#viet hunk | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

austinpanda · 5 years

Text

Dad Letter, 123018

30 December, 2018

Dear Dad--

Happy almost New Year! I hope you had a good Christmas. Mine was excellent! And for some reason, I’m proud of the presents I got! This is mostly due to the fact that I’m asking for better shit than I did as a young adult. As an example, there’s a book I put on my wish list by a Soviet-era Russian named Stanislaw Lem. The book is called ‘Solaris,’ which is a science fiction book about a planet that humans visit, and the planet does...well, let’s just say it communicates in a very weird way with the human explorers. I expect this book to be tough to read! It’s complicated. It has a pretty complex central concept. It was written in the U.S.S.R. and it’s been made into a movie twice. I’m proud to have received this book!

Books are special possessions, obviously. Another thing on my wish list that I received for Christmas was a book stand. In case it isn’t obvious, it’s a big square of wood, with a 2” lip at the bottom to rest a book on. And it has a little adjustable metal finger on each side, with a soft rubber tip, to gently hold the book open. It’s like a lectern, or music stand, but it just sits on a table and holds a book open in an artful fashion. It looks great, and has increased the gravitas of my living room by an astonishing 14%! (If I put my nice Bible on there, that’ll add another 8% just on its own.) Then someone comes into the apartment, sees my open Bible displayed on my new book stand, and automatically they know I’m a good person, and they won’t steal my shit. Ha-ha!

Since I just finished being in that temporary period of not being poor, I was able to take care of a few things I needed, like getting new shoes for my special orthotic inserts, and new prescription sunglasses. I found an outfit online that will make prescription glasses for as little as $25, and I needed some, so I got some prescription shades. Makes me feel quite the big shot. “Yes, these are sunglasses. And yes, I can actually read road signs while I have them on. Now go away, serf, or I shall taunt you a second time.” I’ll include a pic of me with the new specs.

Not too many other bits of news, except a few things I may have mentioned in the past. I have a nasty toothache, so I’m going to get an appointment Monday to see the dentist. Until then, I’m surviving on ibuprofin, goosed occasionally with Vicodins I had left over from the gallbladder removal surgery. I had a funny reaction to the pain pills one day last week. I tried contacting my dentist about it last week, but I suppose they were closed for the week, and I never heard back. About Thursday of last week, the toothache had been particularly unpleasant upon waking up, so breakfast that day was coffee and Vicodin. Then, when I got to work, I felt really high. (Perhaps the opioids knocked loose a chunk of THC that had been stuck in my brain somewhere.) I don’t normally feel high after taking pain pills; I just feel less pain. (I’m grateful for both of those things. I don’t want to start taking them for fun, I just want my stupid tooth to stop hurting.) But on this particular morning, I just felt really stoned. Good news is, I didn’t have to take phone calls that day, and my work productivity was good, because I wasn’t distracted by a whole Viet Nam in my mouth because of this stupid bad tooth. I’ll be happy when it’s fixed.

Zach is well. Samuel L. Jackson, Cat is well. Stacy had a decent Christmas, as far as I know, except that she was sick with something that might have been strep throat. That had to be unpleasant. Oh! I was able to give her the three art things I had made for her. First was a small canvas showing the solar system, then a thing like a snow globe with glitter, but applied to a canvas, like it had been exploded. (You’ll have to take my word for it that this was an attempt at “art.) And one last canvas that was a grid with samples of all the materials used to make the other gifts. Last year’s painting was the one I made of her cats and her snakes. We Weidmanns do love our pets.

It’s cold here today, so we have a fire going in our little fireplace. I have to admit, it feels a bit foolish paying money for wood that I’m going to burn, but I found some cheap firewood at Lowe’s, of all places. I get regular wood and then I get a box of these things called Enviro-Logs, which are made out of recycled waxed cardboard, which is used in things like cake boxes. They’re Duraflame logs for liberals, I suppose. I’m trying to convince my kitty that it’s nice and warm in front of the fireplace, and he’s just not having it. He flees from the fireplace like it’s the vacuum cleaner. Sam can be a dumbass.

So, for the coming week, I have work tomorrow, which will be dead, because it’s New Year’s Eve, so therefore nice, because it’s easy money. We have no plans for New Year’s Eve, other than attempting to stay up till midnight. Even if one doesn’t have a party to attend, it’s still fun to be awake when it turns the new year, because everyone in town starts setting off fireworks illegally. (If you’re asleep when this happens, you might wake up in the process of hurling yourself to the floor to avoid what sounds like gunshots.) Then, once the fireworks get going, all the dogs get barking. Then the sirens come, looking for the miscreants who set off the fireworks, and hopefully no one’s apartment burns down.

If my apartment burns down, I’m covered. I assume my renter’s insurance through State Farm will then swoop in to write me a big check, so as long as me, Zach, and the cat make it out of the fire, we get rewarded with all new stuff! It’s the little dreams that sustain one over time.

Trying a new dinner tonight; a variation of pot roast. You stick the hunk of meat in the slow cooker, pour a Coke over it, then toss in a packet of onion soup mix. Part of me thinks it’s going to be tasty, and looks forward to trying it. Part of me thinks we’re making nothing more than a giant meat lollipop, and is therefore ambivalent. If it turns out to be delicious in a life-altering way, I’ll be sure to let you know!

