Em Vietnamese Restaurant - Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NY

There's never a time when I'm not in the mood for a soup noodle - ok, maybe when it's like 90 degrees outside but as long as they have the air conditioner blasting, I can eat a bowl of pho any day.

Pho wasn't really the specialty at Em, my eyes were fixed on the Hu Tieu. Coming from a Vietnamese descent, I'm always up for trying delicious Vietnamese food and hu tieu is one that really connects me back to my roots. The simple yet flavorful umami broth with toppings of ground pork, quail egg, shrimps and tons of herbs can leave a person salivating.

Jimmy and I were meeting up with a friend, so I thought Em was a perfect spot for some chill time and delicious food. Decor was simple and clean, service was quite good.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Pho Bo Em

Hu Tieu Em

The Hu Tieu Em really hit the spot. Lucky for me, the weather that day was dreary and rainy so it was the perfect comfort food. Viet life isn't just about pho (or maybe it is...), there's so many different noodle soups that Vietnam has to offer and the hu tieu at Em is perfect to start your adventure.

Verdict:
Food ~ 4 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 5 out of 5

Em Vietnamese Restaurant
1702 86th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11214

Short Grain - Jersey City, NJ

Never had I thought I would be living in another state...let alone Jersey.
But, it was one of those decisions that when you think back, you decided correctly.

On a random morning, well I guess it wasn't that random, it was Labor Day after all. The fiancé and I decided last minute we wanted Vietnamese sandwich for brunch. I can't remember the last time we had a good sandwich so I agreed.

Short Grain was a bougie version of a regular Vietnamese cafe that serves coffee and sandwiches. Actually, the only Viet thing about this place was just the sandwiches and coffee, they have other items on the menu like pancakes and avocado toast (which is like the "thing" now). The cafe has a good amount of tables and seats. We luckily grabbed one before the lunch crowd came.

The sandwiches are pretty solid and so were the coffees. We ended up getting an iced and hot version of the Vietnamese coffee, it was perfectly sweetened in my opinion. I'm iffy about getting Vietnamese coffee now since they usually make it super sweet to counter the bitterness of the smokey coffee beans. The sandwiches were massive, packed with ingredients which I did not expect. I ordered the Vietnamese Cold Cut Sandwich, I have to say that I like this better. There was a lot of layered meat like headcheese, Vietnamese ham, pate spread and not too much pickled vegetables. It was extremely filling. The fiancé had gotten the Coconut Curry Chicken, it was spicy but addicting spicy which you just can't stop eating. Had a flavorful curry flavor but not much coconut which I was a bit disappointed with. Our coffees worked well with both sandwiches, the iced with the curry and the hot with the cold cut.

I see myself coming back. The cafe had a really lax vibe to it and everything was solid.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Vietnamese Coffee

Vietnamese Cold Cut Sandwich

Coconut Curry Chicken Sandwich

Verdict:
Food ~ 5 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 4.5 out of 5

Short Grain
183 Montgomery St
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Obao - you're better off not staying

Obao is a hotspot in Midtown East for some southern Asian cuisine. Mainly run by Thai people, but make quite spot on dishes. I usually order takeout from them because it's faster and slightly cheaper (because I don't have to pay tip).

One odd summer day, my coworker and I stopped by for lunch. We were seated all the way in the back, in their garden, no worries because they have a roof for some shade. Service was extremely slow. I understand that it's the busy lunch hour but having just 3-4 staff waiting the entire restaurant is quite unacceptable.

We got our glass of water after the table next to us got their's and they came in after us. I asked for the beverage menu and a few minutes later they didn't come by again to ask me if I wanted anything. Is it me or am I expecting too much from a restaurant in midtown? Maybe I'm just too spoiled...

Obao has these lunch specials that are pretty good, they range anywhere from $8-15 and if you want an appetizer, just tag on another $3-5. If you ask me, that's one pricey lunch.

The salad was pretty standard. Nothing special or worth mentioning here.

