Author: La Vie Partagée

Phở Bò / Beef Noodle Soup

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Phở is a hearty noodle soup that is the most well known of all noodle soups from Vietnam. The stock can be made with chicken or beef with the most popular type being beef noodle soup. Every region has its own take on phở bò and the noodle soup is often eaten for breakfast. Phở bò takes at least a few hours of just simmering the bones to get the  right bone stock for the soup base. This is a dish that is made for long weekends and especially when the weather turns cold. We redid the traditional phở recipe into 2 parts (beef stock and  phở broth) to make it easier to measure the ingredients and to get a consistently good broth. This is one of the easiest recipe for phở that we wrote to create a very clear, rich and fragrant broth. You can make the bone stock in advance and freeze it. Whenever you want to make phở, just defrost the bone stock and season the stock to make the phở broth. Difficulty: Medium / Time: 3 hours for bone …

Weekend Unexplored: 4 Days in Southern France (Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Lourmarin, Bonnieux and Cassis)

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Provence has always been on my list of places to visit in Europe. I had an opportunity to visit Europe again this year and made it a priority to visit this charming region. My sister and I choose to visit the region in early May before the tourist crowds descend onto the area. Luckily my good friend grew up in the region and planned my trip for me. There is nothing better than having a local show you the best of their home region! Friday-Saturday: Provence/ Marseilles Sunday: Aix-en-Provence, Lourmarin and Bonnieux Monday: Cassis Arrived Friday My sister and I flew into the Marseilles International Airport Friday morning to uncharacteristically rainy and windy weather. Marseilles Airport is very small and the car rental lot is right next to the airport. We rented a small automatic car from Hertz prior to arriving in Provence and the whole process to pick up the car took over an hour and a half. Things move very slowly in southern France. We were advised to book our car months in …

Chicken with Lemongrass and Chili / Gà Xào Sả Ot

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Every Vietnamese family has a recipe for chicken with lemongrass and chili or gà xào sả ot. The combination of the citrus flavor from the lemongrass, the spice from the turmeric, the saltiness from the soy and fish sauce and the sweetness from the coconut soda give this dish a wow factor. The dish is deceptively simple and fast to make for any weeknight meal. You may be tempted to remove the skin or use white meat. I would advise otherwise as I find that dark meat is juicier and the skin adds a lot of flavor to the dish. This dish is served with a side of rice. Difficulty: Easy / Serving: 2 / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 2 chicken thigh with skin (dark meat) cut into quarters 2 tablespoons of minced lemongrass 2 tablespoons of minced garlic 2 tablespoons of diced onion ½ tablespoon of turmeric or curry powder mix 1 ½ cup of Rico coconut soda 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of soy sauce ¼ teaspoon of …

Vietnamese Egg Rolls / Chả Giò

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Chả giò or egg roll is a popular fried food in Vietnam that is usually served with lettuce and herbs to make a wrap and then dipped into a sweet and sour fish sauce ( nước chấm). The fried egg rolls are also often served over a bed of rice and accompanied by vegetables and herbs as part of a rice vermicelli noodle bowl or  bún chả giò. The egg rolls are filled with a mixture of ground pork, glass noodles, mushrooms and vegetables and then wrapped in a rice paper and fried until golden brown. In this recipe, we use both the traditional rice paper which are flimsy and harder to wrap. However, these egg rolls are lighter and crunchier than the flour based Chinese wrappers. Chả giò makes for a great treat at any gathering. Difficulty: Medium / Serving: 35-40 egg rolls / Time: 1 hour Equipment: Food Processor Tip: You can freeze uncooked egg rolls in the freezer and they will fry up nicely once defrosted. Ingredients: 1.5 pound of ground pork 1 pound of shrimp …