#dadletter #lettertodad #letterstodad #waterthemshits

1 note · View note

dweemeister · 6 years

Photo

Actress Wanted (2018)

Just south of Los Angeles is Orange County, which many know as simply, “The OC”. As an Orange County resident myself, I tend to avoid referring to my home county as such, as it summons an image of white, well-to-do hunks who live in the beach cities and for whom puberty was kind to. Today, Orange County, as a part of suburban Los Angeles, is no longer the affluent, white-dominated bastion it has been long stereotyped as. Look inland and you will find a growing Latino population, transforming the landscape of the county’s sociopolitical culture. So too can you find Vietnamese-Americans, especially in the Little Saigon area that encompasses Westminster, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana. The largest collection of Vietnamese-Americans – many of whom are refugees or the descendants of those who fled South Vietnam during the Fall of Saigon and the years that followed – live in the area. Vietnamese-Americans have also shaped Orange County’s history, in ways rarely reported beyond Southern California.

Always in the shadow of Hollywood, Orange County has seldom been used in films. All of this makes Actress Wanted, directed, written, and edited by Minh Duc Nguyen, a startling surprise: a thriller-horror set amid the suburban placidity of Little Saigon. Little Saigon does not feel like a typical horror setting, but this is not any typical movie.

Mai (Thien Nguyen; no relation) is an aspiring actress frustrated by her inability to land an audition callback. Perusing through the classifieds of Việt Báo Daily News, a local Vietnamese-American newspaper, she notices a posting for an Actress Wanted. Soon, she auditions for Vu (Long Nguyen; no relation to his co-star or director), a Garden Grove Unified janitor in his late 50s – one wonders how, on a janitor’s wages, he is able to afford the house that he resides in; but that is the last of the film’s concerns. Vu is seeking someone to reenact ten moments between himself and his late wife, Hong. Unsettled by Vu’s demeanor but desperate for money to pay the rent, Mai is offered the part and accepts. Through these reenactments, Mai learns the details of Vu and Hong’s love – from their first meeting to the tragedy that befell them. Mai’s roommate, Linh (Isabelle Du), is relieved to hear there is no hanky panky involved, but senses something amiss. The film’s few moments of violence come in the final minutes – gruesome, yet evoking sympathies for all those involved.

Mai and Vu are of their respective generations. We suspect Mai has been looking for steady employment for a while, as she makes the ultimate decision based on financial stability as opposed to her safety. Her demeanor, as opposed to Linh’s sarcasm and eye-rolling attitude towards authority and elders, is deferential, with an eagerness to please and a verbal instinct to avoid confrontation. Like the millennial stereotype goes, her lack of direct eye contact during conversations suggests personal insecurities she might not have given much thought about. Mai goes out of her way to be pleasant towards Vu after they have playacted individual scenes. Her Vietnamese is also imperfect – code-switching occurs frequently depending on who she, probably American-born is speaking to (a majority of the dialogue in Actress Wanted is in Vietnamese). For Vu, it is established that he is a refugee, arriving in the United States following the Vietnam War. Unlike Mai, he has not assimilated to America – he never speaks English, and never appears to consume any English-language media or emerge from his household nowadays. It is also suggested that his mental health may be tenuous (as a subset of Asian-Americans, Vietnamese-Americans have among the highest rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD), with Vu – home alone – turning to his late wife’s portrait, asking how those memories actually played out.

The scene reenactments – recalled down to exact sentences and written out by Vu; the script and even Hong’s clothes delivered by mail to Mai – are set in the exact locations where these scenes took place. Vu instructs Mai to wear exactly what Hong wore on those days, even making suggestions on makeup and hairstyling while shaving and donning an ill-fitting wig himself. If this seems to be an act of posthumous obsession where the living has considerable mental problems they need to address, Mai is looking the other way. Indirectly, Actress Wanted provides a glimpse of two Vietnamese-American generations in times of youth (and, in Vu’s case, old age). The dialogue during the memory recreations describes how difficult Vu and Hong found life in America, how different Vietnamese-American children born in the United States are to Vietnamese children. The cultural specificity in these moments, juxtaposing Vu’s recollections of youth to Mai’s present youth, permits empathy between the characters and within the audience – strengthening the impact of Actress Wanted’s final minutes.

Cinematographer Terrance Stewart alternates between tighter shots to imply Mai’s professional frustrations and wider shots during the memory reenactments to suggest artistic freedom, looming dread. Though not making for a visually fascinating experience, a lack of hand-held shaky camera pervasive in independent cinema and low-budget films is thankfully absent. I just wonder how did the crew find so many cloudy days in Orange County to shoot this film (there was an eighteen-day timetable on the shoot) – the overcast weather, a natural way to desaturate any movie, contributes to the increasingly disturbing atmosphere that Actress Wanted exudes. Once Mai first meets Vu and with the exception of any scenes involving Mai speaking to Linh, that atmosphere never relents.