For appetizer, I ordered the Spring Rolls. It was quite good and was already drizzled with some fish sauce over it, which I wished came separately. Nonetheless, it was crunchy and filled with a nice amount of meat and vegetables.

The Pork Belly with Chinese Broccoli is what the rave is about here. I had it once for takeout and it was amazingly good, so it just had to be better fresh out from the kitchen right? Well, to be honest it wasn't any better, it tasted just like the time I had it as takeout. Don't get me wrong, it was good but I guess I expected more. Very powerful and flavorful dish, you can really taste southern Asia in this dish, no lie.

My coworker ordered the Thin Cut Vietnamese Pork Chop and it tasted just like the ones you would get at the Vietnamese restaurants. Marinated and packed with flavor, the lime gave it a nice kick which I like.

Overall, I wouldn't dine here again. Even though the food was pretty darn good, the service was really poor. I would rather order takeout and not deal with the service and still get some kickass food.

Obao
222 E 53rd St
New York, NY 10022
(212) 308-5588

 

JoJu - an anticipation left in disapointment

I'm not gonna lie, I like a good Vietnamese sandwich sometimes. I know that I might not get the best service at these places because Asian people aren't the friendliest. They care about making money, so they just want your order so they can put it through and get it to you asap. JoJu was a bit different, the people behind the counter were actually young...

Apparently for JoJu, when you check-in Yelp, you get a free egg with your sandwich. Which means, I save just $1 which is still a lot of money. J and I also ordered the Kimchi Fries but they messed that up.

Fries came first, we really thought it was the Kimchi Fries which was why we dug right in but then learn that it was the Banh Mi Fries ($5.25). By then it was too late to change our order. The fries were definitely fried twice if not more than that because it stayed a hard texture throughout the entire time we were eating it. There were a lot of pickled carrots and daikon which I felt like a vegetarian dish, it would've been a bit more exciting if there were some meat in it.

The JoJu Monster (originally $6.75 but I got it for $1 less because of the Yelp check-in) was literally what everyone was raving about. Is it just because of the extra egg that so many people like it? I wasn't impress at all. First off, all the sandwiches I had before had the same problem as this, everything is sectioned off weirdly. Why can't it just lay flat so when I bite, I get a little of everything? The meat and veggies are always squished off to the side...I mainly just taste the egg and the veggies, I didn't even know the meat existed until I look at my sandwich.

I wouldn't travel for JoJu unless I'm in the neighborhood. Then again, I don't really think it was worth it. I rather spent my money at Banh Mi Saigon or Luu's Baguette.

JoJu
83-25 Broadway
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(347) 808-0887

Sunny and Annie's - Pho #1 (aka Pho Real) Sandwich

So, I know you can basically turn anything into a sandwich but a Pho Sandwich? Pho real now? (hahahahaha)

Post workout with J, I told him we should stop by Sunny & Annie's for a sandwich. I read and saw about the pho sandwich a while back and knew we just had to try it. We've had pho many times, but in sandwich form...never.

S&A is a corner deli. Really tight and cramp inside but boy, they have a lot of stuff. Sandwiches being freshly made is one of them. They have a load of other different sandwiches which I'd love to come back and try, especially with funky names like Joe Bama and MonaRisa.

The Pho Sandwich ($6.99) tastes just like a bowl of pho in sandwich form. Yummy roast beef, onions, bean sprouts, thai basil, avocado, tomato, hoisin sauce, and sriricha was quite bomb. That's actually better than any Vietnamese sandwich I've had. This was different and quite clever. You can get this cold or hot, we tried the latter and will be back for the former.

Sunny and Annie's
94 Ave B
New York, NY 10003
(212) 677-3131 

Vietnam: Shellfish/Sea Snails

I personally love seafood, in whatever shape or form it is in. Although, don't ask me to cook anything because I can totally get freaked out by it. Being in Vietnam I knew I should try their seafood because I was told it was uber fresh.

Here are different types of ocean creatures with shells. I really have no idea what they're called so we're both out of luck here. But if you do know what they are called, enlighten me!