Quick Steamed Fish with Ginger Soy Dressing

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Another dish that my mom taught me before leaving for college was steamed fish with a ginger soy sauce. The version that I had while I was in college was for salmon steak and utilized only a microwave that was allowed in the dorm. This version is still just as easy but has the benefit of additional tweaks since those college days. This is a healthy and elegant dish that will fool people into thinking that you slave away making it for dinner. This recipe is rated easy and takes 15-20 minutes to make. Serves 2 people per fish. Ingredients 1 pound whole red Tilapia or another meaty white fish. (You can also use fish filet but I find that whole fish tastes better.) ½ a yellow onion ½ cup of julienned ginger 8 stalks of scallions ¼ teaspoon of sesame oil ½ teaspoon of fish sauce ¼ teaspoon of white wine 1 teaspoon of soy sauce ½ tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of mushroom seasoning ½ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper 1 …

Weekend Unexplored: Sintra, Portugal

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During our stay in Lisbon, locals insisted that we must visit Sintra before we left Portugal. Since we were staying in Cascai, we added Sintra to our itinerary. Both locations are within one hour drive from Lisbon and have a completely different taste of Portugal from what we’ve experienced in Lisbon. In this post, we will recount our experience  and the recommendations that we received from the locals. Sintra is a small town on the Estoril Coast of Portugal and located only 28km away from Lisbon. Sintra is a 25 minute drive from the airport and 45 minutes train ride from Lisbon. This small town could easily fit into a fantasy land with its palaces dotting along the hills and peeping out under the thick forest. There are many fantastic castles and estates located within this small town that are listed below: Pena Palace – This palace is a cross between Gaudi’s creation in Barcelona and Disneyland. It was built in the mid-19th century on the site of the former monastery by the king consort, Dom …

Chicken Liver Pâté

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You can’t go wrong with pâté spread over toasted bread for any snack or meal. Due to French colonialism from 1887 to 1954 (also known as French Indochina), many French dishes have been adopted by the Vietnamese over the years.  Vietnam has a version of pâté that is part of the famous banh mi made of ground pork and chicken liver. My mother came up with an easy recipe that is a fusion of French pâté with Vietnamese flavors. It has a nice hint of wine with a touch of soy and garlic. Be prepared to devour at least one loaf of baguette when you spread this delicious pâté on it. You can also add radish, cucumbers or any vegetables that you prefer to the spread to give it some freshness. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30 minutes to make and a few hours to chill in the fridge. This recipe makes approximately 5 cups of pâté. Ingredients: 2 pound of chicken liver 1 cup of milk 4 sticks of softened butter 1/3 cup of …

Fried Prawns in a Tamarind Sauce / Tôm Rang Me

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Fried prawns in a tamarind sauce or tôm rang me is a popular dish especially for those living on the coast. The fresh prawns are fried and then tossed in a sweet and sour sauce made from tamarind to offset the greasiness of the oil. This humble dish is finger licking good. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30-45 minutes to create. Ingredients: 10 giant prawns 1 block of fresh tamarind 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 1 teaspoon of ground annatto 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 2 cups and 1 tablespoon of water 5 tablespoons of sugar ½ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper Vegetable oil for frying Garnish with spring onions and Cilantro Directions: Sprinkle ½ a teaspoon of salt on top of the shrimps. Mix to incorporate the salt among the shrimps. This process will help remove excess moisture from the prawns. Break the tamarind block into smaller chunks. Soak the tamarind block with 2 cups of water for approximately 15 minutes or until the …

Hotel Review: Hotel Nikko Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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Hotel Nikko Saigon is a modern and minimalist five star hotel from a Japanese conglomerate located on the outskirt of District 1. It takes approximately 15 minutes to get to city center in a taxi so the location is close enough to get where you need to go. However, it is not completely in the center of all the action. I had an opportunity to stay twice at this hotel while I was in town for business. The hotel left a great impression on me and I look forward to coming back. Here is my assessment from my two visits. Address: 235 Nguyen Van Cu, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam Website: http://www.hotelnikkosaigon.com.vn/ Pros: This is a new hotel with luxury modern amenities. The room has a gorgeous soaking tub and  a large bathroom. Room size is large even for the standard deluxe room. Customer service is what one would expect from a 5 star hotel. Price is reasonable for a 5 star hotel in Ho Chi Minh City with nightly rates ranging between $120-$150 for a standard room. Cons: …