So Duke, Dana and I hooked up with big brother Hai for lunch at Present Cuisine. Here goes another Asian restaurant with a waterfall fountain. Nevertheless, the sound of the trickling water and the garden-like design gives the restaurant a cool, relaxing vibe.

Looking at the extensive menu, I get a kick out of the fancy names even though I wouldn’t know what the heck they were if I didn’t look at the actual Vietnamese items. For instance, “Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll” is “Cha Gio Re” or “Pig at the Seaside Vermicelli” is “Banh Canh Tom Cua Gio Heo” or “Rick Folks Golden Crepes” is “Banh Xeo.” Didn’t know that Banh Xeo is a rich folks dish until you look at the price: $10.95 for one. We make Banh Xeo all the time at home and we ain’t rich.

Brother Hai ordered Banh Xeo and it sounded pretty crispy when he bit it. He cleaned up the entire plate so it must be good. I have to invite brother Hai to my sister-in-law’s house next time. She makes some killer Banh Xeo. I had at least five with hot sake the other day and it was heaven.

I tried Cha Ca La Vong and it was pretty good. The fish had a tangy flavor and the shrimp paste was not so strong that non-Vietnamese could give it a try. Dana was not satisfied with her Pig at the Seaside Vermicelli though. She thought the broth had a weird sour taste to it. She hasn’t ran to the bathroom yet, so it’s ok.

Although the prices are a bit higher than most Vietnamese restaurants around the area (including Eden), I was impressed enough to come back to check out some more dishes.

As for the services, I was a bit disappointed with the accommodation. I didn’t have a problem that they don’t have baby changing station in the bathroom; however, they couldn’t even provide me a private area to change Duke. I had to go out to the car.

Following the current trend, Hong Ngoc released two albums at once to target different demographics. Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung, which featured classic tunes, is for the old heads. Qua Khu, which featured come-and-gone pop hits, is for the young fans.

On Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung, Hong Ngoc obviously tries to throw a bone for the old folks. She makes no investment in the productions and she covers each song in her sleep. The beats get drowsy; her voice gets drowsier. She simply puts Trinh Nam Son’s “Di Vang” out of its misery and into an afternoon nap. I hope that Lam Phuong won’t listen to her rendition of “Co Ua.” He might get another stroke.

The good thing about Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung is that the album makes Qua Khu more listenable. Although Hong Ngoc has such an old, smoky and husky voice, the best she could do is singing instant pop songs. On the title track, she means every word she sings: “Nhung than oi long nguoi thay doi / Anh ra di chi gi qua khu cua em / Qua khu ngay xua anh da chap nhan de den ben em.” Any lyrics with the words “anh ra di,” she nailed them. On “An Nan Muon Mang,” she cries like rain on the chorus: “Gio day anh da ra di / Anh quyet ra di / Bo mat em voi bao dam me muon phien / Em khoc nhu mua / Anh van quay di / Vi trai tim anh da qua suc nguoi oi.”

Qua Khu testifies that Hong Ngoc still holds her spot as a star in the pop market. Moving beyond that, however, is out of her reach and Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung is a proof.

Last Saturday, Dana and I took Duke to the 19th Annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival. We came to see Holly Cole and she was alright. Duke behaved well when we were there. He sat on my lap listening to the music without saying a word. He was a chick magnet as well. A lady was making faces trying to make him smile, but he just gave her that serious look instead.

The other day, Dana put him on the keyboard. When he hit the keys, the sounds excited him. He started to kick his feet and banged his hands. It looked like a good sign.

Back in my high-school days, I had a friend who was always broke, always failing in school, yet always had at least an above-average chick by his side. One night a bunch of us played cards at one of my friend’s house. The broke bloke sat out because he had no money on him, but he had a chick to play with. We were curious why she was attracted to him and her answer was, “because I am stupid.” Another guy quickly relied, “we could tell.” I was rolling on the floor laughing. It was a joke, but there was some truth to it.

I had witnessed quite a bit of couples like that. I had seen nice-looking girls who ended up with guys who went in and out of jail, didn’t go to school and sometimes treated their girls with lack of respect. I finally got it when a friend whose heart was broken by a jackass told me that she wouldn’t go out with me because I was too nice. Even though I had no intention of asking her out, I wanted to say, “So you want me to treat you like shit in order for you to go out with me?”

After that, I stopped being nice because nice guys don’t really get anything, except for the bills and the crying when she needed someone to talk to. So the answer is yes. Good girls are attracted to douchebags.

The hardest part of a breakup isn’t the pain but the ability to move on. If you’re the one got dumped, the faster you move on, the better off for you because no one feels sorry for your ass. The quickest way to move on is to do the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind style. Yes, you want to get her completely out of your world. So when you and your girl are officially over, go out and get wasted. You drink to celebrate the new beginning, not to ease your sorrow.

The next day you wake up, go through your stuffs and destroy anything that associated with her. Getting rid of letters, pictures and sex tapes not only help you move forward, but also avoid leaving evidence behind. Just imagine your future girlfriend or wife comes upon those things, especially the latter. That’s not going to be a pretty scene.

