– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

We now travel to the United Arab

Emirates, a Middle Eastern country where

most people follow Islam and observe

strict dietary rules. Here, a

Vietnamese-owned shop is introducing

traditional banh mi, or Vietnamese

baguette sandwiches, to local diners.

Now, let's find out how this iconic

Vietnamese street food has won over

hearts and taste buds in the UAE.

On the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, in the

United Arab Emirates, Mina Tran has

brought a very special treat to the

extended family of Mr. Sultan,

Vietnamese banh mi, or Vietnamese

baguette sandwiches.

Because Muslims do not consume pork,

Mina and the chef replaced it with lamb,

chicken, and chicken liver pâté. All

ingredients, from meat and vegetables to

spices, strictly follow halal food

standards. Even with these

substitutions, Vietnamese banh mi was

warmly welcomed.

And I was eating very slowly because

it's every single bit that's delicious.

So, the food, especially the bread, it

was fresh and

the chicken, the meat, the sauces,

special, special, very special.

It's a little bit sugary, but at the

same time there are spices that you can

taste. So, it matches. It's like mix of

GCC countries flavor and uh Vietnamese

flavor. When we were eating, I took a

snap like

and I sent it to my friends. I was like,

"You have to come eat it."

I really hope to bring Vietnamese

culture to international friends,

especially here in the Middle East, so

they can see how friendly, warm, and

welcoming Vietnamese people are through

our dishes and our cuisine.

Encouraged by the warm reception, Mina

Tran made Vietnamese banh mi a signature

dish at a restaurant in Dubai. Within

just a few months, the restaurant now

sells hundreds of orders every day, both

dine-in and delivery across the city and

its suburbs.

I actually tried the chicken

and I loved it. It's very nice. Uh

the whole thing is crispy from outside

and juicy from inside. The taste of

chicken is the combination of chicken

and liver. It's a very nice and tasty

food. I love

Uh from banh mi in Vietnamese, our

sandwiches like this, people in the UAE

will learn more about Vietnam's famous

cuisine

and beyond that, about Vietnamese

culture.

Phung Anh, reporting for Vietnam today

from Dubai.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
iconic /aɪˈkɒn.ɪk/ C1	adjective - widely recognized and well-established
outskirts /ˈaʊt.skɜːts/ B2	noun - the outer edges of a town or city
consume /kənˈsjuːm/ B2	verb - to eat or drink something
substitutions /ˌsʌb.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃənz/ B2	noun - the action of replacing one thing with another
delicious /dɪˈlɪʃ.əs/ A2	adjective - having a very pleasant taste or smell
signature /ˈsɪɡ.nə.tʃər/ B2	adjective - characteristic of a person or place
cuisine /kwɪˈziːn/ B1	noun - a style or method of cooking
crispy /ˈkrɪs.pi/ B1	adjective - firm, dry, and brittle
juicy /ˈdʒuː.si/ B1	adjective - full of juice
combination /ˌkɒm.bɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ B1	noun - the mixture of two or more things
ingredients /ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənts/ A2	noun - food items used to make a dish
traditional /trəˈdɪʃ.ən.əl/ A2	adjective - following customs or ways of behaving that have continued for a long time
friendly /ˈfrend.li/ A1	adjective - behaving in a pleasant, kind way
sugary /ˈʃʊɡ.ər.i/ B1	adjective - containing a lot of sugar
spices /spaɪ.sɪz/ A2	noun - aromatic plant products used to flavor food

Key Grammar Structures

• Most people follow Islam and observe strict dietary rules.

  ➔ Quantifiers (Most)

  ➔ "Most" is used here as a determiner to refer to the majority of a group.

• This iconic Vietnamese street food has won over hearts.

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ "Has won" describes an action that started in the past and has a result in the present.

• Because Muslims do not consume pork, Mina replaced it.

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunctions (Because)

  ➔ "Because" introduces a clause of cause or reason.

• It's a little bit sugary, but at the same time there are spices.

  ➔ Existential 'There is/are'

  ➔ "There are" is used to state the existence of something in a specific place.

• I really hope to bring Vietnamese culture to international friends.

  ➔ Infinitive as Object (to bring)

  ➔ The verb "hope" is followed by an infinitive phrase to express a desire for an action.

• Encouraged by the warm reception, Mina Tran made banh mi a signature dish.

  ➔ Past Participle Phrase (Reduced Relative Clause)

  ➔ "Encouraged by..." acts as an adjective describing the subject, replacing a full clause like "Because she was encouraged by..."

• Within just a few months, the restaurant now sells hundreds of orders.

  ➔ Adverbial Phrase of Time

  ➔ "Within just a few months" provides context about the timeframe of the action.

• It's the whole thing is crispy from outside and juicy from inside.

  ➔ Comparative adjectives/Prepositional phrases

  ➔ "From outside/inside" are prepositional phrases used to specify locations of qualities.