Month: April 2015

Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (Thit Heo Quay)

Published by

There is nothing like a bowl of crispy pork belly over rice for lunch. The pork is well seasoned in five spice powder, moist and tender while the skin is extra crispy. I served it over steamed rice and poached chinese bok choi. This is one of my favorite recipes, I made this dish yesterday and I already want to make more today. Making crispy pork belly is easier than you think. With this recipe, you’ll never have to buy roasted pork from Chinatown again. 2 lbs skin-on pork belly 3 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp five-spice powder ½ tsp pepper 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tsp white vinegar 1. Clean the pork belly and pat dry with a paper towel. Then make a few scores on the meat side, about 2 cm deep, to help marinate the meat. 2. Mix 1 tsp of salt, add the sugar, five-spice powder, hoisin, and pepper into a paste. 3. Rub the paste onto the meat on all sides except the skin side. Try to keep the …

Vietnamese Crab & Lobster Noodle Soup in Tomato Broth (Bun Rieu Tom Cua)

Published by

If you’ve ever been to a Vietnamese restaurant, you know we love our soups. The most popular Vietnamese noodle soup is, of course, pho. While pho is a national dish, its cousins such as Bun Bo Hue, Hu Tieu, or Bun Rieu deserve just as much attention. I grew up in Vinh Long, Vietnam. For a while, I lived with my grandmother on the country side of Vietnam. My parents and sisters had moved to the city. Because they made this decision in the middle of the year, I had to stay behind with my grandmother to finish the rest of the school semester. I think I was about 9 or 10 years old. Every weekend, I would take the ferry-boat to the city to visit my family, then take the ferry back to my grandma again. My youngest uncle, Cau Ut, was also finishing his high school years and living with my grandma. My grandmother owned a lot of land, which she used partially as rice paddy field. My uncle used to catch a lot …

Charleston, South Carolina

Published by

To take advantage of the warm, newly Spring weather, my sisters and I took a road trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Baby E went along for the ride. We arrived in downtown Charleston just in time for lunch. Our first stop, Persimmon Cafe, off of Calhoun Street, blocks away from the heart beat King Street of Charleston. Persimmon Cafe is a modern, rustic cafe that features gourmet paninis and sandwiches. With a convenient location near the College of Charleston and Medical College of South Carolina, this cafe was buzzing with college students grabbing a bite and prep for the approaching finals. What makes Persimmon Cafe even more special, is that it’s located inside a laundromat. You read right, not next to one, not nearby one, inside a laundromat. The restaurant takes up about 1/5 of this fairly clean, large laundromat. Your sandwiches are prepared at the same counter where you order. A long wooden table is lined against one of the laundromat walls, facing Calhoun Street. Guests can people watch while finishing their lunch. Baby E …

Thai Dinner ft. Coconut Chicken Soup, Beef Larb, and Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice

Published by

I had a few good friends over for dinner. It so happen, one of my good friends love, no, she’s obsessed, with pineapples. We have tried pineapple fried rice in many different restaurants, but she was always disappointed that it did not come in an actual pineapple, as most restaurant ads suggest. So, to surprise her, I carved out a pineapple to serve my fried rice in. She was impressed. She even kept the pineapple “bowl.” For appetizer, I made beef larb and coconut chicken soup. Recipes for all three items are below. Enjoy! BEEF LARB I have made this dish before using chicken. Here is the recipe once again, using ground beef. 1 lb of ground beef 1/2 thinly sliced red onion 2 small stalks of green onions, chopped A handful of  fresh mint leaves (approximate 1/2 cup), roughly chopped 1/2 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped (avoid using the stems) 3 to 4 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced 3 tablespoon of roasted rice powder 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice Lettuce, cabbage or shrimp chips for …