What is this delicious sauce?
 

I sometimes go to a restaurant were they serve various dishes with a dipping sauce on the side that they call "fish sauce," but it is completely unlike any other fish sauce I have ever seen. The "fish sauce" is clear, light yellow to orange, salty, sweet, watery, and not at all fishy. The flavor is rather mild and hard to describe. It seems to have zero oil in it, because any oil that comes off of things you dip floats in beads on the top. The waiters say it contains no fish, but cannot describe it further.

The restaurant is Pan-Asian (I can identify a number of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai dishes on the menu), so no hint there as to the sauce's national origin. My cousin says the sauce is similar to something he has seen in Vietnamese restaurants, but in my experience Vietnamese fish sauce is fishy, strongly flavored, and NOT yellow.

What is this sauce? Thank you all.

It reminds me vietnamiese Nuoc Mam sauce for nems, I remember it is quite clear yellow to orange. Maybe differences due to manufacturer? In France industrial one isn't strong, but sometimes in restaurants some are a bit bitter. :confused:

It could be a variation of Ya Ha Tsup, but I am not sure what would be added to make the yellow-orange shade. Perhaps a bit of orange juice.

It may well be Nuoc Mam. This Wikipedia page Nước chấm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia describes it, and it sounds pretty similar. After reading the Wikipedia page, I remembered that it definitely has some garlic in it, too, and it is served with the springrolls, which seem pretty Vietnamese. Wow, I spent a fairly long time on the internet without finding the answer. I will try to recreate it at home, I hope it turns out delicious.

Here we use it with the nems (which are a kind of fried springrolls). You certainly should find some in asiatic stores.
Pretty good stuff anyway! :)

I am curious what Ya Ha Tsup is. Is it Chinese? I can't find mention of Ya Ha Tsup on Google, do you have a link to a manufacturer, store, recipe, or other website about this sauce?

Even if this sauce isn't the same one I am talking about, I am curious, because it might be tasty. Thanks.

No need to buy it, the recipe is simple.

2 tsp. minced ginger
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. vinegar
4 tblsp. light soy sauce

mix it all together and let it sit for a little while for the flavors to blend.

If it's japanese, than this is something similar to a sauce i've experienced at a local japanese restaurant. Here's a recipe:



Chiba Sauce Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon Wasabi paste
1 teaspoons Mayonnaise (low fat if preffered)
3 teaspoons Soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar (if desired)
3 teaspoons Cream (lactose free light cream is my preference)

Instructions for Chiba Sauce
WARNING: Remember wasabi paste is HOT! Dont be too liberal if you don't know the stuff!

1. Dissolve a very small amount of wasabi (if its from the tube a small blob lesser than 1cm is heaps) thoroughly in 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce in a small bowl.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise & mix thoroughly & continue to add equal parts of mayo, sugar, & soy sauce to suit your taste.

yeah, totally sounds like that vietnamese sauce~
it's served quite frequently w/ eggrolls/spring rolls/ dry vermicelli and such~
it's also LOVELY w/ boiled crabs x]
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