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thehungrykat1 · 1 year

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Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Manila Offers Special Opening Promotion

The Westin brand is finally back in the Philippines with a spanking new hotel located in the bustling Ortigas business and commercial district. Filipinos fondly remember the Westin Philippine Plaza as one of the premiere hotels in the country until it changed names and management in 2006. Now, Westin is truly back for good as The Westin Manila opened its doors last month with an exciting opening promotion for its buffet lunch and dinners at Seasonal Tastes. Aside from the regular discount to be given to diners, followers and readers of The Hungry Kat can get a further 20% discount by using the special promo code KAT20! I’ll tell you more about this later on.

The Westin Manila is a 303-room wellness-inspired premium hotel with services and programs thoughtfully designed with each guest's well-being in mind. You can find it along San Miguel Avenue corner Lourdes Street, just walking distance to Shangri-La Plaza Mall and SM Megamall. The Westin Manila offers a holistic approach to hospitality, with each of the six pillars of the Westin brand thoughtfully developed to help you Sleep Well, Eat Well, Feel Well, Move Well, Work Well, and Play Well.

The Hungry Kat was invited to experience Westin’s Eat Well program last Friday so it was a great opportunity to try the newest hotel buffet in the city. Seasonal Tastes is Westin Manila’s all-day dining restaurant on the hotel’s mezzanine floor.

The bright and spacious restaurant comes with plenty of seating options. You can sit near the windows facing the busy streets below, or choose one of the tables closer to the live interactive buffet kitchen serving signature global cuisines and local comforts. They also have a private dining room for those intimate occasions.

Helmed by Executive Chef Rej Casanova, Seasonal Tastes lets diners explore the different specialty dishes from East to West. As an opening promotion, Westin Manila is offering their daily Lunch Buffet at only P1,990 nett per person from its regular rate of P2,350 nett per person.

It’s Seafood Night at Seasonal Tastes on Friday and Saturday as they offer the Seafood Dinner Buffet at only P3,000 nett per person from its regular rate of P3,200 nett. But that’s not all, because The Hungry Kat is giving its readers a special 20% discount on top of the lunch and dinner promo rates just by mentioning the code KAT20 when you make your reservations. The same 20% discount can also be applied on a la carte orders. This special promotion is only available until June 30, 2023.

So what can you find at the Seafood Dinner Buffet? Let’s start at the Cheese and Charcuterie Station which offers a variety of hams and cheese cuts together with breads and dips.

The Make Your Own Salad Station offers a healthier way to start your journey. These leafy greens and vegetables come with several dressings to choose from.

There’s also a sushi and sashimi station nearby where you can grab a few slices of Tuna Sashimi paired with some maki rolls. Make sure to get some wasabi and light soy sauce for your plate.

Now let’s go to the main buffet table where our adventure truly begins. You can find assorted dimsum here including siopao, siomai, dumplings, and others.

There are several Asian Dishes on display here like the Sweet Chili Emperor Fish and the Seafood Hokkien Noodles. These Chinese cuisine seafood specialties will surely tickle your taste buds.

The local favorite Beef Caldereta is also featured at the Asian Station. Seafood Night brings out a lot more than just seafood as diners will really enjoy the exciting mix of dishes and cuisines.

For those who want rice to go with their dishes, you can choose from the Seafood Fried Rice or the Mixed Paella which both offer complete meals by themselves.

Another Japanese treat is also on display here as the Mixed Tempura comes with a combination of shrimp and vegetable tempura. I always look for tempura whenever I go to a hotel buffet and Seasonal Tastes does not disappoint with their crunchy ebi tempura.

From Asia, it’s now time to head West as we explore the different Western Dishes on the buffet table. The Baked Salmon is a very creamy seafood dish offering tender salmon cuts baked to cheesy perfection. Other seafood options include the Pollock on Cream Sauce and the Cioppino which is an Italian-American fish stew.

Popular meaty items such as the Beef Salisbury and the Herb Roasted Pork Belly create the perfect surf and turf combinations for your plate.

Over at the Carving Stations, the Baked Emperor Fish proudly sits on its throne as diners can enjoy all these beautiful seafood offerings.

The main attraction at the carving station is the Slow Roasted US Beef Short Plate. Ask the server for a slice or two and have it seared according to your preferred doneness. Add some roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes plus a touch of gravy to complete your plate of beefy goodness.

The highlight of the Seafood Dinner Buffet is, of course, the seafood! There are several Fresh Seafood Stations all throughout the buffet area where you can find the freshest crab legs, curacha, prawns, mussels, clams, squid, and more.

