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.
Friday evening after work, Dana and I didn’t feel like cooking so we headed toward Eden for some Vietnamese food. We wanted to be a bit more adventurous, so we decided to check out a new place. We spotted a big yellow grand-opening banner with the words “Pho Binh Dan” and “50% off” next to it. We almost gave it a try.
As we walked toward the restaurant, we heard karaoke-singing blasting. Inside, the place was filled with cigarette smell. Although it said “Pho Binh Dan,” the restaurant felt more like a drinking (nhau) spot. We thought we went to a wrong restaurant, but the waiter already greeted us. There were only two tables filled with drinkers enjoying some sort of BBQ or hotpot. He gave us a signal that we could sit at any empty table. We tried to pick a table with minimal karaoke noise, but there was no escape. He asked us if we wanted Pho. I nodded my head while thinking isn’t this a pho place? He handed us the menu and told us that he had to check in the back and see if they still have Pho. I looked at the menu and they offered nothing but Pho. The guy went to the back to the kitchen, went back and sat at one of the drinking table without even confirming us that they still had pho or not.
Five minute went by, another waitress who would qualify for a Hooter chick come up to take our order. At this point, I couldn’t take the loud music any more so I told her we’re going to go somewhere else quieter. She said, “No problem, we ran out of Pho anyway.” Our little adventure was not a success, so we went to our usual Thanh Truc for Bun Bo Hue.
I am not sure how they could run a business under such a lousy management, but I am pretty sure if this is the way they run their business, the grand opening will turn into grand closing soon.
Korean-American restaurant Kimchi House is located on Richmond highway, which is the road we take everyday. We drive by Kimchi House all the time and usually only one car parked in front of the place. As we were driving home and didn’t know what to eat so we decided to stop by and try it out. Kimchi House is a family-run restaurant. The place is small, neat, but featured all kind of strange, artsy decoration. I had Bul Go Gi (sliced sirloin beef marinated in special sauce). The beef was a bit too sweet, but tender. Dana ordered Ko Galbi and Doen Jang Chi Gae (mackerel marinated in spicy sauce and bean-paste stew with tofu and vegetables). The fish is a little bit plain (not spicy and salty enough). The food was not bad, but the price was cheap and the folks are so nice. I hope they’ll do well since it’s a fairy new joint.