Actress Wanted poses few departures or deconstructions of horror or thriller norms. The secrets of one supporting character that first presents himself near Dalat Supermarket in Garden Grove (a local landmark, among many appearing throughout) seem too convenient for the narrative, allowing Mai to unearth things about Vu far too easily. That twist, the first of two, never has the gravity that the filmmakers want it to have. The acting ensemble, spearheaded by a chilling performance by Long Nguyen, is sometimes uneven from Thien Nguyen and Isabelle Du – as enjoyable as both are. With Thien Nguyen (her feature film debut), the terror she feels in the closing minutes never feels as visceral as it should be; for Du, there is not much she adds to her character’s status as the comic foil.

Veteran Long Nguyen (1993′s Heaven & Earth, 2006′s Journey from the Fall) is the standout: an ethereal calm pervades his character, his voice hushed in conversation as if someone else might be listening. Nguyen, as Vu, does not realize that his requests to Mai are unusual. His presence, from his first to final lines, is always unnerving – if not to his fellow lead.

Following Touch (2011), this is Minh Duc Nguyen’s second feature film. That directorial debut – a cross-cultural romantic drama – could not have foreshadowed anything that appears in Actress Wanted. Given the scope of the project, the means of production involved, themes invoked, and superb use of its Orange County setting that has nothing to do with beaches and laid-back patricians, this is a strong sophomore effort. Like older horror movies from Hollywood, this is not a piece basing its appeal on jumpscares or frequent explicit violence. Instead, it relies on the strength of its actors and the genuine concern for those touched by a solitary man’s imperfect memories.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

NOTE: Parts of this write-up have been adapted from the synopsis that I wrote for the 2018 Viet Film Fest in Orange, California.

#Actress Wanted #Minh Duc Nguyen #Thien Nguyen #Long Nguyen #Isabelle Du #Terrance Stewart #Viet Film Fest #2018 Viet Film Fest #My Movie Odyssey

1 note · View note

hotsamm · 3 years

Text

0 notes

klancefanficdotnetmobile · 7 years

Text

Keith Angst

What Comes Next (2454 words) by PM_Writes Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron) Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Emotional Support, Pre-Slash, Post S4, Keith is having a Bad Time, supportive lance, Confessions, Cuddles, hand holding, after the Final Battle, self-indulgent as heck, Sappy Series: Part 1 of What Comes Next Summary:

Lance doesn’t move his hand. “You wanna talk about it? Or we could start up the game and not deal with it right now. S’been a rough day, man. I wouldn’t blame you.”

Or-

The aftermath. They finally talk.

it’s not fair (3018 words) by albino_yeti Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron) Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Allura (Voltron), Coran (Voltron) Additional Tags: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Pining, Mutual Pining, references to past abuse, Trust Issues, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks Summary:

Keith falls for Lance, but his brain won’t let him do shit about it.

Name (14110 words) by MayaThisIsMadness Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron) Characters: Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Pidge (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Lance’s Family (Voltron), Keith’s Mother (Voltron) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, kind of sort of - Freeform, nonbinary pidge, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Keith and Shiro are Siblings, there is angst, Mental Health Issues, it will be fluffy, I’ll update the tags if need be Summary:

Lance didn’t really think he’d ever see motorcycle boy again. Keith didn’t think flower shop boy would remember him. Neither thought their lives could shift so dramatically.

it’s quite bizarre, and will remain this way (16588 words) by mayerwien Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron) Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Coran (Voltron) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - High School, Museums, space museum volunteers au, filipino!lance, pinoy!lance, vietnamese!keith, viet!keith, kids hanging out while lying on the floor, not all wood is biodegradable Series: Part 1 of all of these stars will guide us home Summary:

FROM THE DESK OF ALLURA ALTEA Director The Rex Alfor Memorial Space Museum

Dear Mr. Coran,

I am writing to entrust to you the care and supervision of the young man who will be working with our custodial team starting this coming Tuesday. The young man’s name, as I’m sure you already know, is Keith.

As you also have been made aware, the incident that occurred two weeks ago was his first criminal offense, and thus I have elected not to press charges against him, in the hope that a little community service and a few kind words will go a long way.

Please see to it that our new volunteer gets a basic but thorough introduction as to what it is we do here at RAMSM. Unless any more untoward situations arise, there is no need to report to me further. I trust your good judgment, as I always have.

(Additionally, I would like to commend you for successfully managing to keep this story out of the press. Your service to the museum over the years has gone above and beyond your job description. We will have to talk about this very soon. When are you free for coffee?)

Bookmarker’s Notes:

The space museum one

Settle Down (51513 words) by MayaThisIsMadness Chapters: 21/21 Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron) Characters: Keith (Voltron), Keith’s Family (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Lance’s Family (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Pidge (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Coran (Voltron) Additional Tags: Angst, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Much season one, keith is sad, Self-Hatred, Anxiety Attacks, But still klance fluff, touch starved, Also missions, This was me keeping myself sane over hiatus, PINING KEITH, “Platonic” bedsharing at one point, So bonding, Much friendship, I think it’s more light hearted than it sounds, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary:

Basically season one from Keith’s pov as he overcomes anxiety, insecurity, and falls in love. It follows canon events but is mostly all the in between moments that we didn’t see but could have happened. Ranges from fluff to angst to fun and stuff.

