Ba'o Te^'t VN: "Mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i"

[AnHai Doan <anhai@cs.washington.edu>]

Tu+` Ba'o Te^'t DDinh Su+?u o+? VN:

  Nha` va(n Vu~ Ba(`ng vo+'i "Mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i"
  
   Trong so^' ca'c nha` va(n Vie^.t Nam, co' hai ngu+o+`i ra^'t sa`nh ddie^.u ca'c mo'n a(n
   Ha` No^.i. Kho^ng nhu+~ng sa`nh a(n, ma` ca'c o^ng co`n co' nhu+~ng a'ng va(n ddo^.c chie^u
   ve^` a^?m thu+.c Ha` No^.i, ddo' la` Nguye^~n Tua^n va` Vu~ Ba(`ng. Nguye^~n Tua^n vie^'t ve^`
   pho+?, ve^` co^'m vo`ng... nhu+ la` "ddo'ng da^'u cha^'t lu+o+.ng" le^n te^n tuo^?i ca'c mo'n
   a(n. Vu~ Ba(`ng thuo^.c lu+'a Nguye^~n Tua^n, ngu+o+`i go^'c Ha` No^.i, ho+n hai mu+o+i na(m
   cuo^'i ddo+`i so^'ng va` vie^'t o+? Sa`i Go`n. Co' le~ do nhu+~ng na(m tha'ng tha hu+o+ng
   a^'y, no^~i nho+' que^ da die^'t dda~ ddu+a ngo`i bu't cu?a o^ng dde^'n vo+'i tu+`ng "mu`i vi."
   cu?a ky? nie^.m Ha` No^.i: O^ng vie^'t "Mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i" la` vie^'t ve^` nhu+~ng nga`y
   Ha` No^.i cu?a ddo+`i mi`nh. O^ng ba?o ra(`ng: "Mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i, vi` the^', nhie^`u
   khi la`m cho ta ye^u Ha` No^.i tha^'m thi'a, nho+' Ha` No^.i nao lo`ng, va` la`m cho
   ta ca?m gia'c ta la` ngu+o+`i Ha` No^.i ho+n...", "nhu+~ng mie^'ng ngon ma` ngu+o+`i
   Vie^.t Nam a(n va`o tha^'y nga't mu`i dda^'t nu+o+'c Vie^.t Nam, tha^'y mi`nh Vie^.t Nam
   ho+n...".
   
   Mo^~i mo'n mo^.t thie^n bu't ky', 15 mo'n trong sa'ch "mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i" ddu+o+.c
   nha` va(n mo^ ta? cha(m chu't ky~ lu+o+~ng, dde^`u la` ca'c mo'n "quo^'c ho^`n quo^'c tu'y"
   ma` bao the^' he^. ngu+o+`i Ha` No^.i dde^`u me^, dde^`u the`m: dda^`u ba?ng la` pho+? bo`, ro^`i
   pho+? ga`, ba'nh cuo^'n, ba'nh ddu'c, ba'nh khoa'i, ba'nh Xua^n Ca^`u, co^'m vo`ng,
   ru+o+i, ngo^ rang khoai lu`i, go?i, qu`a bu'n, cha? ca', thi.t ca`y, tie^'t canh
   cha'o lo`ng, ha^?u lo^'n! cha(?ng co' mo'n na`o thuo^.c "ta^`ng lo+'p" cao lu+o+ng my~ vi.,
   ta^'t ca? chi? la` thu+'c bi`nh da^n! nhu+ng ta^'t ca? dda~ la`m ne^n die^.n ma.o a^?m thu+.c
   Ha` No^.i, la`m ne^n hu+o+ng vi. cuo^.c so^'ng truye^`n ddo+`i.
   