Once the memories are trashed, go out and find yourself a replacement. The challenge part is that you have to score someone better than your ex. That’s right! Aim high because the sky’s the limit when you’re single. Don’t worry if you get rejected. Just think of them as job interviews. In my days, I got so many rejections that they didn’t seem to bother me anymore. Sure, it hurts your self-esteem and confidence, but it is much less painful than holding on to the past. Beside, you’re not likely going to run into them again later on anyway.

The first time I went to Circle Bistro was for my interview at GW School of Business. Both my boss and I had Idaho trout. Although the fish was mildly marinated, the flavor came through. It has a light-salted taste that complemented the sweetness of the trout. The place had a cozy feel, which was perfect for a bit of relaxing before heading up for the next round of interviews.

The second time I went with a bunch of colleagues and almost all of them ordered the trout. I went for the grilled flat iron steak. Although the steak was a bit salty, it was juicy and tender. The red wine sauce added a nice European flavor to the red meat.

The third time I took my wife out for lunch when she visited me at work. She had the trout and I had the Pekin duck leg confit and we shared the steamed Maine “Blue Johnny” mussels. The duck was a bit done. It would had been a bit juicer if the meat was a bit raw. I had this dish once at Busy Bee in Poughkeepsie and the chef recommended it raw. The duck turned out delicious.

What makes Circle Bistro stands out is that it only serves a few selections, yet everything on the menu is consistence. You can just order anything on the menu and expect it to be decent.

If you thought Pho Hot’s web site is horrendous, wait till you see the actual location. You could actually see some shots in the gallery section. From the big, awful scenic paintings with bright gold frames to fake trees all over the place to cheesy slideshow on TV screens, Pho Hot looks like a staging for cai luong (Vietnamese opera). The decoration was so distracted that I forgot how the food tasted like. I didn’t order Pho. The rice dish was just ordinary and I have no intention of coming back.

The other day I had to order 20 lbs of banh beo for a party. I looked up online to find the phone number for Saigon Café, which locates across from Eden Center. To my surprise its web site comes up first on Google, but I had to look for a minute to make sure I was on the right site. The amateur design of the site has no connection to the restaurant.

I haven’t been back to Saigon Café for a while now so I can’t remember all the details of the place, but its simple yet vibrant interior design appealed to me. I like how a set of tea cups, which seemed be to cut in half, glued to the wall. What ironic about this place is that while the name clearly says Saigon, most of its best dishes are Hue. I tried pho, bun bo hue, banh canh and hu tieu, but none of them stood out. It’s banh bao, on the other hand, is a killer. It also has some mean banh bot loc.

After I made my 20 lbs order, I tempted to approach the owner to talk about redesigning its web site and to use the web as a marketing tool, something most Vietnamese restaurants don’t seem to take advantage of.

“No escape would be complete without the strength of seeking freedom by boat people. No words could describe how terrifying boat people suffered on that unforgettable escape.” –boatpeople.org

Words indeed could not describe the boat people’s experience and I have no intention of telling their stories. “Bien Nho” is a personal dedication to my eldest sister. If it wasn’t for my sister who risked her life, I wouldn’t be living in this country right now. This is just to show her my appreciation.

Although the concept came to me a couple days ago, “Bien Nho”— a tune written by Trinh Cong Son and performed by Khanh Ly—has been on mind for a while. I wanted to do something beyond the romantic relationship of the song and this is it: the relationship between Viet Nam and its people.

“Bien Nho” is not a political statement, but rather a reflection of a journey that would stay forever with those who had been through it. My sister is one of those millions who have made it through all the hardships and the sufferings. This is for her and all the boat people.

Winner of Asia Entertainment’s 2007 singing competition, Quoc Khanh has quickly become one of the rising pop stars with his charming voice and cute look. On his debut, Van Mong Ve Em, he shows more than just those two qualities. He could also write and produce his own tracks. Unfortunately, the title opener, one of the two tunes he has penned, sounds like a soundtrack to a romantic Chinese TV series from the hook to the melody to the incorporation of the traditional instrument.

Production wise, Quoc Khanh obviously spends way too much time with Truc Ho. Without looking over the credit, one would have guessed that “Moi Tinh Tho” was written and arranged by his mentor. That’s not necessarily bad a thing. At least he could deliver Truc Ho songs such as “Dung Khoc Hoi Em” and “Nhu Anh Can Em” with soul and sincerity. In addition to Truc Ho, Sy Dan is responsible for a couple of arrangements including the robotic dance mix of Truc Ho’s “Van Trang Tinh Yeu” and the lethargic “Tieng Song,” in which Quoc Khanh desperately tries to please his father who has written the lyrics for the tune.

“Tieng Song” is the only song that Quoc Khanh sounds unengaged. His honesty and personality come through on the rest. Looking past the lollipop hits and lackluster productions, the strength of Van Mong Em Ve is his fullest effort. He seems to give his best. There are plenty of room and time for improvements. He is young with potentials and this is just a beginning.