Before It’s Too Late (4587 words) by FTinally Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron) Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Additional Tags: get ready for Pain, usually I write fluff but not this time Summary:

Team Voltron is about to go into a battle, and it doesn’t look good. Keith and Lance have some things they need to talk about, but working personal issues in around possibly dying is pretty tricky.

8 notes · View notes

hotdogsfordinner · 7 months

Text

我很性感

Brock Nguyen ❤️

68 notes · View notes

specs-tacularmen · 10 months

Text

Pfshew...

The things a man has to go through just to get laid!

hai ba không bải một hai

#duy khương #vietnamese hunk #specs and muscle #specs and pecs #asian specs #viet specs

15 notes · View notes

punkgarrett · 7 years

Text

Keith and Hunk have a Samoan/Viet son (bc Keith is trans) and Shiro and Lance are the doting uncles. His name is Micah (Keith really liked it and he’s the dysphoria kid so they went with it) and he is CUTE. Pidge is the Cool Aunt. He always calls Allura ‘your majesty’ and she always tells him to just call her auntie but he won’t because how cool is it that he knows a real princess?! He thinks Coran is amazing (mostly it’s his moustache. Some of it’s how flamboyant he is but mostly it’s his moustache).

He’s got Keith’s reticence and Hunk’s sweet nature so he’s a very shy boy. He also gets easily bothered and bottles it up a lot so when he does get upset he really explodes and it’s normally not for the immediate reason but just a bunch of little things (he gets better at expressing his emotions when he’d older).

#pregnancy ment //#punk's aus

10 notes · View notes

vietnamtour-blog · 5 years

Text

Vietnamese food: 40 delicious dishes you'll love

Vietnamese cuisine doesn’t win any points for complexity. Many of the most popular dishes can be made just as well on the side of the road as in a top-end restaurant.

But it’s precisely this simplicity, the subtle variations by region and the fresh ingredients, that keep us pulling up a plastic stool for more.

Here are 40 foods from Vietnam you can’t miss:

1. Pho

Cheap can be tasty too.

What list of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho?

It’s almost impossible to walk a block in Vietnam’s major destinations without bumping into a crowd of hungry patrons slurping noodles at a makeshift pho stand. This simple staple consisting of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, a sprinkling of herbs and chicken or beef, features predominately in the local diet — and understandably so. It’s cheap, tasty, and widely available at all hours.

Just look out for a mass of people on plastic stools — or try a tried and tested favorite: Pho Thin, 13 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

2. Cha Ca

A food so good they named a street after it.

Hanoians consider cha ca to be so exceptional that there is a street in the capital dedicated to these fried morsels of fish. This namesake alley is home to Cha Ca La Vong, which serves sizzling chunks of fish seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric and dill on a hot pan tableside.

Cha Ca La Vong may be the busiest but the service is a bit gruff and the food overpriced. Instead make your way to Duong Than in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district, where you’ll find plenty of more affordable but just as tasty options.

3. Banh xeo

A crepe you won’t forget.

A good banh xeo is a crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, plus the garnish of fresh herbs that are characteristic of most authentic Vietnamese dishes. To enjoy one like a local, cut it into manageable slices, roll it up in rice paper or lettuce leaves and dunk it in whatever special sauce the chef has mixed up for you.

Banh Xeo 46A has mixed reviews but judging by the crowds that swarm there each night they must be doing something right. Banh Xeo, 46A Dinh Cong Trang, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

4. Cao lau

Soft, crunchy, sweet, spicy — a bowl of contrasts.

This pork noodle dish from Hoi An is a bit like the various cultures that visited the trading port at its prime. The thicker noodles are similar to Japanese udon, the crispy won-ton crackers and pork are a Chinese touch, while the broth and herbs are clearly Vietnamese. Authentic cau lao is made only with water drawn from the local Ba Le well.

Try Morning Glory, 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An

5. Rau muong

Some might call it river weed — with good reason — but that doesn’t stop the masses from scarfing down platefuls of morning glory, usually stir-fried and seasoned with slithers of potent garlic. Rau muong is common at Vietnamese restaurants and beer gardens.

Chung Den Bia Hoi, 18B Hang Cot, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

6. Nem ran/cha gio

Vietnam’s bite-sized crunchy spring rolls might not enjoy the same popularity as their healthier fresh equivalent, but they deserve a special mention. The crispy shell with a soft veggie and meat filling dunked in a tangy sauce gets the gastronomic juices flowing before a main course. In the north these parcels go by the name nem ran while southerners call them cha gio.

Bun Cha, 1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

7. Goi cuon

A healthier choice for spring roll fans.

These light and healthy fresh spring rolls are a wholesome choice when you’ve been indulging in too much of the fried food in Vietnam. The translucent parcels are first packed with salad greens, a slither of meat or seafood and a layer of coriander, before being neatly rolled and dunked in Vietnam’s favorite condiment — fish sauce.

Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi Chau, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

8. Bun bo Hue

Central Vietnam’s take on noodles caters to carnivores with its meaty broth and piles of beef and pork. The thick slippery rice noodles also make for a heartier meal than noodles found in the north and south.

You don’t have to go to Hue to enjoy this dish; if in Ho Chi Minh City try Tib Express, 162 NguyenDinh Chieu, District 3, HCMC

9. Banh khot

Bite-size, delightful Vietnamese pancakes.