   Ha~y nghe nha` va(n Vu~ Ba(`ng nho+' pho+?: "Ngay tu+` dda(`ng xa, mu`i pho+? cu~ng dda~ co'
   mo^.t su+'c huye^`n bi', quye^'n ru~ ta nhu+ ma^y kho'i chu`a Hu+o+ng, dda^?y bu+o+'c cha^n
   ta, thu'c ba'ch ta... Qua la^`n cu+?a ki'nh ta dda~ tha^'y gi`? Mo^.t bo' ha`nh hoa
   xanh nhu+ la' ma., da(m qua? o+'t ddo? buo^.c va`o mo^.t ca'i da^y, va`i mie^'ng thi.t bo`
   tu+o+i va` me^`m: chi'n co', ta'i co', su.n co', mo+~ ga^`u co', ve` cu~ng co'... Ngu+o+`i
   ba'n ha`ng thi?nh thoa?ng la.i mo+? na('p ca'i thu`ng sa('t ra dde^? la^'y nu+o+'c du`ng
   chan va`o ba't. Mo^.t la`n kho'i to?a ra kha('p gian ha`ng, bao phu? nhu+~ng ngu+o+`i
   ngo^`i a(n o+? chung quanh trong mo^.t la`n su+o+ng mo?ng, mo+ ho^` nhu+ mo^.t bu+'c
   tranh ta`u ve^` nhu+~ng o^ng tie^n ngo^`i dda'nh co+` trong ru+`ng mu`a thu... Tro^ng
   ma` the`m qua'!".
   
   O^ng nho+', va`o nhu+~ng na(m na(m mu+o+i o+? Ha` No^.i, no^?i tie^'ng co' anh pho+? Su+'t
   sa'ng la^.p ra mo'n pho+? gio` (la^'y thi.t bo` qua^.n la.i nhu+ ca'i da(m bo^ng ro^`i
   tha'i mo?ng tu+`ng khoanh ddie^?m va`o vo+'i thi.t). Pho+? nha` Thu+o+ng Phu? Doa~n a(n
   ddu+o+.c nhu+ng nu+o+'c ho+i nha.t; pho+? DDo^ng My~ pho^' mo+'i a(n e^m nhu+ng gu+`ng ta^?y ho+i
   qua' tay; pho+? Co^'ng Vo.ng ke'o xe ngon, nhu+ng nu+o+'c du`ng ho+i ho^i; pho+? Mu~ DDo?
   dda(`ng sau mie^'u cho+. Ho^m ... ro^`i pho+? Ta`u Bay, sa'ng sa'ng ngu+o+`i a(n ddu+'ng dda^`y
   ra ca? nga~ ba dda^`u pho^' Ha`m Long, ro^`i pho+? Tu+', pho+? Tra'ng (tru+o+'c cu+?a tru+o+`ng
   Ha`ng Than) ddu+o+.c me^.nh danh la` " vua pho+? 1952".
   
   Ve^` dda(.c sa?n Co^'m Vo`ng, nha` va(n cho ra(`ng "co^'m vo`ng la` thu+' qua` dda(.c bie^.t
   nha^'t trong mo.i thu+' qua` Ha` No^.i - dda(.c bie^.t vi` mo^~i khi tha^'y gio' va`ng hiu
   ha('t tro+? ve^` thi` la.i nho+' dde^'n co^'m"... Mu`a thu Ha` No^.i la` mu`a cu+o+'i. Nga`y
   xu+a, nha` trai mua co^'m, mua ho^`ng sang nha` ga'i go.i la` ddi "se^u". "Nghi~
   la.i ca'i dde.p na~o nu`ng cu?a Co^'m Vo`ng xanh ma`u lu+u ly dde^? o+? be^n ca.nh nhu+~ng
   tra'i ho^`ng tru+'ng tha('m mo.ng nhu+ son ta`u, to^i thi'ch nho+' la.i mo^.t buo^?i
   chie^`u thu dda~ xa la('m la('m ro^`i, co' mo^.t nha` no. ddu+a ho^`ng va` co^'m sang se^u
   mo^.t ngu+o+`i em ga'i to^i..." Ngu+o+`i ta hay a(n co^'m vo`ng vo+'i chuo^'i tie^u tru+'ng
   cuo^'c. Nhu+ng nha` va(n thi` cho ra(`ng, a(n nhu+ va^.y la` a(n cho+i bo+`i. "Muo^'n
   thu+o+?ng thu+'c ddu+o+.c he^'t hu+o+ng vi. cu?a co^'m pha?i a(n co^'m kho^ng, va` chi? a(n co^'m
   kho^ng tho^i"... nhai nho? nhe., tu+`ng ha.t, tu+`ng ha.t..."
   