At the Asian station, you can ask the chefs to use these seafood ingredients for your Singaporean Laksa, Clear Chicken Soup, or Signature Biang Biang Nian noodles.

Better yet, simply fill your plate with all the seafood that you like and ask the chef to cook it in glorious garlic and butter. There are several other ways of enjoying your fresh seafood like having it cooked in chili garlic or simply having it grilled. There’s plenty of time to explore and enjoy all these possibilities during the Seafood Dinner Buffet.

Don’t forget about desserts because the Dessert Station comes with a lot of sweet and tempting items. Take a look at these mini cakes, chocolate chip cookies, donuts, leche flan, and S’mores Brownies topped with chocoalte “seafood.”

There’s also halo halo, ice cream, fruits, and a crepe station that prepares your freshly made crepes on the spot. Top it with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup to complete your adventure.

Executive Chef Rej Casanova also presented a sample of other specialty dishes which you can expect to find at Seasonal Tastes. He also explained Westin’s Eat Well program and how he and his team tries to make healthier versions of each dish with ingredients responsibly and sustainably sourced. The hotel’s Lobby Lounge actually has its own Eat Well menu. Chef Rej is the best man for the job as he recently won a plant-based dish competition held by the Marriott Group for Asia Pacific.

Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Manila is sure to be the next big hotel dining destination, especially for those living or working in the Ortigas area. Book your tables now while the hotel is not so full yet, and make sure to take advantage of The Hungry Kat’s promotional code KAT20 to get an extra 20% discount at Seasonal Tastes. See you there!

The Westin Manila

San Miguel Avenue corner Lourdes Drive, Ortigas Center

8256-2020

www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/mnlwp-the-westin-manila-sonata-place

www.facebook.com/westinmanilahotel

#TheWestinManila #Westin #MarriottHotels #SeasonalTastes #Ortigas #Philippines #Buffet

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candycritic · 1 year

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Bangkok Snacking

We recently got back from a quick trip to Thailand, and boy are my arms tired. That's a really lame joke, and not very relatable to my trip. It would be more appropriate to say that our stomachs are totally stuffed instead of our arms being tired because we filled up on all kinds of great food. What you have to know about this trip before you continue reading is two things. First of all we have been to Bangkok many times, we've lived in South East Asia for several years in the past, and we're living there now. The second thing you should know is something I just said, we live in South East Asia right now. What that means is we're not really going crazy over the South East Asianess of this adventure. We can get street food, great hot pot and all kinds of rice and noodle dishes where we live. In some ways we go to a big city like Bangkok to get a little big city life as well as western food. So don't complain that we did South East Asia poorly on this adventure because we pretty much live it every single day.

As I said, this is a quick journal highlighting some of the things we ate on this adventure. I feel like this is an interesting representation of Thai eating from the perspective of people who lives in South East Asia, and haven't seen a McDonalds in months.

Needless to say, the first thing we ate when we got into the airport was McDonalds. It was nothing special, just a way to get that craving out of the way and eat something quickly before the long cab ride to our hotel. Those of you who have visited Bangkok before know that you need to be prepared for a long cab ride from the airport and fueling up (along with a bathroom break) is essential.

The next morning... McDonalds again (this will be a reoccurring theme). We had a busy day planned and we just wanted to get breakfast quick and we all know that McDonalds breakfast is a travelers dream. The cool thing about this particular breakfast at McDonalds is that I managed to sample one of the Thailand McDonalds exclusives the McPatongko. It's basically a crispy deep fried donut that comes with a condensed milk dipping sauce. Happy that I tried it, but didn't feel the need to get them again.

When we visit Thailand, there are certain places we always like to get food. We'll often go back again and again until we're kind of sick of it, or at the very least until we no longer feel like we'll regret not going one more time. Something you learn traveling in certain parts of the world is that some foods are more dangerous than others when it come to food born illness. Most seasoned travelers will tell you that meat it not the true danger, ice cubes and lettuce are the silent killers. Because we live in South East Asia, in a place that could be a danger for food born illness, we don't often get to enjoy a good salad. The great news is that we know a place in Thailand that not only offers a clean safe salad, but the salads they make are excellent. This place is known as Jones's Salad, and I feel like we ate there at least 3 times on this adventure, and we certain stopped there on our first day.

For those of you looking for something a little more South East Asian, this is your time to shine. Another one of my always first day must have foods is mango sticky rice, bought off of the street. I have two vendors that I always frequent, and they've never disappointed. Mango sticky rice will always be the first and last dessert I get on any trip to Bangkok. Sometimes I'll get one or two in between as well, I believe I've even had a trip where I got a serving of this amazing dessert each and every day of my stay. As a person who loves sweets, I can easily tell you that a well made mango sticky rice is the best dessert on offer in the entirety of Thailand, maybe even in all of South East Asia.

