Archive for the 'Vietnamese' Category

Bắp Xào Tôm Bơ – Vietnamese Sauteed Corn with Dried Shrimp, Scallions, and Butter

Published by Gastronomer on May 21, 2012 in Bap, Recipe, Side Dish, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 7 Comments

When the sun sets in Saigon, the street food vendors specializing in lunchtime rice plates and noodle bowls make way for evening offerings like roasted quail, grilled cuttlefish, and my personal favorite, sauteed corn. It’s impossible to resist the funky, savory, and buttery allure of bắp xào tôm bơ, especially when its enticing aroma cuts through the thick cloud of motorbike exhaust. Only in Saigon does pollution and temptation coexist so harmoniously.

As much as I adored this street side staple, I hadn’t thought much of it recently until I saw corn on sale while grocery shopping this past weekend. I picked up six ears for just over a buck and got to thinking about how to best prepare my loot. With dried shrimp, scallions, and butter ready to go in my pantry, I was all set to recreate my beloved Vietnamese sauteed corn at home.

While the red pepper flakes, fish sauce, and scallions each play an essential part in flavoring the buttery kernels, it’s the minced dried shrimp that take this dish to the next level. These pungent and salty little morsels punctuate each bite, transforming the corn from a very nice side dish to one that is intriguing and completely addicting.

Bắp xào tôm bơ is traditionally garnished with a florescent squiggle of red chili sauce, but I generally prefer mine without in order to fully take in each caramelized and blistered bite. Now that this dish has come back into my life, it’s definitely going to be a summertime mainstay. Hello, corn season!

6 cobs of fresh corn
2 tablespoons butter
4 scallion stalks, trimmed
2 tablespoons dried shrimp
2/3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (optional)

Remove the corn kernels from the cobs using a very sharp paring knife and set aside.

Chop the scallions, white and green parts, and mince the dried shrimp. Set aside.

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Hủ Tiếu Mì – Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup

Published by Gastronomer on May 7, 2012 in Family Recipe, Hu Tieu Dai, Hu Tieu My Tho, Hu Tieu Nam Vang, Mi / Hu Tieu Bo Vien, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 11 Comments

One of my culinary goals this year was to stop being such a wuss about preparing Vietnamese noodle soups at home. Four months and some change into 2012, I’m stoked to have mastered Bò Kho (Vietnamese beef stew), Bún Riêu Cua (Vietnamese crab and tomato soup), and most recently, Hủ Tiếu Mì (Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup).

This most recent accomplishment coincided with my eldest cousin moving into town. Hủ Tiếu Mì is his absolute favorite noodle soup, and he requested that I make a huge vat of it just as soon as he arrived. He also asked for wontons to go with it, but that will be for another time. I need to concentrate on and conquer one dish at a time.

To learn the ins and outs of this Chinese-influenced noodle soup, I sought assistance from my aunt Thao. Something that she mentioned more than once was the importance of having a clear soup. To achieve this, the pork bones used to make the broth needs to boiled and cleaned, and one has to be diligent about skimming off any fat or foam that rises to the surface. Clear broth. Full bellies. Can’t lose.

This recipe makes about a dozen bowls worth, which is just about perfect in my mind. My cousin came over twice for dinner along with his fiancee and took leftovers for breakfast the following morning. Making a tremendous amount of food and having family over to enjoy it made me feel like I was continuing our family’s great tradition of nourishing and over-stuffing. This is what Vietnamese food is all about.

For broth

6 pounds pork bones (neck or spine—Grandma says that spine is tastiest)
1 daikon, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half or thirds
1 cup dried shrimp or 2 dried cuttlefish
7 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon monosodium glutamate (optional)

For toppings and garnish

1.5 pounds ground pork
1.5 pounds pork shoulder/butt
2 bunch scallions, chopped
Salt
Pepper

For noodles

2 pounds thin or wide egg noodles (mì) or wide rice noodles (hủ tiếu), prepared according to directions on package

Make broth

Place the pork bones in a large stockpot. Fill the stockpot with enough water to cover the surface of the bones and bring to a boil. The pork bones will have some impurities that need to be washed away, so once the water comes to a boil, discard it and collect the bones in a colander.

