My goodness, didn’t realize that I haven’t post anything in the Eatery section since November. That means I haven’t been eating well. If mom finds out she would get a rage. Here is a typical conversation with mom over the phone:

Mom: Danh ha? (Even my mom skips the “O” in my name. She didn’t come up with Doanh. Daddy did.)
Me: Da. (who else, ma?)
Mom: Did you eat yet? (She speaks in Vietnamese of course.)
Me: Yes (While making instant noodles.)
Mom: What did you have?
Me: Steak and rice.
Mom: Did you make a salad with that?
Me: Of course! How was work?
Mom: (Goes on spill out the unpleasant experience she had with her boss and colleagues.)
Me: Told you to retired!
Mom: Soon!

What does the conversation has to do with Vietnamese hotpot? Nothing at all, but here is the delicious Cu Lao, which is great to have in the winter. Eating Cu Lao gives me a warm, family-oriented atmosphere. Cu Lao was the only reason I loved to go to the wedding in Viet Nam. Most of the time, Cu Lao would be included in the menu. In American, every Vietnamese wedding is served with Chinese food. What is up with that? I am dropping a hundred bucks, at least give me some Cu Lao. Although Cu Lao is made up of mixed variety of things (meat, veggies, seafood), they all become one savory flavor with different textures, unlike a “cu lao” album, which changes my mood like a girl at that time of the month again.

The Eatery section has not been updated for a while not because I ran out of tasty foods, but because I dropped my digital camera, and it is no longer functioning. Bun Moc is the last bowl captured at the commoner’s place in NYC. Although Bun Moc is not as distinctive as Bun Goi Gia or as savory as Bun Mam, it has its own flavor. The broth is a bit bland, but the fishballs are not so bad when plunging into straight fishsauce with a splash of lime. Anyway, this is temporarily the last entry for food until I get my hands on a new camera.

Went back to the commoner’s place for a bowl of Bun Rieu. Unfortunately, their version of Bun Rieu is not as banging as mom’s. The broth is not quite there yet. A bit more Mam Ruoc is required to bring out the savory flavor. The huge disappointment is the missing of pigs’ feet, which is the essential ingredient for this dish. When it comes to pigs’ feet, however, I am really picky about it. Thoughts always run through my mind my I eat pigs’ feet. Did they clean the feet thoroughly? Did they scrape the hair of the skin? Hey, what can I say? I am the son of a clean freak.

Ever since I was a kid, mom has always made me wash my hand with soap, rinse my bowl, chopsticks, spoons and cup with hot water before I eat. She would scream if she catches me eating street foods, and there were tons of street foods in front of my house. I used to watch other kids eat chuoi nuong (grilled banana cake) chuoi chien (fried banana cake) with saliva dripping down my mouth. One time she caught me munching on my favorite Banh Trang Keo Bach Nha, which is a caramel candy with coconut sandwiched in between the rice papers, she bit my head off right at the woman’s candy stall. After that incident, that woman never sold me anything again. I went back to Viet Nam couple years ago, I had street food everyday to make up for what I had missed when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find one stall that would sell my favorite caramel candy. Was that lady the only one who made it? I still can recall that crunchy and honey flavor that I only had a chance to taste once.

How could a cake be salted? It doesn’t sound right, but it tastes fine. The creamy tofu-like cake combined with savory topping, and accompanied by mixed fish sauce, bean sprouts and mixed greens make Banh Man an indelible dish. I had this unusual cake two years ago for the fist time prepared by Ba 3 who is an extraordinary sweet woman. I tried it and the delicious taste never escaped my mind. Over the weekend, she made it again as a special request from me so I can take a picture of it and, of course, have another piece of her wonderful Banh Man.