Our next stop in Bangkok makes the least sense of them all, Tim Horton's. Sure we lived in Canada just a few months ago, but for some reason I just can't stop in a city with a Tim Horton's without seeing what they have on offer. For those of you that don't know, Tim Horton's has had great success with locations all over Asia. I love the idea of seeing how these international locations differ and how they're the same as the classic Canadian shops. I'd like to tell you all about that right here, but you'll have to wait a little while as I'm currently writing a blog dedicated to my experience eating Timbits in Thailand.

For one of our lunches we decided to get some Japanese tonkatsu. It was a fine meal, however the interesting part of it was the decorations. The entire restaurant was filled with fun tonkatsu characters all dressed up for Christmas. I found the fact that little pigs were celebrating the holiday season right next to breaded pork cutlets to be a little weird, but that's mostly because I was raised to disassociate my food from the animal. In most Asian cities it's celebrated.

The one thing Allison can't resist when we go to Thailand is Sao Ping. Once again, all of you out there who think that we overdo western food in Thailand, you'll enjoy this. Sao Ping is a fried bean based cake that's a very common street food. They have various fillings and can even have differing ingredients in the cake, but they all have a similar texture and always taste great warm. I've seen them for sale in a few bakeries and grocery stores, but I always feel like the street version is the best. This is probably because of their very short shelf life. While they taste fine a little old, they're so much better fresh off of the heat.

One thing that seems to be constantly growing in all parts of Asia is ice tea. Milk tea, boba tea, and fruit teas run rampant at every corner. There are combinations of these teas, speciality version and over the top dessert ice teas available everywhere. I decided to jump into this trend head first and tried something called a Dirty Nutella Milk Tea. It consisted of a chocolate milk tea, chocolate sauce, many generous scoops of Nutella at the bottom, and oddly marshmallow used like boba balls. The marshmallows were the strangest part, but kind of fun to hunt down throughout the drink. Getting the occasional mouth full of Nutella was fun, but also pretty heavy. While I did enjoy this sweet treat, it left me more thirsty than when I started.

For our last meal we decided to sit down to some shabu shabu. The great thing about shabu shabu is it allows everyone to get a lot of whatever they want. We of coarse stuffed ourselves silly, but I didn't pass up the free scoop of ice cream for dessert.

Given the fact that I just stuffed my face with a great deal of meat a vegetables, I thought I'd give the charcoal ice cream a taste. It made sense since charcoal is known to help with an upset stomach, and it's ice cream, so it'll make it fun too. It actually tasted pretty good, but I can't say it did much to settle my stomach considering the amount we ate.

My final treat, you guessed it, McDonalds. This time I blame the fact that I had 45 minutes between the time we checked out of the hotel to the time we needed to get picked up for our cab ride back to the airport. I did however manage to get another Thailand signature dessert. It's the pineapple pie a la mode. There are so many great things about this dessert that make me wonder why all McDonalds can't have this. First of all the pie is deep fried, unless the filling of a McDonalds pie is ultra unique, I really only go for the deep fried pies. Secondly the pineapple is a fun filling, maybe not something I'd always order, but once in a while it's supper tasty. Finally, putting it in ice cream is a brilliant move. I'm sure if they don't actually offer this at your local McDonalds you could probably just get a sundae and put your pie in it, but I'm kind of lazy, so I've never done that before.

Seeing as we're back in Asia for a few years, I seriously doubt this will be my last stop in Bangkok. I might write another recap, but frankly most of my trips to Bangkok look a lot like this one.

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#IFTTT #Candy Critic #candy #sweets #candy critic

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quieteating · 2 years

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New Post has been published on Quieteating

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/0hjyNl

7 Floor

I would like to cheer ANY Malaysia restaurant which tries to set up in London. There are just too few genuine articles around. I will even take the monumental step (for me) of not making fun of this restaurant’s name, even if it “7 Floor”.

This is why I found myself in Peckham, somewhere I would normally not be in. That’s just because it is fairly out of the way for me, not for any other reasons. Here, the proliferation of Market Hall means that it is trying to cater for the South East Asian food segment. There was bubble tea across the hall from 7 Floor, some Vietnamese pho shop a few doors down and a Japanese ramen kitchen a bit further on. Turning to the food at 7 Floor, you turn up, collect your number and then collect it on the bell and bring it to the communal dining area. Charm, this place does not have.

