Pho Kim Long - Best Bun Rieu Oc in the Bay Area

Chuckle at the name, but their pho is nothing to laugh about. If someone hadn’t clued us in to PKL, we may well have never thought to check it out, because admittedly it doesn’t look like all that much. A little sneeze-and-you’ll-miss-it storefront. But they sure serve a mean bowl of delicious pho.

As I've observed before, Vietnamese cuisine may be some of the friendliest food out there for people looking to eat light. Especially when it comes to soups. A big bowl of pho, for instance, with all the veggie mix-ins and the right-size portions of meat and noodles, can keep me satisfied for hours. And when you get tired of all the variations on pho, there's a whole galaxy of other soups to try.

Instead of having pho today, I decided to try a different item on the menu called Bun Rieu Oc (that’s bun noodle soup with crab and snails; pictured above), which according to a Vietnamese-American friend, is "da bomb" in the bay area. It was packed with bun noodles, chunks of fried bean curd and ground crab patty, wedges of tomato, and huge de-shelled snails in a tomato broth. At other places I’ve had this soup, the snails had not only been puny but also rubber-eraser-like. Here, they’re terrifically tender, with just the slightest pleasant little crunch. The accompanying side-plate of veggie mix-ins, plus a little saucer of deliciously savory dipping sauce that goes especially well with the snails, made the meal both satisfying and filling.

Soondooboo Chigae

I love Korean tofu casseroles. My favorite place to go for that would be Kang Nam Tofu House at Milpitas. The side dishes or banchan were simply delightful.

And of course the nutritious purple rice and rice barley tea...oh so healthy. I'm pretty sensitive to MSG and found that there was none in my spicy mushroom tofu soup.

Hubb on the other hand, is not a tofu guy, he had the kimchi and beef sizzler. It was so good that he didn't even want to share it with me. Okay, he allowed a small sample, and i must say it reminded me of claypot rice from back home, especially the burnt bits...yum!

A friend of mine loves cooking korean dishes and I begged her to give me her quick and delicious recipe for tofu casserole. With her permission, I'm posting it here to share with all:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
A tablespoon of chopped garlic
2 tablespoons Hot Pepper Paste (Gochujang)
2 tablespoons Hot Pepper Powder
1 bunch of enoki mushrooms (or shitake mushrooms or both!)
1 egg
About 7 oz of beef, chicken or veggie stock
1 package of tofu

Pour about 1 tablespoon of sesame oil into pot. Add garlic and sautee. Then drain the tofu and place into pot with 2 heaping tablespoons of hot pepper paste. Mix tofu up breaking it into bits and mixing with hot pepper paste. Add just enough beef stock to cover the tofu. Add 2 tablespoons of hot pepper powder for a more spicy flavor. Allow mixture to boil. Wash enoki mushrooms and cut off the ends. Add enoki mushrooms just at the end. Make sure to cover them in the stew. Then just before serving crack a egg into the mix. Serve over white rice.

Cambodian Noodles and Indian Dosa in one Saturday

It was a cool, overcast morning on Saturday. I had this craving for a hot bowl of cambodian chew jou noodles at VH Noodle House in Richmond, which is located on the East Bay - a 50mins drive from my place. We were regulars to this place when we lived in San Francisco. Now that it's a longer drive there, this is our "first" visit since our move to the south bay. The chew jou noodle is the closest to Singapore's meepok tah I can get in the US. The VH's version comes with flat wide egg noodles, bits and slices of pork, kidney (i try to avoid, but hubb loves it), shrimp and fishballs. I prefer the dry version, that is, soup on the side. Add hoison and their special satay sauce to the noodle mix and we're ready to dig in.

Weirdly, I didn't enjoy it this time. It was too salty and they were way too generous with MSG. Hubb and I were fighting over the last bottled water in the car on our way back home.

The only saving grace for VH in this visit was their fried fish cake. I particularly enjoyed the pickled cabbage with it.

Okay, I've got a soft spot for VH, because they were the first to satisfy my meepok cravings since I left Singapore. I will probably make another visit to try their other popular dishes later...much later.

