All posts tagged: eat

Must Do’s: Select Local Eateries in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

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Ho Chi Minh City (“HCMC”) is the center of a diverse food and modern culture in Vietnam. HCMC is also the largest city in Vietnam and home to approximately 9 million people and growing. The city has gone through many iterations from an important Khmer seaport up to the 17th century to a romantic city under French colonization and now a vibrant metropolis in 2016. With its diverse history, it is no wonder that the variety of food is present in HCMC. I asked a good friend of mine to scout her favorite places to eat in HCMC and the following places are her recommendations. Ốc Đào (Seafood Restaurant) Address: 214/C84 Nguyễn Trãi St, Nguyễn Cư Trinh Ward, District 1 Hồ Chí Minh, Việt Nam Open: noon – 9:00 pm This is a quintessential local hangout for friends and co-workers. This restaurant serves many different types of snails and seafood at reasonable prices and has good quality. Don’t be afraid to check this restaurant out as they have pictures for non-Vietnamese speakers. Banh Mi Huynh Hoa (Vietnamese Sandwiches) Address: …

Easy Vietnamese Sweet Corn Pudding / Chè Bắp

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Chè bắp has many variations in the Vietnamese cuisine depending on which region it comes from. Usually the preparation includes manually shaving sweet corn kernels and simmering the pudding for at least 30 minutes. Being a busy professional, it is hard to have enough time to cook the traditional way. My cousin modified a recipe used at the restaurants for home cook to make chè bắp easily. I like to serve it warm with a dollop of coconut sauce. This pudding is great for anytime of the day. This recipe is very easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Ingredients 1 ¼ cup of glutinous rice (sweet rice) 2 (14-ounce) cans of sweet corn, cream style with no salt added 1 (14-ounce) can of whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed (low sodium) 1 (14-ounce)  can of coconut cream 3 packets of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract 1 teaspoon of cornstarch 1 cups of sugar for the pudding and 2 tablespoons of sugar for the coconut sauce salt    Directions Prepare the pudding: Wash the rice …

Dưa Cải Chua / Pickled Mustard Greens

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Dưa cải chua or pickled mustard greens is a classic accompaniment for a typical Vietnamese meal. My house always has a jar of pickled mustard greens readily available during any season. Mustard greens are pickled in a simple vinegar brine. This process softens the tough stems, reduces the bitterness and infuses a salty and sweet taste to the greens. The pickles are slightly addictive and can be use as a basis for other dishes as well. This is my mother’s recipe for her delicious dưa cải chua. Ingredients 1 large bunch of mustard greens (approximately 1.5 lb) 7 pearl onions, peeled 8-9 red Thai chili 2 tablespoons of sugar ½ tablespoon of rock sugar 1 tablespoon of sea salt 4 cups of warm water Directions Combine sugar, rock sugar, salt and warm water in a mixing bowl. Stir to incorporate the ingredients. (You may need to make more brine depending on the size of your jar. The brine should cover all of the mustard greens.) Cut the bottom portion of the stem and discard them. In a large bowl, rinse …

Spicy Beef Saté Noodle Soup

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Spicy beef saté noodle soup is a cross between phở and bún bò huế. It is not as well known as the two, but requires the same bone based broth. Spicy beef saté noodle soup uses pork neck bones and a surprising ingredient of chunky peanut butter. The spiciness comes from the chili oil where you can modify the heat according to your tolerance. This is a delightfully complex yet simple noodle soup that will have you sweating and enjoying the broth at the same time. This soup is especially good on a cold day. This recipe is rated medium and requires approximately 2 hours to make. This recipe serves approximately 6 bowls of noodle soups. Ingredients 2 lb. of pork neck bones 1.5 lb. of beef (eye round or top round) 1 package of pho of flat rice noodles (fresh if available) 3 tablespoons of fish sauce ¼ cup ground chili in soya bean oil (There are many different brands that have different level of heat.) ½ cup of dried shrimps 3 dried squids …

Shredded Lime Chicken with Vietnamese Coriander and Pickled Onions / Thịt Gà Bóp Với Rau Răm

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Another simple dish that elevates the boiled chicken into a refreshing and healthy entree is my mom’s shredded chicken mixed with lime juice, Vietnamese coriander and pickled onions.  It is deceptively simple, filling and healthy.  Vietnamese coriander is an herb that can usually be found in Asian markets or grown at home.  It has a bite and mild citrus scent.  This is the herb that really makes the dish.  If this herb is not available, you can substitute it with Thai basil. This dish is rated easy. Ingredients ½ a chicken ½ of an onion, thinly sliced ½ of an onion for the stock 4 cloves of minced garlic 1 lime ¼ cup of Vietnamese coriander or basil if the Vietnamese coriander is not available ½ teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 tablespoon of rock sugar salt pepper 2 Thai chili Directions In a large pot, boil 7 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of rock sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Once the water comes to a boil, add the chicken and ½ an onion and boil …

