All posts tagged: featured

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 …

Boston Spotlight: Finding Hidden Sushi Gems

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After getting a thorough education on sushi during my time in Japan and my 8 years living in NYC, I considered myself knowledgeable enough on quality sushi.  Ever since I moved to Boston three years ago, I have been on a mission to find quality sushi around the Boston area. My definition of quality includes freshness, authenticity and creativity. I am a purist so I generally stick to only sushi or sashimi and always try to go for an Omakase.  Boston doesn’t lack the abundance of sushi restaurants, but good quality sushi is hard to come by.  I spent hours trying to find the “hidden gems” and scouring “Eaters Boston” and “Yelp” for recommendations and coming back a little disappointed each time.  The sushi god has  finally led me to 2  worthy restaurants that can go “toe to toe” with the best of them.  They have the killer combo of amazing sushi or sashimi and a reasonable price point. Cafe Sushi (1105 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138; Cafe Sushsi Website) After eyeing this restaurant for quite some time, …

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: …

Duck and Bamboo Vermicelli Noodle Soup / Bún Măng Vịt

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Duck and bamboo vermicelli noodle soup or  bún măng vịt is a permanent fixture at my parent’s weekend dinners. This simple and rich vermicelli soup is a dish that one will not find at a restaurant. This is comfort food at its core. A whole duck is boiled for 45 minutes to create a fragrant and rich broth. The duck is then cut into bit size pieces and ready to be dipped in a garlic ginger fish sauce. The bowl of noodle soup is topped with bamboo shoots simply sauteed with some seasoning and a salad of lettuce, cabbage and mints. This is a meal that is best served with family and friends as you’ll guarantee to fight over the meatiest parts of the duck. This dish takes 1 – 1.5 hours to prepare. The recipe serves approximately 8 portions and is rated medium in difficulty. Ingredients: 1 whole duck 1 package of dried bamboo shoots (If you don’t have this, you can use the can version.) 8 tablespoons of fish sauce (for broth and …

Must Do’s: My Virginia Beach Experience

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I remember going to Virginia Beach for the first time when I was in elementary school. Back then, the oceanfront boardwalk did not even reach its current length and there were only a handful of upscale hotels. The city has invested heavily to make VA Beach a family beach destination. I have fond memories of my parents giving us a few dollars to take the trolley up and down Beach Street USA, to window shop along the main street stores and to watch the free entertainment on the other side of the beachfront properties. The boardwalk expanded to its current 28-feet wide and 3 mile long pathway with a separate bike lane over the years. Each night, one could hear live music from the various venues along this pathway. It has become a tradition to have our family reunion in VA Beach for the last 20 plus years. There are a few things that my family love to do and this is my list of the Must Do’s in VA Beach. Activity: Wake up early in the …