In the evening, I met up with a good friend, Swee, for dinner. She lives in SF and was hiking in the stevens creek county park which was close to my neighborhood. It was great to see her again. After my lunch at VH, I couldn't take another heavy dinner. I suggested going to Udupi Palace for Dosa. Both of us enjoyed the Spinach Masala Dosa - thin rice crepe smeared with spinach and stuffed with spiced potatoes. This place was packed even at 9pm. I guess they must be serving authentic south indian food, coz the place was filled with indian natives. In Swee's words, "I've never seen so many indians in one restaurant!" (in the US).

Mmmm...PIZZA!!!

I just had the most yummilicious pizza. Thanks to yelp.com for the discovery. I was searching for good cheap eats in my neighborhood (we moved in a few months ago), and found this pizza joint called A Slice of New York which garnered rave reviews by several yelpers. And so took a 15mins drive to Stevens Creek Blvd and realized that I've been passing by this place for quite some time, yet didn't know that it's THE place for pizza.
The parking arrangement was definitely weird, but the pizza was sooo worth it! Best of all, because it's their 2yr anniversary today, they're selling $2 (usual $3.75) slices all day! Okay, I got greedy and bought a huge uber thin margherita slice and a pepperoni and mushroom slice. Nooo, i couldn't finish both of them. It would be a cardinal sin if i did! I kept the pepperoni slice for hubb when he returns home from a late flight tonight. I had the margherita slice which was awesome...salty, juicy, fresh basils, and the crust was amazingly chewy and tasty.

Eat Healthy, Be Healthy?

I spoke with mom last night and as usual she reminded me - everytime before we end our telephone conversation - to keep a healthy diet and do some exercise. I wish she's here to cook "healthy food" for me, coz i ain't know nothing about healthy cooking. They are tasteless! As for exercises, our community gym is now under construction, so no treadmills. I don't jog outdoors, coz don't wanna get burnt under the summer heat nor get chills from the coming winter winds...excuses excuses. So what do i do? Ah! A mini indoor trampoline! It's more economical than purchasing a treadmill and it's fun! It's also called rebouncing in the fitness arena. I feel good doing 15mins rebouncing daily. I know, i gotta increase the time on it.

Back to "healthy eating", I chanced upon a liquid supplement at Costco a couple of days ago and it's called Green Envy - Daily Detox. I decided to try it to supplement my veggies intake (not alot). I wonder if it really lives up to it's claim of the many good benefits. Dosage is 1 - 2 fl. oz. per day. I'm into my 3rd day now...nothing.

Stir-fried Angel Hair Pasta

It's starting to get chilly here. I can't believe that it's turning Fall next Monday! I have been complaining about the heat over the summer, but I'm starting to regret that and am calling out to the Sun to come back! Hubb left for Boston on Monday for work and will be back on Saturday. I miss having him around. Sigh, that's the nature of his work. It's no fun eating out alone and I'm tired of the takeout foods in my neighborhood, so I started to get creative today with whatever's left in the fridge. Hmmm...i've got baby bell peppers, broccoli florets (some turning brown), cabbage. Yikes! All veggies! I'm a meatetarian! Okay, improvise...i've got shrimp. Being a pasta lover, I decided to do a stir-fry of angel hair pasta with things i've discovered in the fridge. What about flavoring? Got adventurous and decided to use the thai curry paste that has been sitting in the fridge for months. Here's my creation...

Verdict: Pasta a little overcooked, but it does taste pretty good...tad too healthy for me tho.

An Eulogy for Alfie

My first post is dedicated to Alfie. She passed away on Sep 2, 2008. My heart goes out to cousin Shirley (Alfie's mom). Though Alfie was mischievous at times, then again which dog isn't, but she was always generous with love; evidently by her constant wet licks on anyone's face. She was a spectacular jack russell and an even more spectacular dog. So full of life, intelligent, and affectionate. She was also a certified volunteer Search and Rescue dog with the Singapore Civil Defence Force earlier this year. Losing her was really hard for all of us, family and friends. I pray that Shirley will find strength to overcome the loss...

A Parting Prayer

Dear Lord,
Please open your gates and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign her to a place of honor,
for she has been a faithful servant
and has always done her best to please me.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of her life
with the love she has shown me.
And grant me the courage to honor her
by sharing those memories with others.

Let her remember me as well
and let her know that I will always love her.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow her to accompany those who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of her companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give her to you now.

Amen.

~ Brandy Duckworth