This dainty variation of a Vietnamese pancake has all the same tasty ingredients but is a fraction of the size. Each banh knot can be scoffed in one ambitious but satisfying mouthful. The crunchy outside is made using coconut milk and the filling usually consists of shrimp, mung beans, and spring onions with a dusting of dried shrimp flakes on top.

Co Ba Vung Tau, 59B Cao Thang, District 3, HCMC

10. Ga tan

Got the sniffles? Opt for ga tan, a broth that’s Vietnam’s answer to the proverbial cup of chicken noodle soup. Sure it’s not quite how your mother used to make it, with its greenish tinge from the herbs and hunks of chicken parts, but it’s worth a try if you’re needing a Vietnamese tonic.

Try this at one of the street stalls on Hanoi’s Tong Duy Tan aka Pho Am Thuc, or “Food Street,” Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

11. Nom hoa chuoi

Vietnam’s banana flower salad packs a much bigger punch than a typical plate of mixed greens. Banana flowers (thick purple lumps that will later turn into bunches of bananas) are peeled and thinly sliced then mixed with green papaya, carrots, and cilantro along with chicken and a heavy-handed pour of a salty fish sauce dressing and crunchy peanuts.

Highway 4 restaurant, 3 Hang Tre, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

12. Bun bo nam bo

One of Vietnam’s most-loved noodle dishes.

This bowl of noodles comes sans broth, keeping the ingredients from becoming sodden and the various textures intact. The tender slices of beef mingle with crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts, and are flavored with fresh herbs, crisp dried shallots, and a splash of fish sauce and fiery chili pepper.

67 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

13. Hoa qua dam

This chunky blend of fresh tropical fruit in a cup is the perfect local treat when the heat of Vietnamese summer starts to wear you down. It could be considered a healthy alternative to ice cream — if you stick to the shaved ice variation — but for the full experience it’s best had with diabetes-inducing condensed milk mixed in.

14. Pho cuon

Pho cuon packages the flavors of pho and goi cuon in one neat little parcel. This Hanoi take on fresh spring rolls uses sheets of uncut pho noodles to encase fried beef, herbs and lettuce or cucumber.

The best place to find them is on Ngu Xa island on the capital’s Truc Bach Lake — specifically at 26 Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi

15. Ga nuong

This beats KFC any day.

KFC may be everywhere in Vietnam these days, but skip the fast food for the local version. Honey marinated then grilled over large flaming barbecues, the chicken legs, wings and feet served are unusually tender, while the skin stays crispy but not dry.

Viet Ha on Ly Van Phuc, Dong Da district, Hanoi

16. Pho xao

Pho xao may just be a slightly healthier take on my xao — but the beauty is in the details. The flat, smoother pho noodle doesn’t crisp up like its pre-boiled instant cousin. When done well the outer edges acquire a browned crunchiness, whilst the center stays soft and glutinous. This dish tastes best with a fried egg and seasoned with chili or soy sauce.

26 Nguyen Khac Sieu, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

17. Ca phe trung

Vietnamese “egg coffee” is technically a drink but we prefer to put it in the dessert category. The creamy soft, meringue-like egg white foam perched on the dense Vietnamese coffee will have even those who don’t normally crave a cup of joe licking their spoons with delight.

In Hanoi, follow the tiny alley between the kitschy souvenir shops at 11 Hang Gai into the clearing, and up several flights of increasingly dicey stairs to pair your ca phe trung with an unbeatable view of Hoan Kiem Lake.

18. Bo la lot

Vietnamese are masters of wrapping their food. Bo la lot is neither raw nor deep-fried, but flamed on an open grill to soften the exterior and infuse the betel leaf’s peppery aroma into the ground beef inside.

3T Quan Nuong, 29-31 Ton That Thiep, District 1, HCMC

19. Xoi

This savory sticky rice is a meal all on its own. (Shen Lu/CNN)

Savory sticky rice is less of an accompaniment to meals in Vietnam, more a meal itself. The glutinous staple comes with any number of mix-ins (from slithers of chicken, or pork to fried or preserved eggs), but almost always with a scattering of dried shallots on top.

Xoi Yen, Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

20. Banh cuon

Delicious savory pancakes. (Flickr)

These rolled up rice flour pancakes are best when served piping hot, still soft and delicate. Although seemingly slender and empty they have a savory filling of minced pork and mushrooms. Zest is also added by dunking the slippery parcels in a fishy dipping sauce.

21. Ca tim kho to

Eggplant alone tends not to get us excited. Although when it’s diced and sauteed in a clay pot along with tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and (depending on the recipe) minced meat, the once bland vegetable redeems itself.

Pineapple Restaurant, 35 Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

22. Bot chien

Bot Chien is Vietnamese street food at its best. (PJjaruwan)

Saigon’s favorite streetside snack, bot chien, is popular with both the afterschool and the after-midnight crowd. Chunks of rice flour dough are fried in a large wok until crispy and then an egg is broken into the mix. Once cooked it’s served with slices of papaya, shallots and green onions, before more flavor is added with pickled chili sauce and rice vinegar.