Chicken hor fun, deliciously delicate flat rice noodles served with shredded chicken and chicken and prawn broth. Ignore the presentation and the packaging for a moment. The noodles were excellent. The soup was great. Sadly, the toppings were sparse and rather boring. The chicken tasted a bit like boiled or perhaps microwaved chicken breasts. The spring onions and bean sprouts were a bit lackluster. Together, they lacked any real add value.

Prawn mee, gently simmered flavour packed prawn stock with a bit of heat, served with shredded chicken, fresh prawns and springy yellow noodles. The noodles were not as good as the hor fun but they still made me happy. This could have been great but it is a little miserly when you cut so small prawns in half to make them look like they are twice what they really are. I know inflation is biting but it is biting the eaters too.

Chee cheong fun, plain rice noodles in a sweet sauce with sesame seeds. This was probably the best dish of the day, as it didn’t have (sparse) toppings to detract attention from the quality of the noodles. Sweet, bouncy, succulent, this cheong fun was a thing of joy. In the sweet sauce, even more so, allowing the unadulterated flavour to shine through.

I really wanted to give them a higher score. Good Malaysian noodles like this deserve to be rewarded. However, being a bit too cheap sometimes can do you in. Here I must add one small comment as I have been holding this in this entire time. Perhaps a better name for the restaurant might be Bargain Basement, on account of the stingy topping portions, rather than 7 floor. Seems to be a long way up till then.

A quiet eating 7/10.

Dinner was (1.5 dishes) was GBP15 excluding drinks and service.

7 Floor (there is no website)

10, Aylesham Centre, Rye Lane, Peckham, London, SE15 5EW

#7 floor #chee cheong fun #chicken hor fun #Peckham #Prawn Mee

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i-am-dulaman · 3 years

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You googled and everything....how do you mess up rice??

I... bad

#honestly tho im usually pretty competent in the kitchen #except rice #it always comes out just a tiny bit too dry or too wet #just a little bit tho #its always passable #just not good #oh and sausages too i could never cook sausages or steak for shit #luckily am vegetarian now so dont have to worry about that #wait no actually i tried vegetarian sausages the other day and failed #but hey #i make great east asian noodle dishes #and pasta dishes too #ooooh and i make this thing #idk what to call it #its sort of a pan fried spinach frittata #if i had a signature dish it would be that #anyway its almost 3am #owls are cool #good night

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winniejanepicalla · 3 years

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FOODS (DESSERT)

History of dessert

Who Came Up With the Modern Dessert Course?

And what came before it? For one, eels baked in marzipan

By Alex Testere

February 17, 2017

One evening in Ferrara, Italy in 1529, a grand feast was planned for the wedding of one wealthy Italian nobleman to France's Princess Renée, daughter of King Louis XII. According to Michael Krondl in Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert, posh Venetians were obsessed with sugar, going so far as to adorn their banquet tables with gleaming white sugar sculptures. The provincial citizens of Ferrara had to step up their game with such ritzy company in town; a sugar showdown was inevitable.

Thus the dinner menu included game birds doused in blancmange, a starch-thickened sauce of cream and sugar, and further topped with, you guessed it, more sugar. Fried bone marrow fritters were dunked in sugar syrup. Eels were baked into marzipan, obviously, and toothy, tube-shaped lampreys were roasted and served in a sauce of their own sweetened blood. If sugar's value wasn't already clear, a giant pie was presented for the ninth and final course. Its crust was not filled with sweetened fruit, but heaps of glittering jewelry.

sugar

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Dessert (/dɪˈzɜːrt/) is a course that concludes a meal. The course usually consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine or liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of central and western Africa, and most parts of China and India, there is no tradition of a dessert course to conclude a meal.

Dessert

Desserts.jpg

Various desserts

Type

Usually sweet

Variations

Numerous (biscuits, cakes, tarts, cookies, sandeshs, gelatins, ice creams, pastries, pies, puddings, custards, sweet soups, etc.)

Cookbook: Dessert

Media: Dessert

The term dessert can apply to many confections, such as biscuits, cakes, cookies, custards, gelatins, ice creams, pastries, pies, puddings, sweet soups, and tarts. Fruit is also commonly found in dessert courses because of its naturally occurring sweetness. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly savory to create desserts.

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shiro-0197 · 3 years

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Aww I'm sure whatever you choose will be the right choice. They're both such great options!! I'll be cheering you on either way, or even if you choose something completely different. It's cool that you've done uni research too. I haven't. I've only researched one 🙃

ikr!! Honestly tho, if I could meet a Haikyuu character for a day, (with the exception of Tooru, because he'd be my first choice🥺🥺) I'd probably choose Kuroo. His science jokes would be top-tier istg :> what about you?

yeah it's really dangerous. They'll probably have a strict lockdown soon, too. Is everything okay over there? Or are the cases high too? :( If they are, please stay safe 🥺🥺)

ooh what cuisines do you mix?? :D I'm sure there's french in there (because of your adorable love for quiches) and maybe some East Asian (because of the noodles?)