Ok, this is one of the few that I know because I've been longing to try this. Blood Cockles are rare in the states and even if they have cockles, it's not the blood type. Call me a vampire but I always wanted to try it. It definitely is on the irony side but texture-wise is similar to clams. Odd thing about these creatures is they don't usually open up like clams do when they're cook, you have to manually open them which can be a pain when you just got your nails done.

One of my favorites, they might look creepy but taste just like the sea snails in the states at those Chinese restaurant. These are a lot easier to hold and "suck."

The patterns on the shell were a real eye-catcher. It tasted like conch but slightly harder and tougher. Not really a fan.

This is like a marriage between a clam and mussel which then had a baby and voila! Tasted like clam but with a softer texture of a mussel, dip it in fish sauce and it was pretty darn good.

Lastly, this weird looking shell. I actually completely forgot how this taste like, wasn't so memorable nor did the sauce work with it. Reminds of those round toffee/butterscotch candy, weird.

There were so much more in Vietnam but with the limited amount of time we had and our relatives having to go to work, we lucked out. Must be more prepare next time.

Vietnam: Bo 7 Mon

I was utterly excited when I had the chance to dinner with my parents, and dinnering in Vietnam made it that much more special. I can't remember the last time I ate with my parents at a restaurant, my dad can be extremely picky and lazy.

I knew my mom wanted to try beef 7 ways in Vietnam, supposedly better? This was definitely my first true experience.

The set up for Beef 7 Ways, looks like Korean banchan here.

A pot of vinegar, onions and an egg. Bo Nhung Dam is like a fondue but with vinegar, love the sweet and tartness it gives off. The egg was actually something different because when we make this at home, we don't usually add an egg but it was a nice touch.

The beef and cow's stomach which you boil in the pot of vinegar. The beef looks beautiful!

Get some rice paper, add some herbs, throw in the beef and onions and wrap it up. They have this type of dipping sauce, not nuoc mam but it's called mam nem which is fermented anchovy sauce, very pungent but works really well with the vinegar-ed beef.

Right in the midst of beef fondue, I asked my dad to order me a bottle of Vietnamese beer. He ended up ordering me Tiger which was definitely not from Vietnam, should've just told him I wanted a 33 beer...

Goi Bo is my favorite so far because the thin slice of beef was absolutely perfect. I didn't need to dip this into anything, wrap the beef around the greens, onions, and cilantro and bam! Orgasm in mouthhh.

This plate is a little crazy because they fit 4 different kinds of beef here. Starting from top left going clockwise -- Bo Cha Dum (steamed beef that comes with this crunchy sheet of rice paper (shown below) but a lot of places uses shrimp chips), Bo Nuong Mo Chai (beef wrapped with fat), Bo La Lot (lolot leaf wrapped in beef) and Bo Nuong Hanh (scallions wrapped with beef).

This was definitely not the shrimp chips because it tasted like rice. Tasted great with the Bo Cha Dum.

And the 7th course was Chao Bo, beef congee aka porridge. Most likely they just grilled the grains of rice to give it some aroma and throw it in the beef stock/soup hence the grains of rice looks weird and nothing like congee. I find that Vietnamese don't like the thick congee but they prefer it less dense.

That was not enough so we ordered...

...two large crabs! Cua Rang Me which is crabs in a sweet tamarind sauce was the total bomb! My dad says otherwise, see what I mean when I say he's picky and hard to please. I thought the crabs was delicious and the sauce was seasoned just right. The crab meat were so sweet and fresh. I regret not eating much seafood in Vietnam...

After stuffing ourselves with the crabs, to finish the meal off we were offered Banh Flan. One of the things the Vietnamese picked up from the French. Delicious, strong, lightly sweetened flan was a great finale.

And if you're curious and/or adventurous...

...tada! The address and name of the restaurant. Mind you there's no air conditioners, just fans. It can get pretty darn hot there. But all worthwhile with the delicious food.