Night-time food vendors sell this at the corners of Pham Ngu Lao and Cong Quynh, District 1, HCMC

23. Bun dau mam tom

This plain-looking tofu and noodle dish is served with mam tom sauce — the Vegemite of Vietnam. The pungent purple dipping sauce is used to flavor the slabs of deep-fried tofu that are at the core of the meal.

24. Banh goi

These pockets of deep-fried goodness are often described as the equivalent of a Cornish pasty or as a Vietnamese samosa, depending on the nationality of the person explaining. Inside the crispy exterior you’ll find that it’s similar to neither description, with its filling of finely minced pork, mushrooms and vermicelli noodles.

25. Com suon nuong

This simple meal is the Saigonese equivalent of bun cha — with rice in place of noodles. A tender pork cutlet is barbecued over hot coals to give it a rich, smoky flavor, and laid over the fluffy white “com” or broken rice.

Com Tam Cali has a number of branches across HCMC. Try Tam Cali 1 at 32 Nguyen Trai, District 1, HCMC

26. Chao

With its thick and creamy texture Vietnam’s rice porridge is the best pick when your queasy stomach can’t handle much else. If you want to jazz it up you can always add slices of chicken, fish, beef, duck or pork ribs, along with a sprinkling of herbs and shallots.

Chao Ca specializes in fish chao, 213 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

27. Bo luc lac

Cubes of beef are tossed around a steaming wok with garlic, pepper, and some vegetables to make shaking beef. There’s nothing special about the beef that makes it shaking. The name is just a literal translation that refers to the process of mixing the beef around while cooking.

Nha Hang Ngon, 160 Pasteur, District 1, HCMC

28. Hat de nong

The smell of chestnuts roasting on an open fire can bring back fond memories of Christmas carols — until a moped transporting a giant blow-up Santa whizzes by. Pick the street vendor with the most enticing smell.

29. Banh uot thit nuong

It’s all about the marinade when it comes to the grilled pork in fresh rice paper rolls that are popular in Central Vietnam. The typical mixture coats the meat in a blend of sugar, salt, chili, lemongrass and fish sauce. Cilantro, basil and mint are added when it’s served up to add some green to the appetizer.

Morning Glory, 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An

30. Bun cha

The perfect lunchtime treat. (flickr)

Pho might be Vietnam’s most famous dish but bun cha is the top choice when it comes to lunchtime in the capital. Just look for the clouds of meaty smoke after 11 a.m. when street-side restaurants start grilling up small patties of seasoned pork and slices of marinated pork belly over a charcoal fire. Once they’re charred and crispy the morsels are served with a large bowl of a fish sauce-heavy broth, a basket of herbs and a helping of rice noodles.

Hanoi’s most famous bun cha outlet is 1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

31. Banh mi

The world-famous banh mi sandwich. (SAUL LOEB)

The French may have brought with them the baguette, but Vietnam takes it to a different level. How exactly depends on what end of the country you’re in.

In the north, chefs stick to the basic elements of carbohydrate, fat and protein — bread, margarine and pata — but head south and your banh mi may contain a more colorful combination of cheese, cold cuts, pickled vegetables, sausage, fried egg, fresh cilantro and chili sauce.

One of the better baguette vendors in Saigon sets up shop beside the Cherry mini-mart on DoQuang Dao, District 1, HCMC

32. Lau

Eating this hodgepodge hotpot dish is a communal affair with everyone digging in to the oversized boiling pot. We’ve found that just about anything can (and will) go into this soup from tofu to frogs. It’s best to stick to one main protein rather than opting for the mix of meat, poultry and seafood together.

On the northern edge of Hanoi’s Truc Bach lake you’ll find a number of restaurant staff crossing the street to deliver lau to lake-side diners

33. Banh bao

The Vietnamese take on steamed pork burns. (Courtesy Edsel Little)

Steamed pork buns aren’t traditionally Vietnamese, but that doesn’t stop the spongy rolls from being sold by street vendors and in traditional Vietnamese restaurants. The best buns have a hard-boiled quail egg buried within the minced meat, while the cheaper ones come without any filling at all. Remember the lower the price the less stuffing, so you might not be getting the good deal you thought you were.

Often sold by wandering vendors patrolling Hanoi’s Old Quarter at all hours. In the south try Banh Bao Tho Phat, 78 Nguyen Tri Phuong, District 5, HCMC

34. Com rang

Fried rice may not be the most adventurous option, but sometimes you just want some familiar grub done right. Baby-sized chunks of meat and colorful vegetables are mixed with soy and fish sauce in a wok streetside to create a rice dish that is still moist but slightly smoky. Make it Vietnamese by supplementing with Bia Hanoi.

Try one of the vendors on Tong Duy Tan aka “Food Street,” Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

35. Bo bit tet

Vietnam’s equivalent to steak and eggs fills the void when you’re hankering for some greasy pub tucker. The thin flank steak is usually served with eggs, thick potato wedges, and Vietnamese meatballs on a sizzling cast iron plate.

36. Com chay

Com chay refers to two things in Vietnam: vegetarian food, or Vietnam’s homemade rice crispies that are popular with children. Unlike the sweet treats in the United States, Vietnam’s version of a crispy comes with meat instead of marshmallows. Vietnam’s vegetarian restaurants use mock meats to create all the traditional dishes and usually do a pretty good job. Although some places include artificial creations we would rather not try. Fake rubbery snails anyone?