Aww that sounds so frustrating, I wish you all the best, bae. I hope it won't bother you in the future, you've got through this!!

KSJDJSHSJ I'm melting your expressions must be really really cute. I'm usually just smiling like a dork, and that smile stays with me even after I reply. my brother once asked me why I was smiling into my maths book. (maths does not spark joy).

omg yes yellow and blue are a really good combination. They're my school colours too. And the Swedish flag colour :D what's your favourite colour btw? Is it white? 😝😝

Yeah I saw a peak in the numbers today. English is second highest so wohoo!!

oh I didn't mean to overwhelm you 🥺🥺 but I'm glad you know I care. I love you, Cookie, I truly to :)

I mean yess?? (Catboy Chishiya was second best) but that drawing you did of us is first :D Speaking of drawings; I'm so soft that drawing of tiny Tooru in the board and his smile was so sweet. thank you, so much!!🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 You're the best >.<

Heyyy I'm sorry for not answering earlier again😭😭😭 how was your day? I'm hoping it was alright!!! Mine was pretty good, still kinda tired but I feel better~

Thanks so much!!! It means a lot<3 I didnt really do the research, my teacher did... she really has big expectations of me, it's scary xD One is still something!! To be honest I did ones well and it's not really easy cuz I need to know everything cuz I'm paranoid like that😝

Ohh Kuroo is a great choice😩 he acts like an old man which is probably my second favorite thing about him, right after his chemistry obsession sjdjjwjfkskx

NOOOO that's a very difficult choice.... to be honest I would say Shoyo but I wanna meet everyone else too???!? Like maybe Ukai or Daichi because I need more advice on how to take care of myself physically💀 but if we're talking just someone to hang out with, without anything to worry about then yeah, probably Shoyo. He's so damn small I wanna give him a piggy back ride anywhere we go😩😭

Yeah, it's really the best choice:( I think situation in our place is moderate? I mean, theres less rgan 1000 cases per day in the whole country (?), I dont know if that's moderate, but that sounds better than if was at first😖

Theres a lot, really, we mostly have west and east asian foods? And a few Russian dishes, like pelmeni and vareniki <3 I especially love the potato ones, the cottage cheese ones arent my style😔 well, at least those are the ones we make here hehe~ The quiches I make are actually just something I found because of a game, which is funny but true XD ever since I tried making one with my ✨secret recipe✨ I couldnt stop. Barely anyone even knew that thing existed before I brought it into the picture XD

AWHH you're literally the cutest😭 I make you smile even though maths... that's a huge honor, ma'am. I'm proud😭😭💕

Ohh that's so cool!! That's our country's flag color as well hehe. You guessed it right😝 its white~ but I also really like muted brown and yellow. They're so comforting, you know? Kinda the colors of pastries <3

Ooo!! That's so cool omg, I'm very happy for you🥺

Heheh don't worry!! It still felt nice😋💕💕

Seriously, two of my children are your top two??? I'm in tears, you're giving me goo much credit😭🤍 I'm very glad you liked them, though, I was very happy drawing Tooru and mini Tooru for you hehe😙💕 Love you so much!!! Hope your day went great♡

#Ari💕

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royvelasco · 4 years

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Top Things To Do In Chiang Mai

Just like most of the South East Asian Cities on the tourist route, Chiang Mai offers limitless Buddhist temples spread throughout the city. But what really stands out with this popular city north of Thailand is its rich history and colorful culture that still blend into the modern time.

If you’re already tired with the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, Chiang Mai might be the place for you. It can still give you the hyper vibe Bangkok has but with a more laid-back feeling into it. It is still a province and far off from the capital, so expect to get a rustic, slow-paced, stress-free environment from time to time, which is actually a good thing!

I can actually compare it to Bali. You can party yet find relaxation at the same time. Though instead of beaches, you’ll be on the mountains here in Chiang Mai.

How To Get To Chiang Mai?

Your best bet in getting to Chiang Mai is flying in to Bangkok. Numerous international airports fly in to Thailand’s capital so that wouldn’t be a big issue.

