Foreign tourists who tried dog meat for the first time praised its delicious taste.

Andrew was quite apprehensive about trying his first piece of dog meat, feeling as if the animal was licking his face. But he then went on to try the dog's stomach and even ordered some grilled dog meat.

Not every foreigner who comes to Vietnam dares to try dog ​​meat. But Andrew, a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald, is an exception. He and his travel companion, Yip, had the opportunity to try dog ​​meat while in Saigon in 2013. Below are Andrew's accounts of his memorable meal in Vietnam:

We arrived at a dog meat restaurant late in the afternoon in Saigon. Motorbikes streamed past the restaurant, and no one bothered to look at the dog roasting over the charcoal. It was only the size of a sheepdog. The staff prepared various dishes before bringing them to my and Yip's table.

There are many ways to prepare dog meat. Photo: Alamy.

The dog meat was served, and Yip's mouth watered as she picked up a piece with a thick layer of skin and fat. She dipped it into a bowl of shrimp paste seasoned with lime and chili before taking a bite. Yip stopped chewing when she saw me trying to remove the fat from the lean meat, and grumbled as she picked up another slice from the plate:"You have to eat the fat too to fully appreciate its flavor."

When I took my first bite of dog meat, everyone in the restaurant stopped to watch. I chewed slowly, as if all the dogs I'd ever owned were running through my thoughts and licking my face. The meat was tough, dry, and had a gamey flavor, reminding me of overcooked kangaroo meat. The plate of dog meat cost 60,000 dong and tasted even better with beer.

The chef rotated the dog meat skewers to ensure they were crispy on all sides. Next to it was a plate of dog sausage, alongside a dish that looked like lamb steak and spring rolls. The menu also featured many other dishes made from different parts of the dog, such as tails and legs. There were many dishes the restaurant didn't serve, but the chef was very accommodating and made them for me.

Suddenly, an elderly woman, who looked rather grumpy, glanced at me, gestured for me to come to her table, and offered me a piece of meat. Yip said it was stomach, and I tried to chew without letting the food touch any of the taste buds on my tongue. She watched me swallow the stomach and gave a thumbs-up in satisfaction. I said, "Delicious," to express the Vietnamese feeling of satisfaction, but I mispronounced it as if I were about to spit the food I had just swallowed towards the old woman.

The grilled dog meat was served. I gave the stomach and tail to Yip so I could pick up a piece of minced dog meat stuffed with leaves, green beans, and onions with my chopsticks. The grilled flavor melted in my mouth. Our stomachs were full, but our eyes were still hungry, so we only ate half of what we had ordered.

Yip asked for a bag to take the food home, trying to explain how much our neighbors would enjoy the dish. A friend at the next table was clearly impressed by my eating; she came over, touched my beard, and told Yip that I was very handsome. Dog meat certainly has an attractiveness-enhancing effect on people.

According to VNE