Try Hoa Dang vegetarian restaurant, 38 Huynh Khuong Ninh, District 1, HCMC

37. Che

This dessert can be served in either a bowl or a glass. The latter is the more enticing option with the visible layers of bean jelly, coconut milk, fruit, and ice. Best had when you’re craving something sweet on a scorching day in Saigon.

Nha Hang Ngon, 160 Pasteur, District 1, HCMC

38. My xao bo

Mix noodles with a dollop of oil, then add beef, onions, garlic, morning glory and some tomato for color and you have a platter of my xao bo. The whole dish takes about as long to make as instant noodles — but oh so much more flavor.

Any bia hoi establishment serves this dish, but the eateries on Tang Bat Ho, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, have perfected it

39. Dau phu sot ca chua

The English translation of “tofu in tomato sauce” doesn’t really do this dish justice. The slabs of deep-fried soy are doused in a rich fresh tomato and spring onion coating, and seasoned with a speckle of fresh herbs.

Chim Sao at 65 Ngo Hue, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi

40. Canh bun

Another hearty soup that’s high on the lunchtime agenda, this is a crab and morning glory noodle soup. Canh bun is similar to the more well-known bun rieu crab soup, but has a small handful of variations — including the type of noodle used.

Look for street food vendors with Canh Bun on handwritten signs surrounded by lunchtime crowds, or visit Bun Saigon at 73 Ly Tu Trong, District 1, HCMC

Editor’s note: This article was previously published in 2011. It was reformatted and republished in 2017.

Source: http://blog.evivatour.com/vietnamese-food-40-delicious-dishes-youll-love/

0 notes

toddlazarski · 6 years

Text

Milwaukee’s Top Soup Destinations

Shepherd Express

Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire, and king of foodie know-it-alls, suggests we’d do well to adopt the eating habits of our grandparents. Seeing the difficulty in maintaining social contact after so many liverwurst sandwiches and buttermilk, or the slippery slope nature of nightly Jim Beam with Virginia Slim Menthols, or the dance with the cholesterol test after adhering to daily scrambled eggs cooked with copious goops of sheeny Velveeta, sided by mounded bacon piles, rye toast with silver dollar dollops of shimmering Land o’ Lakes - all before the dessert donuts - for some of us, this advice is not so easy. Or wise.

But there are applicable, timeless, intergenerational universals: comforting coffee all day long, chicken wings and pizza with football viewing, and grandma’s answer for most of life’s calorie time quandaries: soup. Chicken noodle if you’re sick. Tomato if you’re pretending to be sick, playing hooky, and eating grilled cheese. Minestrone at the Italian place. Clam chowder before a fish fry. Any or all varietals if it’s cold outside, or rainy. But mostly, if you’re sick. Or were just sick. Or for strength to prevent becoming sick.

Had grandma been viable and stirring in the age of Yelp, in the days of iPhone-emboldened food journey’s, that nagging search for hearty throat assuagement may have led to a more worldly bouillon. Pho, ramen, menudo - Generation Food Channel’s options are endless for the hoary notion of getting “something warm on your stomach.” So as we enter the final throes - maybe, hopefully, probably not but maybe - of cold weather, of flu season, of needing to bundle up, wear your hat and mittens, it may be time for a quick, summary rundown of the city’s best hot bowls of slurpable, sinus-clearing comfort. These are not exactly your grandmother’s bowl of soup, but any can offer a sipping spoonful act to make her proud.

6. Red Light Ramen

In the days of Trump tax cuts, it can be tough to celebrate something so blatantly too rich. But that really seems to be the main pleasure point of the Milwaukee vanguard of the quite hip ramen movement. Salty, luxuriant, egg-bobbing, noodle-swimming, with pork aplenty, ripe for both a spoon and chopstick forays, it is ancient Eastern exotic and yet as intrinsically comforting as Campbell’s. Whatever your selection of the multitude types, or whether you stand on the too much or just right camp, there’s no arguing that no bowl is a better preface for a long winter’s nap.

5. Pho Viet

Rick Bayless once suggested the best taquerias are the ones attached to Mexican grocery stores. Following that logic, the best pho in town should likely come from the little shop next to Pacific Produce, the gargantuan emporium of all foods Asian on South 27th Street. It’s hard to dispute the argument while getting a hearty tongue bath: from the dozen pho options, liquid-housing the daunting gamut between steak, flank, tripe, tendon, brisket, maybe shrimp, possibly chicken, of course meatballs; to the handful of egg noodle bowls, starring quail eggs or duck legs, it's hard to do anything but keep going, slurping greedily and noisily, splashing and basting buds with flavors fresh and deep and peculiar, rife with star anise and black cardamom, other such items you’ve likely lost to the nether regions of your spice cabinet. The proper application of Thai chili garlic sauce along the fresh, seedy jalapenoes, reminds that even grandma at her most overbearing was negligent about at least one thing - a soup can, maybe should, hurt a little bit. It’s a visceral cleansing if done right. Really though, there’s no greater testament than the bahn mi here - suspiciously cheap, fresh-bunned, overstuffed, peppery and porky - being relegated to afterthought.