   Ve^` mo'n ru+o+i, mo^~i na(m chi? co' ma^'y nga`y,"tha'ng 9 ddo^i mu+o+i, tha'ng 10 mu`ng
   5" mo+'i co', nha` va(n cho ra(`ng "dde^'n mu`a ma` kho^ng ddu+o+.c a(n bu+~a ru+o+i thi` nhu+
   la` mo^.t ngu+o+`i dda`n ba` dde.p dda~ dde^? phi' ma^'t tuo^?i hoa, sau na`y se~ na(.ng mo^.t
   nie^`m tie^'c nho+'". Mo'n ru+o+i xa`o vo+'i nie^~ng tha'i chi? (ne^'u kho^ng co' nie^~ng
   thi` du`ng ma(ng tu+o+i hay cu? ca?i) hay cha? ru+o+i, ru+o+i ha^'p, ru+o+i rang, ma('m
   ru+o+i... dde^`u ngon, dde^`u la., nho+' ddo+`i.
   
   Thu+o+?ng thu+'c mo'n Ca^`y Ha` No^.i ba^y gio+`, ngu+o+`i ta hay le^n Nha^.t Ta^n. o+? tho+`i
   Vu~ Ba(`ng, vie^'t "Mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i", thi.t ca^`y cu~ng luo^n ddu+o+.c ca'c va(n
   nha^n, thi sy~ u+a chuo^.ng. "So^'ng o+? tre^n ddo+`i a(n mie^'ng do^`i cho', che^'t xuo^'ng
   a^m phu? bie^'t co' hay kho^ng?". O^ng ke^?: "co' mo^.t ho^m tro+`i la.nh ba`ng ba.c ma`u
   chi`, ddu+'ng tu+.a va`o mo^.t ha`ng ra`o da^m bu.t xanh, hoe ddo?, ta go.i mo^.t ha`ng
   thi.t cho' ga'nh ddi qua, mua mo^.t ddi~a cha? va`o trong nha` nha('m ru+o+.u, ca'i
   ngon cu~ng dda~ "la^~m lie^.t" la('m ro^`i", hay "La('m lu'c ngo^`i nha('p che'n ru+o+.u ta(m
   ca^'t o+? Ta^y Ho^`, thu+o+?ng thu+'c mo^.t mi`nh mo^.t ddi~a ta`i cha^'m muo^'i tie^u, chanh,
   o+'t, to^i va^~n thu+o+`ng nghi~ hi`nh nhu+ tro+`i sinh ra thi.t cho' la` dde^? a(n rie^ng
   o+? Ba('c Vie^.t, chu+' kho^ng pha?i ba^'t cu+' dda^u dda^u. Tha'ng Ta'm tro+`i... na(.ng
   nhu+~ng ma^y mu`, ddi`u hiu mo^.t ngo.n gio' hanh hao, la`nh la.nh, go+.i nhie^`u nie^`m
   tu+o+?ng nho+' xa xu+a... Lo`ng mi`nh kho^ng buo^`n na~o ruo^.t, nhu+ng sa^`u nhe` nhe.
   va` mi`nh u+a ca'i sa^`u ddo', bo+?i vi` no' kho^ng ha.i ngu+o+`i ma` la.i ne^n tho+. Chi'nh
   trong ta^m tra.ng ddo' ma` thu+o+?ng thu+'c mo^.t bu+~a thi.t cho' thi` kho^ng co`n gi`
   ho+.p ly', ho+.p ti`nh, ho+.p ca?nh ho+n...".
   
   A(n cho khoa'i kha^?u, cho dda~ the`m cu~ng go.i la` bie^'t a(n ro^`i. A(n ma` nha^'m
   nha'p ro^`i mo^ ta? ti? mi? ca'ch la`m, ca'ch a(n, ca?nh dde^? a(n, mu`a dde^? a(n va` cao
   ho+n a(n dde^? ye^u, dde^? nho+', ddo' ddi'ch thu+.c la` "a^?m thu+.c cu?a nhu+~ng ngu+o+`i tie^n"!
   To^i ddo.c "Mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i" tu+`ng ca^u, tu+`ng ddoa.n nhu+ ddu+o+.c thu+o+?ng thu+'c
   nhu+~ng bu+~a tie^.c Ha` No^.i ddi'ch thu+.c du+o+'i ba`n tay dda.o die^~n cu?a co^.i nguo^`n
   va(n ho'a cha o^ng... "Mie^'ng ngon Ha` No^.i" cu~ng nhu+ Ho^` Gu+o+m, Tha'p Ru`a, nhu+
   pho^' co^? Ha` No^.i pha?i ddu+o+.c gi`n giu+~, ba?o to^`n.
   
   Xua^n 1997
   
   N.M