hello from the land of motorcycles and cheap clothes!! family and I have just landed in Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) and so far the city has been so welcoming. Our trip is 100% self booked- we wanted to do things this time around that we werent able to do during our honeymoon. the bucket list includes : 1. food tour - later this afternoon our gastronomic feast will begin. entirely a walking tour that boasts a local's guide to all the great culinary offerings the city can offer 2. cooking class- this came highly recommended among friends the first time we were planning to visit. too bad our schedules were too packed for us to squeeze this in. luckily this time around I get to attend one while Mart tours my in-laws to some tourist sites we've already visited like the reunification palace. 3. puppet show- Mart had learned that there are water puppet shows. I haven't heard about this but I am looking forward to seeing it.
0 Comments
As previously written, I was in the process of making my first new recipe for 2015: Bun Cha. I had already marinated the meat and bought the rice noodles. (Luckily the noodles are available here in Legazpi!) So finally time for the actual cooking! I was in a mad rush to prepare the food because my food tasters were hungry : Mart and Pop. So with the aid of my kitchen helpers I set to work to: 1. Shred the carrots with a cheese grater 2. Chop the coriander (which luckily there was stock in Robinsons Supermarket) 3. Pound the peanuts to tiny pieces 4. Cook the noodles (use boiling water and the noodles should be well hydrated/cooked in 10 minutes) 5. Shred the lettuce to bite size pieces 6. Mold the meat and cook in a cast-iron pan 7. Blanche the bean sprouts 8. ASSEMBLE THE MASTERPIECE! Now to commence the final part of the recipe: assembly of the salad. There is no art to how I placed the dish together -- I was too hungry to make it overly designed a-la Master Chef-- but the simple rule of layering all the components apply. I had originally placed the greens, sprinkled a little of the carrots, cucumber and bean sprouts. After which I placed a heaping amount of noodles and topped it off with the pork and more vegetables.
(Our bowls at home are too small to house the entire dish but I tried anyway. In the end we dumped all the contents on the plate to eat with all gusto. ) I then drizzled the dressing on top and the dish was finished! Sweet pork patties, rice noodles, fresh greens A creature of habit, especially when it comes to food, I usually always order a favorite when I'm craving. So whenever we visit Pho Hoa there is always one thing I'll surely get: Vermicelli Salad.
Since there isn't any Pho Hoa's here in Legazpi and I don't get to leave for Manila on a whim, I decided to fulfill New Year Resolution # 4 (experimenting in the kitchen) by learning how to make the salad from scratch. Christmas time is usually the opportunity many take to have reunions and reminisce about the past while making memories for the future. Living 45mins away (by plane) has made me want to spend extra time with friends Ive made here in Manila. Which is why I scheduled a lunch reunion with my gal pals from my corporate ex life. Geli Lauren Kei and I met in the management trainee program of a bank..we all came from the same college, had similar work habits and really bonded throughout the 2 year stint. ever since graudation we would either travel together, hang out or have a meal. this time around it was lunch at Yabu. too bad though Kei couldn't make it, being based in Singapore now. (we missed u!!) time apart hasnt diminished the kwentuhan! lunch went by so fast with all the stories thrown back and forth. Geli is taking her masters. Lauren (and her husband) are improving and growing their business. so many has happened since we first met way back 2009. and yet we are as giggly as ever ( maybe more so!). reunions are the best!! Dad came over for a visit and we celebrated the occasion with a simple yummy dinner at Zoe's Kitchen. It's a really home-y restaurant along the Legazpi Boulevard that offers delicious eats at reasonable prices. Martin and mom ordered the lamb that goes for Php300 but has a really generous serving of lamb steak, mashed potatoes, a sauce choice and mixed veggies. I ordered Beef Salpicao for the same price and I could barely finish the entire plate because there was just too much. Dad, naman, ordered their signature Baby Back Ribs. The night was also perfect for a bike ride so we took out our tandem bike for the short distance. This was also in preparation for tomorrows fun ride: Pidal para sa Sinsilyo. It has been a while since I've sat on the saddle so I could feel a couple of my muscles protesting the moderate exercise. We also got a lot of attention, it's not everyday you see a tandem trike around the city. Tonight was full of good eats, funny stories and even better memories. |
Who is sab_adventures?I have always wanted to write. This will now be a creative outlet-- home to all my arts and crafts. So feel free to browse around my everyday adventures. Interests
All
History
November 2016
|