Once you’ve stepped in to Bangkok, either you can stay for a few nights (recommended!) or go straight to your destination. Taking the night bus or train is the most famous option for budget travelers, yet flying in to Chiang Mai can also be cheap. Take note that the bus and train can take between 11 and 14 hours of travel. Make sure to check airlines like Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, & Nok Air as well as they offer cheap flights domestically.

How To Get Out Of The Airport (Chiang Mai International Airport)?

I actually had done enough research on how to take the public transportation from the airport to the Old City, where most of the attractions and accommodations are. There is an option which looks like the most local one called Songthaew or a shared pick-up taxi (usually red in color) available once you exit the arrival hall. I’ve also bumped into an article online mentioning about airport shuttle vans with designated stops in the Old City. And of course, your “trustworthy” airport taxis ready for your service for a steeper price.

Despite of these options I got, I hadn’t taken any of them since good thing, Grab is available in Chiang Mai. Grab has always been a reliable travel app here in South East Asia. It works like Uber that has reasonable pricing and you’ll most likely get a safe and comfortable ride.

Well to be honest, I was rooting for the Songthaew but I was unsure on how to take them. LOL! I was seeing a lot passing by but it looked like some were privately hired. It was not clear to me which one to take and what to do next once I’ve hoped in. I also didn’t see any airport shuttle vans or at least a counter or a queue for them. I was just grateful that Grab was available. :D

What To Do In Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is known to be the most visited city in northern Thailand. Most activities in this part of the country can be seen here that’s why you’ll certainly never run out of things to do in Chiang Mai. My 3 days of stay in this beautiful city might be a quick one yet I can say that I had witness most of its beauty. Listed below are the top things I didn’t miss out on this amazing place.

1. Do Temple-Hopping

You might already be templed-out if you have been traveling to Indochina for quite some time now. I’m pretty sure that you have seen countless similar looking temples throughout your trip and the last thing you want to see is another temple.

Chiang Mai might be an exception. I have checked out some of their famous temples and I can say that they differ from one another. Unlike the temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia (which are great by the way), temples here in Chiang Mai feels homely and simpler in structure. They are way less intimidating despite of the golden Buddhas and other statues all around.

Below are some of the cool temples I was able to visit:

Wat Chiang Man

Wat Chedi Luang

This temple is my favorite in Chiang Mai as it has an impressive ruin chedi (pagoda) at the center of the temple ground.

Wat Phan Tao

This temple was not listed on my itinerary but I was able to visit this on my way to Wat Chedi Luang.

Wat Lok Molee

Wat Phra Singh

Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple)

Make sure to visit this temple at night to witness its illuminating beauty.

Situated up in the mountain with an astonishing view of the province, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is considered to be the most popular for tourists. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit this temple as it is quite far off from the Old City.

2. Experience The Night Market

There are a few amazing night markets to choose from when you’re here in Chiang Mai but the most popular would be the Sunday Night Market or also known as the Walking Street along Ratchadamnoen Rd. It’s a kilometer stretch of delectable cuisine, artsy souvenirs, and cool local events.

Evidently, this only takes place every Sunday from 4PM until around midnight.

3. Learn How To Cook Thai Cuisine

I’ve always been eager to try a cooking class ever since I started traveling. Food has always been a big part of all my travels and what better way to know more of the local cuisine than trying to make them by yourself!

I almost had the chance when I was in Penang, Malaysia but was out of time. I found the cooking courses in Luang Prabang, Laos quite expensive on the other hand. The perfect moment came when I visited Chiang Mai!

Thailand definitely is the best place to savor on a gastronomical experience. I was able to enroll for a 3 Dishes - Half Day Course for a reasonable price (the cheapest I saw online) under Mama Noi Thai Cookery School. This activity is available online via Klook and Kkday. If you’re new to Klook, make sure to sign up HERE to get a Php150 reward!

4. Eat A Lot!

Thai cuisine has always been one of my favorites ever since. No trip to Thailand is complete without trying their authentic food choices.

If Pad Thai is screaming in and out of Bangkok, you might need to ditch that delectable plate for now and focus more on another local noodle dish made popular up here in the north.

Unlike Pad Thai that is dry, Khao Soi is another noodle dish served with a creamy spicy curry-like coconut broth.

Khao Soi Khun Yai is one of the popular stalls in the area that sells Khao Soi. I actually had my lunch here before I went to Wat Lok Molee which is just across the road.

I had this sweet Longan Juice to pair with my spicy Khao Soi.

Tip: Make sure to go here early as they only run from 11:00AM to 2:00PM and usually sell out quickly.