4. Soup Bros.

Soup Bros is actually much like a grandmother itself - the service has attitude, the home is filled with miscellany knicknacks and doodads, you call, get an automated voice telling you the mailbox hasn’t been set up, you instinctively wonder if she’s still alive. There’s no website. And there’s many soups. The cheddar and Bermuda onion seems the paradigm - extra sharp cheddar melting along fresh crushed black pepper and green onion pieces, the whole achieving that ideal creaminess to wade through toward stomach coaty contentment. Similarly pleasing is the red pepper bisque - a cold antidote and elixir properly sworn by the whole town over. The key with both seems to be that salty svelteness, a certain intangible that makes for the rare occasion of going out to lunch and feeling somehow rejuvenated after. A fresh baked bread hunk, served warm and crusty and seedy, certainly helps too. Owner Richard Regner, brusque, terse, isn’t exactly the soup Nazi, but, having said that, the place does embody the somehow idiosyncratic nature that comes with precise, artistic cooking approaches to big vats of nourishing, communal stuff. And if an armoire of his ever became available, one would be smart to scoop it up, rifle through the drawers.

3. Thai Bar-B-Que

It seems hard to go wrong with most any dish, any pho or soup, in Silver City. In fact the only fault we came away noting from an afternoon was pointed out by our waiter: “capitalism.” After hearing him bemoan the over-rushed pace of American life, we acquiesced, realized this is as good a place as any to sit and savor, soup being a dish to smell and breathe deep, as much to get down. The Thai BBQ pork noodle varietal, supposedly the only such dish in town, serves as an ideal for what they do best here. It’s a dangerously velvety, rich broth, with multitude sunken pork treasures in varying shape and cooking doneness. The pork balls are the prize, sponging flavor, buoying between onion hunks, green onion chocks, cilantro, and a Medusa nest of glassy noodles. But any meat and broth would do well when supplanted by the accompanying death panel: a four jar tray of pickled jalapenos, the ubiquitous Thai chili garlic sauce, crushed dried chili peppers cooked to a deep viscous brown in oil, and the same chili peppers, simply ground and ready for battle with sinus and lips. Even in moderation, it can feel like a concoction just barely, pleasantly this side of hell. It’s okay to drip a little sweat right into the bowl - it can count as the day’s exercise. Better yet, forget such energetic American worries, sit back, and enjoy the otherworld pleasure all about National and 30th.

2. El Cabrito

The ‘little goat’ butters its bolillo by specializing in meats slow-cooked in sauces, blurring the line between stews and soft bits meant for stuffing into corn tortillas for makeshift juicy tacos. You can tell the specialty from what everybody is ordering, and from the neon sign shouting their wares rooted in the state of Jalisco - birria. It is celebratory, spicy, slow-cooked goat meat. It’s a tad gamey, and it’s game to go either way - slurp or fork. But it’s actually the heartening pozole that lands Cabrito here, as it leaves no doubt as to the spoon-forward nature. The stop sign-red broth comes with an oily sheen, equally salty and piquant, made more spicy by the dangerous ground arbol pepper canister placed on the table like a dare, one hard to turn away from. Floating below the surface are thumb-sized chunks of pork, al dente-texture hominy, both slow cooking as you focus on the broth, the meat getting speared and breaking up with each penetration, so that at the end you are left with shredded pig particles to spoon onto the accompanying tostadas, with chopped red onion and tomato for fresh bright balance, a squirt of the smoky chipotle table salsa to make sure every nook of the tongue is tended to. You’ll also likely be left fanning your mouth, dabbing sweat driblets from the forehead, and, given the bowl depth and deep provenance, wondering why you thought it was necessary to order an accompanying taco.

1. Guadalajara

Of the many elixir qualities of a hot bowl of salty broth, hangover helper may be the most underrated. Like all chili-peppered Mexican fare, all Mexican soups do the trick - the aforementioned birria is renowned, but nothing eases day after pain like menudo. It’s a take it, leave it proposition, long bypassing ‘gamey’ labels, the beef tripe yielding an intestinal - literally - deep flavor of bloody earthiness. It’s an acquired taste, but one that can come to resemble a gastrointestinal restart button. Still, even if the palate leans understandably more gabacho, there are two types of head-clearing pozole: verde, with chicken, or the briny, salty rojo. The latter is the way to go, offering a steaming bath with tender fatty pork wedges, big soft hominy bits, ploppable diced onion, and, really, not too much else. The soothing saltiness is kept as the main star, everything satisfyingly elemental, unless you want to be heroic and scoop in some upon-request-only arbol salsa.

It’s about halfway through any bowl, pleasantly sniffling, that you might realize, like most grandmotherly caloric pushes, it’s all too much - the bowl is comically overlarge, brimming with incalculable salt, sheeny fat, too much spice - again with the ground Arbol, even sugar - sure, yes, you will need another Jarritos to wash everything down. There’s even an undeserved, overabundant kindness about the shabby corner converted Walker’s Point abode. Maybe you can’t go home again, as they say, but from the taste of a bowl here, you can go to your, or a, Mexican grandma’s house.

1 note · View note