Vietnam: Unique Snacks

During my stay in Vietnam, I had a lot of snacks here and there. They're not sufficiently meals, though they could've been, but they are something to pass the time with when you have nothing to do...

Some may seem different and strange while others are just regular snacks that you've seen and ate before. Each one made the trip that much more memorable.

I wish I took a photo of how it looks inside because the Banh Chuoi Dua Nuong which is basically grilled coconut banana sandwich. The inside was a whole banana being wrapped with sticky rice that was cooked in an aromatic coconut milk, grill the sucker up and there you have a great sweet snack.



I have no name for this because I just took it from the living room and went into another room and silently ate it in happiness. Another sweet type of snack, this one had a mochi exterior with an ultra sweet filling. I tasted a lot of sugar, along with shredded coconut, red bean and more sugar. I would be happy with just the chewy mochi on the outside.

Whenever I think/see/taste Cha Lua, it brings me back to Vietnam. One of the first official food I associate with my country was this. Cha lua aka Vietnamese ham or sausage is essentially pounded pork with spices and then steamed in banana leaves. Pretty much has the consistency of your bologna.

On a late hot night, my cousin-in-law took me for some dessert. They also have savory desserts (if you know what I mean). She ordered the Xoi Thap Cam (top) which has sticky rice, pork, cha lua, fried shrimp, and a side of pickled daikon and carrots. I had a sweeter dessert of Che Thai (bottom), it included jelly, beans, corn, durian in coconut milk. As for the drink, it was a simple red and mung bean in coconut milk. See what I mean when I say this can be a meal!

This was one of my favorite snacks in Vietnam. I've had Dau Fu Fa in the states before but for some reason it just taste extra great here. The tofu was really soft and silky, the person added some mochi balls and slices of jackfruit, the best part was the gingerly syrup. Usually I eat this cold, but this warm version is absolutely unforgettable.

Got these mini cakes in the streets while walking in the market with my mom and aunt. It looked so welcoming and fresh that I just had to get it. It's on the sweeter side than I'm use to but it was insanely fluffy and airy.

All the 3 goodies where bought from the same vendor. They fried the dough on the spot which yield ultra freshness. The round one (my all-time favorite) is Banh Tieu, hollow center with a slight sweetness and covered in sesame seeds. The long looking one is Yau Ja Gwai or as we Americans call it Fried Cruller, no taste to it, so you're just eating a long oily fried dough.

The white looking cake is Banh Bo, it has a bouncy texture to it and it's either already sweetened or you can eat it with thickened coconut milk. It's similar to a sponge cake but has these honeycomb-like holes in it, so it's great have it with the coconut milk since it can soak up all the goodness.

Last but certainly not least, this might be the most bizarre yet. Hot Vit Lon, fertilized duck embryo aka Balut in Cambodia, tasted just like chicken! I've had this before but not fried and it's certainly something new to me since I usually eat it hard-boiled. It might be mind-boggling and disturbing but hey, you only live once so why not?

And you thought duck eggs were weird, what about quail eggs? This was definitely new to me and even my parents. What I did like about it was how easy it was to eat, and small so I can just pop it in my mouth. I know I probably sound really evil, but it was gooood.

A lot of these snacks were really cheap, probably less than $1USD and they're assessible also.

Vietnam: Pho Le

I never considered going to get Pho for breakfast because it's usually a lunch or dinner meal for me in the states. Pho Le, a quite spacious restaurant was packed in the morning around 8am. My family ended up coming here another time because it was that good.

The first time, we sat on the ground floor with just fans blowing at us. The second time around we venture up the stairs where the air conditioners were - heaven.

Pho Le specializes in pho and just pho. I find that a lot of restaurants/shops in Vietnam specializes in one particular item rather than your typical Vietnamese restaurants in the states where they sell a heck of different items.

I had the Pho Thap Cam aka combination bowl with everything, your equivalent to a #1 or Pho Xe Lua in the states. It was the best pho I've had in my life.