Some travelers even continue their journey way up further to places like Pai, Chiang Rai, and even Luang Prabang in Laos. But Chiang Mai indeed has these countless attractions your eyes can enjoy. I could also say that this is a great place to retire. No doubt a lot of digital nomads has found a home in this charming ancient city with a modern twist. I can describe Chiang Mai as a city away from the hustle. Despite of the city thriving its way, Chiang Mai still manages to hold its tradition making it an authentic city that catches every traveler’s heart.

DISCLAIMER: Information above is based on my actual experience during my visit on March 2018. Details like prices, contact information, etc. may change due to different factors. Feel free to comment down below for updates. The conversion rates are estimated and current as of writing.

NOTE: I own all the images used on this blog post unless otherwise stated. Please don’t use these for any purposes, unless you acknowledge the owner. Thank you.

#Travel #Food #Thailand Travel #Thailand Food #Chiang Mai Travel #Chiang Mai Food #Blog 2018 #Thailand 2018 #Chiang Mai 2018 #Thailand #Chiang Mai #Mama Noi #Khao Soi

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aftaabmagazine · 5 years

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At the "Crossroads of Asia": The Transnationality of Afghan Cuisine

Words and imagery by Munazza Ebtikar

[caption: Panjshir پنجشیر,, Afghanistan]

When I introduce Afghan cuisine to my peers, I am immediately asked whether it is “more like Persian or Indian food?”

This question reflects the obscurity of the country for those whose understanding of Afghanistan has been shaped by the recent wars. This understanding has also been supported by the dominant narrative that insists on the static and closed-off position of Afghanistan, which ignores its sub-national and transnational characteristics.

Yet sharing a border with Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and China, Afghanistan lies at the crossroads of the Middle East, Central Asia, East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. The country’s contemporary boundaries relate more to superpower interests than the common identities of its inhabitants, as Afghans share historical, cultural, and linguistic ties with their neighbors. One such tie can be found in its cuisine.

[caption: Kabobs and fried fish with locally made bread, Panjshir پنجشیر, Afghanistan]

With over 30 different ethnolinguistic groups, Afghanistan’s ethnic and geographical diversity is reflected in the distance between the round Uzbek bread and specialized dumplings more commonly made in the northern and northwestern regions of the country and the varieties of kabāb کباب (such as the round flat-shaped spiced beef patty called chapli-kabāb) found in the southern areas. Of course, multiple dishes overlap across the country, the difference between them is the method of preparation and their presentation.

Afghan appetizers consist of various types of borāni, which are sautéed vegetables topped with strained yogurt. This includes borāni-bānjān (with eggplant), borāni-kadu (with pumpkin), or sabzi-borāni (spinach borāni).

According to legend, the word “borāni” comes from the name of the daughter of Khosrow II, the last Sassanian emperor, whose name was Pouran. A queen in the 5th century, Pouran is mentioned under the name of Pourandukht in Ferdowsi’s great Persian epic poem, the Shāhnāmah. Pourandukht was apparently very fond of yogurt, which is why vegetables commonly found in borāni are made with yogurt.

Borāni dishes are shared with Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus. Another appetizer in Afghanistan is bread stuffed with gandana (Chinese chives) or potatoes called bolāni, which is served with a yogurt dip.

[caption: Ay Khanum (”Lady Moon”) آی خانم large dumplings with rose-like shape from Afghanistan.]

Pasta-based dishes or dumplings hold an important place in Central and East Asian cuisine. In Afghanistan, there are soups containing noodles (such as āsh).

The two essential dumpling dishes include mantu, dumplings with ground beef served with strained yogurt and topped with tomato sauce and sprinkled with dried dill or mint, and āshak, dumplings filled with Chinese chives topped with yogurt and tomato meat sauce, sprinkled with dried mint and dill.

Mantu منتو is comparable to its Central Asian, Turkish, South Caucasian, and East Asian counterparts, including the Turkish mantı or the Korean mandu. The main difference is the shape of the dumplings, as large dumplings are more popular in Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, while smaller dumplings are more common in Turkey. These pasta dishes, like dairy products, may have spread during the Mongol and Timurid periods.

Dairy products have historically been staple foods of pastoral and nomadic tribes in Central Asia, Afghanistan, and the larger Iran plateau. They may have initially spread from Central Asian tribes in the Mongol and Timurid periods. Yogurt is an essential part of Afghan cuisine as it is either served as a side, as a sauce or made into a refreshing drink called dōgh.

Dōgh دوغ, known as such in Iran and as ayran in Turkey and other Central Asian countries, is a cold yogurt drink mixed with salt, occasionally with cucumbers and mint depending on its consumer. It is a common drink that Afghans have with their meals, mostly in the summers.

