“The meal is set out, with a steaming, fragrant bowl of Mi Quang in the center, a small bowl of garlic chili fish sauce on the side, and a plate of fresh greens mixed with tender, golden banana blossom. My mom asks me to arrange the special bowls that my grandmother saved just for eating Mi Quang. She puts the fresh greens at the bottom of the bowl, adds the noodles on top, pours over the savory broth, then sprinkles on some scallions and a handful of crispy roasted peanuts.

Looking at the bowl in my mom’s hands, I just want to dig in because it looks and smells so good. But I wait, breaking a piece of crispy rice cracker into the bowl and squeezing in a wedge of lime for the perfect flavor. If you like it spicy, add a bite of fresh green chili. Eating the noodles, you can’t help but sniffle from the heat and the deliciousness, feeling warm inside even if it’s cold and rainy outside.”
- Kim Em