Vietnam Observations

Vietnamese food is always good, and glad we were able to sample the real thing in Saigon and Hoi An. The whole family enjoyed, especially Ms Ly's in Hoi An.

• Hoa Tuc (Saigon): former opium refinery churning out simple, home-cooked fare with the occasional inventive streak.
• Quan An Ngon (Saigon): busy old colonial villa converted into a restaurant; the theme here is street / hawker food brought under a single roof, with various prep stations circling a tropical eating terrace.
• Trois Gourmands (Saigon): Gils the mustached chef has many stories to tell at this cozy villa in expat hood Tong Huu Dinh. His absolute stand-out home-made cheeses were an inspiration: fromage frais with truffles, fromage frais with herbs and some mimolette-type cheese marinated in a olive oil for 3-, 6- and 9 months. The beef cheeks and foie gras was hardly 90 degree weather dish, but the subsequent air con ride to the airport, along with the excellent St Nicolas de Bourgeuil, helped ease it along the digestive tract.
• Miss Ly's Cafeteria (Hoi An): we had endless sumptuous dishes here, but standouts were the white roses (open face wontons), fried wontons & crab salad, cold rice noodles & grilled pork, and the ubiquitous shredded chicken & papaya salad.
• Morning Glory (Hoi An): a cooking school and restaurant; fun in that the owner/chef clearly cares about food, but a tad too big and touristy.

Smoldering Ember

A daring cocktail from Ma Peche. The Cynar caught my eye, recalling a trip to Palermo with Ari when much was consumed. I doubt this would fly at all there, but works pretty well for me.

1 part Cynar

1 part Punt e Mes

dash of tobasco

1. combine ingredients with ice in a shaker
2. shake vigorously, pour into small tumblers

Sake System Shock

An addictive Momofuku cocktail from Ma Peche in New York. The bar tender told me exactly how to do it, and must say this came out pretty close if not perfect. Spicy, sweet and sour at the same time!

37.5 cl bottle of sake

1 tblsp togarashi

maple syrup

juice of lemon

1. combine sake and togarashi, let infuse 4 minutes and strain through a coffee filter
2. put 2 parts infused sake, 1 part maple syrup and 1 part freshly-squeezed lemon juice in a shaker
3. add ice and shake vigorously, strain into small tumblers

Marilu's Mung Bean Noodles

My favorite Marilu dish, adobo aside. A fun way to eat noodles if you prefer to avoid wheat. Serve with lemon wedges and your choice of chili sauce (I've been using a Japanese red chili & yuzu paste).

mung bean noodle

minced pork and chicken

haricots verts cut into mini julienne

minced carrot

organic chicken broth

juice of half fresh lemon

4 tblsp EVOO

fresh minced garlic

fresh minced shallots

fresh ground black pepper

thai fish sauce

3 tblsp soy sauce

1. saute garlic and shallot in a pan with the EVOO
2. when golden brown, add minced pork and chicken
3. when cooked, add 1/4 cup chicken broth
4. add minced carrots and haricots verts
5. cook for about 15 minutes more, then set aside
6. meanwhile, soak the mung bean noodles in a pot of hot water for ten minutes
7. in a pan, with 2 tblsp of EVOO, add half cup of chicken broth, the soy sauce, lemon and pepper
8. let simmer then add the softened mung bean noodles, keep tossing until cooked
9. add the sauteed pork, chicken and vegetables to the noodles

Filipino Cucumber Salad

Perfect with adobo, or anything else really.

1/8 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup cold water

1 tblsp of sugar

1/8 tsp of sea salt

dash of white pepper

1. peel and de-seed cucumbers, slice thinly into moon shapes
2. mix above ingredients and poor into bowl with cucumber

Marilu's Pork Adobo

A lovely pork adobo Marilu-style. Unlike many adobos, this one has a very intense and concentrated sauce. Serve with steamed rice and cucumber and rice vinegar dressing.

450 gr pork belly (or pork ribs)

3/4 rice wine vinegar

1/4 soy sauce

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

half head garlic (broken)

1. cut pork in 1.5 inch squares
2. put pork and rest of ingredients in pot
3. let boil, then lower heat and cook for an hour, checking every 15 minutes (stir if necessary to prevent sticking at bottom of pan)
4. cook until gravy is caramelized

Pimm's Porteno-Style

A great version of Pimm's from Sydney's Porteno...

Pimms

Cointreau

fresh lemon juice

cucumber juice

ginger ale

1. in a glass of ice, pour 1 part cointreau, 3 parts Pimms
2. add lemon and cucumber juice to taste
3. top up with ginger ale