One by one, rinse the bones to remove any scum. The cleaner the bones, the clearer the broth will be.

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Noodle Guy – Alhambra

Published by Gastronomer on March 20, 2012 in Alhambra, Bun Thit Nuong/Xao, Los Angeles, Nem Nuong, Pho, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese. 13 Comments

Friday night called for something warm and comforting for dinner. It’s been one of the mildest winters in recent memory, but temps hovered in the fifties this evening and storms were rolling in from points north. After assessing the possibilities in and around the neighborhood, The Astronomer and I decided that a short drive to Alhambra for Vietnamese beef noodle soup was the order of the day.

Noodle Guy, not to be confused with Noodle King two doors down or Noodle Boy in nearby Rosemead, serves Vietnam’s greatest hits. From broken rice to spring rolls, there’s enough variety here to fill a thick, spiral-bound booklet. However, glancing around the dining room, it seemed that most everyone was burying their faces into a big bowl of pho.

Taking a cue from my fellow Noodle Guy-goers, I ordered a bowl of pho bo dac biet. Beneath the heap of chopped cilantro and sliced onions was a bed of rice noodles and a delectable collection of meaty odds and ends including flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe.

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Discovering Downtown One Bite at a Time: Grand Central Market, Chinatown, and Olvera Street

Published by Gastronomer on March 8, 2012 in Banh Mi, Downtown, Los Angeles, Markets, Mexican, Restaurant Review, Salvadoran and Vietnamese. 9 Comments

The weather in Los Angeles was even more gorgeous than usual this past weekend, so The Astronomer and I spent much of it outside soaking in the sunshine. On Saturday afternoon, I curated an urban hike through downtown that included plenty to see and eat.

Our first stop was at Grand Central Market, a bustling place where people gather to eat, meet, and shop. The energy inside was palpable, and everything gleamed with deliciousness.

After perusing the aisles, hemming, hawing, and gawking, we finally chose to sit down for a bite at Sarita’s Pupuseria. Here, the Salvadoran specialty made of thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheeses and meats is made from scratch and griddled to order.

Our pork- and cheese-stuffed pupusa ($2.50) arrived after a ten minute wait. A watery tomato salsa and curtido, a lightly fermented cabbage slaw with red chilies and vinegar, were available at the counter for us to garnish as we pleased.

The warm pupusa was crisp and golden on the outside and oozed with cheese and shredded pork within. Even with the curtido and salsa curbing the pupusa’s richness, one was more than enough for the two of us. It was muy rico!

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Central (H)eating in the Central Highlands: Quán Bình Dân 07 – Đà Lạt

Published by Gastronomer on January 23, 2012 in Dalat, Lau, Mi Xao / Hu Tieu Xao, Restaurant Review, Seafood and Vietnamese. 2 Comments

After spending a week in Saigon visiting family and taking advantage of the city’s unbelievable dining scene, The Astronomer and I hopped a flight to Dalat. Nestled in the mountains of the Central Highlands, Dalat offered a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively, from Saigon’s frenetic pace.

Here, temperatures were markedly cooler, roads were downright spacious, and the terrain was hilly and green. It’s no wonder that newly wedded Vietnamese honeymoon here in droves. Fresh air is romantic!

One of the highlights of our side trip was the meals that we shared at Quan Binh Dan 07, a scruffy local restaurant specializing in cac mon nhau (drinking food).

The sounds of boisterous revelers, along with the irresistible scent of meat sizzling on the grill, beckoned to The Astronomer while on his evening run. He was so excited to have stumbled upon such a find that we dined there that very night.

The restaurant was mostly packed when we came in, with small groups of friends and families huddled around communal hotpots and tabletop grills. This sort of fare is popular throughout Vietnam, but here in the crisp mountain air, it seemed less out of place.

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