I can't get over the fact that there's a big plate of bean sprouts and herbs on the table. I absolutely love adding those veggies to my bowl.

The soup was a lot clearer in taste (if you know what I mean), it doesn't have that msg taste. Instead it has a fresh and heavy beef flavor which felt so pure to the taste buds. The noodles were a bit on the soft side but I can drink the soup all day long. Pho will never taste the same again after Vietnam...

And if you're curious as to where this shop is, I did take a photo of the wet-nap with the address at the bottom. These wet-naps cost 1,000VND, even though it doesn't cost much, roughly 5 cents in the states, I learned to just bring my own tissues/napkins (it's a lot more convenient since most places don't even have wet-naps).

Vietnam: Fruits

The one thing that stood out most was the different kinds of fruits I saw in Vietnam. Some I've never seen in my life and when I asked how do I eat it, I get teased for it. All the fruits were fresh and picked on the day of, there's no refrigeration therefore you don't have to worry about it being rotten or a even a day old.

These are Langsat, Bon Bon for Vietnamese speakers. The name is funny and it looks just like Logan from the outside.

And the inside looks like it also, but it sort of "precut" for whatever reason I have no clue. The smaller the fruit, the better because then you won't have to deal with the bitter seed in the center. This is one of the fruits where bigger isn't better unless you like spitting seeds out.

The taste is quite similar to logan and lychee but with a softer texture.

One of my cousins went out and got us fresh Jackfruit, Mit. Usually the person in the street that sells the jackfruit would peel the fruit out of the vines that intertwines it but my cousin was impatient and he wanted it fresh fresh and also wanted me to see how it looks as is.

Jackfruit is one of those strong aromatic fruits, usually on the sweet side. You can find these in a can in your supermarket swimming in sugared juices. The real thing is definitely a lot better, so clean-teasting!

Another crazy looking fruit. A cross between a pear and an apple. Known as Waterapple, Man. My least favorite of them all, also has a lot of other different names like rose apple, mountain apple, cloud apple and the list goes on. It's actually a berry which is even weirder than I thought. The waterapple gives you a tangy, pucker-up kind of taste which I don't like. For a fruit that's called waterapple, there isn't much water in it.

We have Mangosteen, Mang Cut in the states but it's always so expensive. I can have tons of this without feeling the guilt in my wallet. The outer shell, as you can see, is pretty thick so you gotta somehow push and crush the fruit gently so you can get to the center without a knife. If you do have a knife on hand, then go ahead and cut the sucker up. The white flesh is soft and silky.

Last but not least, the Sweet Sop, Mang Cau was ridiculously ugly. I had this when I went to Canada because they carried some of Vietnam fruits. It was a lot smaller in Canada so when I saw this, it took my by surprise. The exterior shell needed to be peeled off one by one, hideous! The inside, as shown above, looks pillowy soft. The taste - creamy and rich in flavor. Each bite yields about 2-3 seeds which is annoying but not as annoying as watermelons! Because the flavor is so rich, one fruit is good enough for me until I need to reach for some water.

Some of the fruits were a revisit while others I've tried for the first time. I'm sure there was a lot more other fruits but that's all I can digest for now.

Vietnam: Hu Tieu Sate

The hardest thing I find going on a trip is to literally pinpoint where I ate at. I was a lot less prepare since it was with family and I get carried away with conversations and just enjoying my time there. So a lot of Vietnam's post will have no address...

My cousin took my parents and I out for dinner, a place where my parents use to ate at when they were dating...haha

The signs were utterly bright!
I regret not sitting inside because that night I got bitten my mosquitoes pretty badly.

They're known for their Hu Tieu Sate, with a thick and rich sauce with tender pieces of beef along with tons of herbs. A lot different that what we have here in the states, definitely a lot more authentic. It's hard to say what's in the delicious sauce because each area makes it differently. Usually you have that peanut taste in it (that's what they do here in the states) but not at this specific restaurant in Vietnam.

The bowl was a bit on the sweet side and if only they dilute it a bit then it would've been perfect.