They say hotpot is too hot for the summer; I say hotpot is good for any time of the year, particularly the savory Mam Kho Ca Keo. I used to hate Ca Keo because of the bitter tang, but now I can’t have enough of that distinctive flavor. Unlike other fishes, nothing is wasted from Ca Keo. Even the fragile bone is comestible. Beside the fish, the eggplant is also scrumptious, especially when the Mam Kho’s broth infiltrated into the pale pulp. Of course, the hotpot wouldn’t be complete without the herbs, mixed greens, banana blossom, vermicelli and a bottle of beer. More than one beer might be required to wash down the salted broth (mainly when it gets thickened) and to cool down the explosive Ot Hiem (hot peppers). Just had Mam Kho Ca Keo two days ago, and now I am hankering for more.

San Jose-based Vung Tau Restaurant is high on price, below average on food, and extremely low on customer satisfaction. A rice platter (com tam, suon, bi, cha) costs $9.50, which is almost doubled the price comparing to most places, yet the taste is not even as close as the commoner’s place. My friend’s dad ordered a bowl of Bun Bo Hue, and he described the broth as tasteless as “water that boils the beef,” but that’s not the chef’s fault. It’s the customer’s mistake for ordered an insipid dish; therefore, like it or not the customer has to pay for it even if switching to a different dish. As a result, my friend’s dad ended up not eating after the manager told him there was nothing he could do. The way they handled their business had ruined the entire family’s atmosphere. Is a bowl of Bun Bo Hue worth losing their customers? Obviously, Vung Tau’s manager didn’t care, and he was unapologetic about it. Their method of dealing with the customers made me lost my appetite. I only ate a portion of the plate even though I was starving. Never again will I come back to a place like that.

Rossi Rosticcerria & Sons (Rossi’s Deli) has been my favorite lunch spot for home-style Italian cookings. The place runs by the family, and everyone is friendly. I have tried almost everything on the daily specials and have not been disappointed yet. Some of my returning dishes include beef shishkabob, roast beef with pasta, and spinach lasagna. Took my mom there once, and she approved. As a fine chef and a demanding food critic, her approval means the food has to be tasty and healthy.

Located in Braintree, Massachusetts, Konditor Meister bakes some of the finest European-style cakes that suit my preferences: rich in flavor but light in sweet. From the delicate flour to the delightful filling to the delectable buttercream frosting to the delicious chocolate dipped strawberries, Strawberry Grand Marnier is a heaven-sent treat. If you’re in the Boston area and need a fantastic cake for your special occasion, “let Konditor Meister bake the cake of your dreams.”

Thanh Huong, which located deep inside an alley on Canal Street of New York Chinatown, reminds me of com binh dan (commoner’s cuisine or food for workers) in Viet Nam. The place is extremely small and only wide enough for a few tables, but the food is amazing. Thanh Huong is a kind of place that doesn’t need to find its customers, but the customers will find it through words of mouth, and that is how I learned about it. My first dish was Bun Bo Hue (Hue’s Style Vermicelli Soup), which was highly recommended to me, and it was delicious. The broth was spicy and savory, just like the one I had in Hue couple years ago. It was so hot that I needed a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice to cool down my system. I was sweating while slurping. After finishing up my bowl, I noticed a guy next to me ordered a gigantic plate of rice with Thit Kho (Pork Simmered in Caramel Sauce), Dua Gia (Pickled Bean Sprouts) and Tom Rim (Shrimp Simmered in Fish Sauce), which also made my mouth watery, but had to save it for next time.

After watching Lost In Translation, I’ve been looking all over for an authentic cuisine that Bill Murray has commented as, “What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?” Last Sunday, I have found what I have been searching for at Shabu-Zen in Boston, and I was impressed with the quality of the foods, the prices, and the services.

The whole meal is simple and elegant. Just fresh meat, fresh seafood, fresh vegetables (including tofu) boil in blazing broth according one’s personal preference (Yeah baby, I like it raw…), and then dipping in the flavorful sauce for a tasty experience. A bottle of Kirin Ichiban is a perfect choice to rinse down the food, but a glass of real-fruit smoothie, especially mango, is a delightful alternative.

I have to come back to try everything on the menu even though the “Meat Combo” (lamb and beef) and “Seafood Platter” (salmon, cod, scallops, fish cake, and squid) were magnificent. Although I am not getting paid or a free meal for my recommendation, Shabu-Zen is a worth visit if you’re in the Boston area next time.