I’m a sucker for ingredients that I didn’t grow up with. I’d often seek it out, with no intention to buy it, but just to keep a mental catalogue of the pricing at different grocery stores, then finally going for it once I see a price to justify this purchase that I have…
Category: Cooking
Vietnamese Pickled Daikon & Carrot in 30 Minutes (Đồ chua)
I’ve attempted Vietnamese pickles a dozen times. And all the many times, testing a balance between vinegar and water, and adjusting the sugar and salt levels. Little did I know that my final recipe would only use 2 tablespoons of vinegar as the liquid content. Look ahead for your new go-to quick Vietnamese…
Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork (Or Carnitas!)
I had no idea how ridiculously easy pulled pork is to make. It also makes me wonder why I’ve tried so many mediocre ones in my life! This pulled pork recipe, can easily be made into carnitas with a fry over a pan. The balance of salty, sweet and citrusy orange cuts through…
Filipino Eggplant Omelette (Tortang Talong)
You’re looking at an inspired dish of Tortang Talong – the Filipino omelette. The batter and sear of this egg-coated eggplant transforms the texture entirely, you forget that you’re eating an eggplant! Traditionally, the eggplants are charred over a flame before being peeled, and flattened as an omelette, the char is the dimension…
Fuzzy Melon Soup with Pork & Shrimp (Canh Bi Dao)
Growing up, the dinner table would comprise of multiple Vietnamese dishes: one to two mains and one large sharing bowl of soup to finish. We would have our personal serving bowls filled with rice and a plate to lean our chopsticks & spoon. This fuzzy melon soup is one of the many soups…
Cheesy Baked Feta Pasta (Yes, the TikTok Trend)
I’m all for viral Tiktok food trends. They must be spreading like wildfire for a delicious reason, wouldn’t they? The tortilla Tiktok hack is easy to understand how delicious it is. I also reluctantly tried out “sour patch kid grapes”, which tasted just like the ingredients: halved green grapes and a slice of…
Vietnamese Tomato & Fish Soup with Pickled Mustard Greens
This soup is a result of attempting to satisfy a nostalgic home-style Vietnamese soup that my dad would make growing up (minus the fish). For the protein, it’d instead be pork spare ribs, but I’m using frozen fish for this recipe. With every meal at home, we would have a soup, protein and…
Mini Scotch Eggs (with Quail Eggs)
Here’s my take on this gastropub fave! There’s just something special about scotch eggs, and the layers of delicious contrast. Battered with breading and wrapped in sausage – the flavor contrast biting into the crisp breading, sausage and pop of egg is incredible. I created these with quail eggs, and they’re perfect two-biters….
Crispy Rice Paper Rolls (Cha Gio)
Meet my favourite Vietnamese appetizer that I never order. Cha gio comes in either a rice paper wrapper, or more commonly a yellow egg wrapper. The rice paper wrapper is far superior in my books. With a fry, you get that chew, and light crisp, and all the filling. You can make these rolls to your preference: all vegetarian, without taro, or a combo of everything, like I have!
Vegetable Chow Mein Noodles (No Wok Needed!)
The flavours in this chow mein recipe comes close to one of my favourites. The best chow mein I’ve tasted is from Sam’s Congee or that one Soy Bean place in Heritage Court (now a memory). The portion size from both restaurants are very small. And notice how at both places, they have…
