, so the more info the better! Wed Aug 17 18:04:25 -0700 2005 183335 0 Carb Lover 2 183703 That was a helpful message. Thu Aug 18 01:41:10 -0700 2005 183594 0 Carl