Nước Chấm/Nước Mắm Chấm . Serve with C ha Gio also called Imperial Rolls in the United States, not to be confused with Summer Rolls.
Ingredients
6 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 teaspoon chopped Bird's eye / Thai chiles
Preparation
1. Combine water and sugar in a bowl. Use warm water for easier dissolving.
2. Add lime or lemon juice in increments until you like how it tastes. A good guide is it should taste like lemonade/limeade.
3. Add garlic and fish sauce in small increments until you like how it tastes. It should be a little strong since it goes on unseasoned food.
There are so many different recipes for dipping sauce in Vietnam. The one I like best is smashing some garlic, chilli with sugar, add lime juice, add some water (only if I want diluted sauce for Bún or Rolls), then some fish sauce. I like to crush garlic and chilli at first because it adds a strong taste to the sauce, which is really great when combining with other food.