This was very refreshing and delicious. I made the nuoc cham sauce with a tablespoon and a half of the chili garlic paste and it was volcanic. I'm still a little sweaty from it. I cut the garlic paste in this recipe. Along with the sauce, the mint is what makes this distinctive. I prefer peppermint over spearmint. And, that's what I have growing in my back yard. Alex really liked this. I didn't make Nick try it but he's starting to be a little more amenable to trying new things. I admit I'm pretty excited about that.