The equinox is past, and the evenings are already drawing in. So isn’t it a bit late in the year to go searching for the light, aromatic foods that nourish us best through the summer months? Not if you’re craving the green papaya salad at An Com.
The shallow bowl is heaped with matchsticks of the pale green, slightly crunchy fruit, surrounded by an array of accompaniments — cashews, sesame seeds and flakes of fried onion, slices of cucumber and tomato, morsels of orange and two kinds of grape. Leaves of coriander, mint and other herbs add distinctive accents, as does the small pot of creamy citrus dressing on the side, thickened with sake kasu, the lees from sake brewing.
Mix everything together and let the contrast of textures and tastes play on your palate. There’s a good reason why this dish has become the signature appetizer at An Com, no matter the season.