All posts tagged: Street food

Bánh Khọt  – Vietnamese Mini Rice Pancakes

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Bánh Khọt is a very popular snack originating in the central region of Vietnam. The dish is made of miniature rice pancakes topped with shrimp and eaten with herbs and vegetables and a spicy sweet fish sauce. Street vendors usually hawk this savory treat with their sizzling griddle beckoning all to try them. The perfect bánh khọt is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Even though it is a fried dish, this snack can be semi-healthy with the amount of vegetables and herbs that are usually eaten in each lettuce wrap. Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 4 people / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 to 1.5 pound of large shrimp (depending on the size). You can also substitute shrimp with mushrooms or ground meat. 1 and 1/2 cup Bánh Khọt  mix (rice flour, corn starch, wheat flour) 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder 1/2 cup corn starch 1/2 cup of coconut milk 2 cups + 3 tablespoons of water 1 tablespoon of fish sauce 1/4 teaspoon of sugar 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice 1 …

Vietnamese Grilled Chili Bread / Bánh Mì Nướng Muối Ớt

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Vietnamese street food has been gaining popularity over the past few years. The combination of influences from western foodie culture and flavors from its Asian neighbors created an interesting variety of new offerings. Vietnamese grilled chili bread or bánh mì nướng muối ớt is a fusion dish that is made for gatherings. This snack is highly customizable and elevates a few inexpensive ingredients to the next level. This is our version of this popular street snack. Ingredients: 2 loaves of bread such as Portuguese roll or similar type of bread that has a  nice crust with a light and soft inside. 1 tablespoon of chili paste such as Sambal Oelek Chili Paste 1 tablespoon of Sriracha (and more to garnish at the end) 1 tablespoon of regular mayonnaise or Kewpie mayonnaise 1 tablespoon of butter 2 stalks of scallion 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon of sugar 1 tablespoon of garlic (approximately 3 cloves) Handful of fried shallots Sprinkle of ground black pepper Meat Toppings: 1/4 pound of Chinese BBQ pork or any other meat toppings like …

Vietnamese BBQ: Lemongrass Marinade and the Chicken Skewers

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Every culture has some form of street food.  The United States has hot dogs and pretzels.  Vietnam has a whole culinary dictionary of street delights.  One of the most common snack is meat skewer marinated in fragrant lemongrass and fish sauce grilled over these tiny aluminum boxes filled with flaming coals on a hidden alley somewhere.  These grilled skewers became a staple of Vietnamese restaurants in the US and worldwide.  Every family has a marinade recipe of the same ingredients but in different proportions. This is our family’s recipe that we serve at the restaurants and at home over the years. The trick to this recipe is to marinate the meat overnight.  We tried it with just ½ an hour and it was still delicious.  I highly suggest marinating these overnight and even leaving them in the freezer during the week until you are ready to consume them. We grilled these chicken skewers over a traditional Vietnamese charcoal box, but you can easily do this on any grill or on the stove.  The combination of …

Street Food Fair: NYC UrbanSpace Garment District (May 4th to June 14th 2015)

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Over the last few years, NYC has seen a rejuvenation of street food.  The city went from having just your standard carts for hot dogs, breakfast items and the likes to a booming food truck trend. The “It” food trend for the last few years and gaining steam has been the rise of the gourmet street food fairs. UrbanSpace, a British company, started hosting various markets in NYC during the past few years including Mad. Sq. Eats, Broadway Bites, UrbanSpace Garment District, the Union Square Holiday Market and Columbus Circle Holiday Market.  For this post, I will be exploring some items that caught my eye at the UrbanSpace Garment District food fair. Domo Taco (Price:  Less than $10, Taste:  3.5 out of 5 stars) This is an asian-inspired Mexican food stall which means they put their interpretation of some basic meats with asian sauces on a taco. The result is surprisingly good, though not that innovative.  We tried the 3 tacos for $9 combo and selected lemongrass chicken, shrimp tempura and fish tempura tacos.  For $9, you do get a …