How can you tell when an egg is done boiling? I am not sure if you know this trick already, but I just learned it the other day from a my mom’s friend (who learned it from her father) when I boiled a few dozens of hột vịt lộn (balut). For the obvious reasons, you don’t want to undercook or overcook hột vịt lộn.

Before getting to the trick, let me declare that I finally gain back my love for hột vịt lộn. For a period of time, I gave up on hột vịt lộn because of the westerners’ influence and how they have made such a big wuss out of it. A white guy once told me that he couldn’t eat hột vịt lộn because it looks like abortion. That image haunted me for a while. What help me get back to the groove are salt, pepper, lime juice, tons of hot sauce and shots of Patrón. I still can’t eat hột vịt lộn without those ingredients, especially the liquor.

Let’s get back to the egg-boiling trick. My mom’s friend said that if you could pick up the egg with a pair of chopsticks than the egg is ready. Three of us tried it and we all dropped it back into the pot. Half an hour or so later, I picked it up again and I didn’t drop it. It’s a very nifty trick, but I doubt that it would work with many westerners.

I meant to mention this place a while back, but I keep forgetting. Next time you’re in Eden Center, drop by Hai Ky Mi Gia for some delicious noodle soup. In the pre-Duke days, Dana and I went there two nights in a row. The first night, I tried its specialty (yellow and clear-white noodles with the soup on the side). The savory sauce and the delightful broth reminded me of the late night Cho Lon noodles. Although Hai Ky is not comparable to the places in Cho Lon, it is the closest I could find in Virginia. The next night, I ordered the same dish, but with the broth. I like the former better. We’ll definitely be back for more.

I am a sucker for sweet wine. So when a Korean lady poured me a sample of Kook Soon Dang’s Raspberry Wine, I bought two and gave one to mom to take home. I am enjoying it with pig’s feet (from Dana’s bun oc) dipped in mam tom cha. It’s heaven-sent.

I bought a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori at a Korean supermarket last Sunday and I have been enjoying a shot a day at dinner with my mom’s special nem. Nigori has a pleasant sweet flavor with a nice and smooth texture. It tastes like my grandmother’s com ruou that I used to love when I was a kid.

Quan Quynh is a new pho/bun (vermicelli) place located in Eden Center where XXX cafe used to be. (I guess the name of the cafe place didn’t attract too many nice people like myself). Quan Quynh prides itself in Pho Bac. It claims that Pho is everywhere, but only Quan Quynh has the authenticity of Pho Bac. Neither Dana and I were in the mood for pho, so we didn’t give it a try. Dana ordered Bun Oc and I went for Bun Ca Thac Lac. We both ended up with the same same broth and the only differences were the snail and the fish. The broth was passible, not too spicy and not too heavy. The thing about vermicelli is that you’ll be hungry again two hours later. We had to buy some binh mi to go for that night.

Like its name, the Mediterranean and Continental Bistro has a strange aroma as soon as we walked into the door. At first I thought it was some kind of spices used in the food. After we made our orders (Lamb & Beef Shawerma for Dana and Kabset Lamb for myself), we realized that a few customers who sat at the smoking section were puffing from a bong and that is where the scent coming from. The smell was not strong like regular cigarette or weed, but light and exotic. The dishes were not outstanding, but they didn’t taste so bad either. Teenozytoon is definitely not a place for us non-smokers, but at least we gave it a try.

Happy Time, a little family-run Korean eatery spot located inside El Grande International Supermarket, has been our Friday’s supper before working on our house. Happy Time’s menu features about thirty items and we are in the process of trying every one of them. If the photo looked good, we ordered it. The dishes are consistence, but my two favorites are the codfish with hot and spicy soup and the seafood and vegetables with rice in a pot. The latter dish tastes similar to our Com Tay Cam (rice in clay pot) but with Korean spices.

What makes Happy Time a favorite spot of mine beside the great food and the great price is the mannerism. I made my orders through both a man who appears to be in his mid 40’s and a teenage girl at different times. When they take my money or give me back my change, they always bowed down a little and handed me the money with both hands. I was impressed with the way they have kept their traditions.

With the house still unpacking and Dana being pregnant, we haven’t had any homemade meals. We eat out almost everyday and it gets a little bit costly. So we try to cut down our budget. Yesterday we were driving around Fairfax hunting for our dinner and we came across Bombay Café with a big sign reads $5 buffet. We peeped inside and the place was filled with Indians so it has to be authentic. We went in and it was the best $5 buffet we have ever spent. You can’t even get that price at a Chinese buffet anymore. The selection was limited, but the curry chicken, barbecued chicken and rice are enough to feel you up. No tips are required since eat and you clean after yourself. I love this bargain place and it’s only five minutes from our house (in the same building with Pho Today). So next time if we don’t want to cook and don’t want to spend too much cash, we know where to go.

Pho Today has been our regular spot for the past few weeks not because the location is five minutes from our new house, but the restaurant has managed to create two delicious dishes. Both of its Pho and Bun Bo Hue taste great with not much use of MSG. I have not tried its vegetarian Pho, but I have seen many Americans ordered it. To me, Pho without meat is not Pho anymore. Lately, I have ditched the fatty cup and picked up onion with vinegar. My breath maybe kicking afterward, but the experience is so worth it.

Before the electric rice cooker took over, the best part of cooking rice in a pot is the burnt layer at the bottom. All you need is some caramel sauce from the simmering fish to go with the burnt rice. Recently my mom brought back from Viet Nam some rather fancy version of com chay and I have been addicted to it. Can’t get enough of the crispy and crunchy burnt rice with a thin layer of shredded pork (thit cha bong) sprinkled on top to add a bit of sweet, spicy and salty taste to the rice. Unfortunately mom didn’t bring back much and she gave me only two paddies. I have been trying my hardest not to eat them all at once. Everyday after work, I would feel hungry and the only thing on my mind would be com chay when I get home. In fact I am munching on it now in the morning instead of cereal and milk.