Farmer’s Market Grilled Cheese Sandwhich

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One of many great things about living in NYC is the abundance of farmer’s markets in many different neighborhoods. I discovered a small market two blocks away from my apartment after strolling around the area on one random Sunday. This is now my place to go for fresh seasonable vegetables straight from the source.  The weather finally turned from summer to autumn and nothing is better to welcome the cooler weather than grilled cheese sandwich served with a bowl of hot tomato soup. I saw some vibrant tomatoes, onions, freshly baked country bread and fresh Gouda cheese which inspired me to create my version of a grilled cheese sandwich for a fall day. Ingredients for 1 Grilled Cheese Sandwich: 2 slices of Gouda cheese or any mild melting cheese 2 thick slices of red tomato 2 thick slices of yellow tomato 1/4 of a red onion thinly sliced 1/2 of a ripe avocado 2 slices of country white bread or any type of dense bread 2 tablespoons of melted butter a few squirt of sriracha (not pictured) Directions: …

Crab and Asparagus Soup / Súp Măng Cua

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Súp Măng Cua or Crab and Asparagus Soup is a traditional bisque usually served at dinner parties or wedding banquets. It is an easy soup to make that looks very classy once you get the hang of it. This is the go-to soup whenever my mom needs to make it for any parties. Guests rush to get a bowl before the pot is gone. I use real lump crab meat which makes a huge difference in this recipe. Many recipes use fake crab meat or canned crab meat, which is still good, but nothing tastes better than fresh crab meat. This recipe is rated easy and takes approximately 30-35 minutes to prepare. Ingredients 2 cups of fresh lump crab meat (frozen section or from a can if fresh crab meat is not available). I bought mine at Costco.  ½ of a whole chicken (rinsed so there are no impurities) 1 can of asparagus spears 3 eggs 4 cloves of minced garlic ½ of an onion 1 whole shallots, minced ½ teaspoon of sesame oil 8 tablespoons of tapioca starch …

Braised Pork Belly with Eggs / Thịt Kho Trứng

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If you ask anyone about their favorite home cooked Vietnamese dish, braised pork belly with eggs or thịt kho trứng will be among the top of that list. There is something very satisfying about diving into a bowl of pork belly and pouring the sweet and salty sauce all over the rice. This recipe is a guaranteed home run for any meal and is very simple to make.  The tricky part is making sure the caramel turns the right dark color without burning.  Once you get the hang of it, it is as simple as waiting for the pork belly to fall apart before you dig in. Ingredients 1.5 lb of pork belly (approximately 3 pieces) 6 hard boil eggs 2 cloves of garlic minced 1 peeled whole shallot 4 large slices of ginger ¼ cup of sugar ½ tablespoon of rock sugar 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 3 cups of coconut water 1 tablespoon of soy sauce 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder ¼ of cup of fish sauce 2 tablespoons of vinegar salt …

Watercress and Beef Salad with Pan Juice Vinaigrette

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One of my favorite vegetable dishes that my mother whipped up in no time is sautéed beef over a bed of pickled onions, tomatoes and watercress.  She combines the pan juice with the pickling juice to create a refreshing vinaigrette that beckons to be poured over a steaming bowl of rice.  Over the weekend, I asked my mother to help me recreate this quick and easy dish for our readers.  With Fall in full swing, this is a refreshing dish to incorporate vegetables in your next meal. This recipe is rated easy and takes approximately 15-20 minutes to prepare. Ingredients 1 lb of beef such as sirloin that would be good for sautéing 1 bushel of watercress 2 ½ teaspoons of soy sauce Sugar Salt Pepper ½ teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder  ¼ cup of vinegar 1 large tomato ½ of a yellow onion thinly sliced ¼ of a yellow onion diced 1/4 of a red onion diced 2 cloves of garlic sliced 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon of olive oil  1 stalk of scallion for garnish 1 …

Blue Crabs Sauté in a Roe Sauce

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The northern Atlantic coast is known for its blue crabs. While vacationing in Virginia Beach, my family went to the fish market called the Shellfish Company and bought fresh blue crabs right off of the boat. My Aunt Qua created this simple and easy dish for us. Needless to say, the taste testers ate all of the crabs as soon as they were prepared. This recipe is rated easy and serves 4 people. Ingredients: 6 female blue crabs (as you will need the roe) 1/4 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 3/4 teaspoon of sugar 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1/8 teaspoon of pepper 1/3 cup of yellow onion 3 cloves of garlic (approximately 2 tablespoons) 1 stalk of scallion 1 Thai Chili Directions: Prepare the crabs Twist the tail off of the crab and discard. Snap off the claws and legs. Use a towel and pull apart the shell of the crab and get rid of the grey, furry-looking thing (the lungs). One side of the shell will have the body of the crab. The other side will …