[caption: Hardened Kurut is melted to make a sauce for diverse dishes. Panjshir پنجشیر, Afghanistan]

Similarly, qurut قروت (known by Iranians and Kurds as kashk) is made from drained sour milk, shaped into chunks and left to dry. It is either eaten as a snack or made with the dish kichiri qurut (sticky rice, usually served with meatballs and drenched in qurut). Qurut is shared with cuisines from the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula to Central Asia and the Caucasus.

[caption: Sholah with melted Kurut in the center, Kabul کابل, Afghanistan]

Rice (called berenj in Persian, related to the Sanskrit vrīhí) have originated from India and brought to the region more than a millennium ago. It is cultivated in more moist areas of the country such as Jalalabad or Laghman.

Rice has become an indispensable part of Afghan cuisine as it is consumed in all regions of the country, yet those from middle and upper socioeconomic backgrounds have it more regularly. The crowning dish of Afghan cuisine is qābili palaw, a rice dish typically made with lamb and seasoned with grated carrots, almonds, and raisins. Other types of popular rice dishes include Sabzi chalaw or zamarrod palaw, rice with spinach, narenjpalaw, rice with orange peel, reshta-palaw rice with fine egg noodles, yakhni palaw, rice with mutton, and landi pilau rice with dried meat.

[caption: Freshly caught fish from the Panjshir river with local Afghan bread. Panjshir پنجشیر, Afghanistan]

Kalla-pâcha, a labor-intensive traditional dish that is served usually on special occasions, consists of a sheep’s head with its four trotters and the sheep’s other edible parts usually served in cold weather. Most of these rice dishes are shared with Afghanistan’s Central Asian and Iranian neighbors, and qābili palaw is shared as a national dish with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, where it is known as āsh or palaw (or āsh-e palaw). Afghan stew or qorma (from Turkish kavurmak, which means to roast or boil) accompanies white rice (chalaw) and can be made with meat (qorme gosht), with fruits such as plums (qorme alu bukhara) or, like the Iranian ghormeh Sabzi, with spinach and meat. Qorma is shared, in different variations, with the Indian subcontinent.

Tea (or chay) accompanies every meal or is simply drunk by itself, either plain or with a touch of cardamom at home, at a chāykhānah (tea-house), or in a samovar. Prior to relying on Indian export of tea, it was imported from China via Bukhara, and the habit of drinking tea may have been made popular by the Mongols in western Asia.

Afghans drink both green (chāy sabz) and black tea (chāy siyāh) and in some cases, mixed with sugar and clotted cream (qaymaq-chay), which is mostly drunk on special occasions. The preference for green tea over black tea depends on the region within the country, as black tea is drunk mostly in the regions north and east of Afghanistan and in Tajikistan, while green tea is drunk in the northwest of Afghanistan and throughout most of Uzbekistan. Green tea is classified as a “cold” drink, as it is mostly consumed in the summer, while black tea, a “hot” drink, is normally consumed in the winter.

Tea is accompanied with sweets such as sugar-coated almonds (noql-e bādāmi), or dried fruits, including dried mulberries, almonds, pine-nuts, walnuts, pistachios, raisins, all of which are found in abundance in Afghanistan.

[caption: Nuts and sweets. Kabul کابل, Afghanistan]

Rice-puddings such as shol-e zard (rice dessert made with saffron) shol-e shirin (sweet rice with nuts), as well as gush-e-fil (tr. elephant ears) or locally made cookies (kolcha), are all hallmarks of Afghan dessert. Other popular desserts in Afghanistan include the Turkish baklava, Indo-Arab zalabia (known as jelabi in Afghanistan), or the dessert shared with Iran such as firini and halwā. A meal does not end with dessert, but with fruits. Seasonal fruit, depending on the region, can include pomegranates, melons, grapes, apricots, cherries, and peaches, complete an Afghan meal.

[caption: Talkhan, a sweet made with dried mulberries and walnuts. Panjshir پنجشیر, Afghanistan]

The transnationality of Afghan cuisine illustrates that modern boundaries do little to divide the shared cultural and historical heritage of Afghanistan with the wider region. Afghanistan is not an exceptional or exceptionally closed-off country in this sense, but the product of a long legacy at the ‘crossroads of Asia’.

About Munazza Ebtikar منزه ابتکار

Munazza Ebtikar is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Oxford. Originally from Balkh and Panjshir, she was raised in California where her love for Afghan food had always helped her connect to her homeland.

#Afghanistan #afghanfood #afghan #cusine

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cristianoidoloeterno · 5 years

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Getting the Best Favourite Indonesian Dishes

Satay can consist of an abundance of ingredients which range from tofu to fish, with chicken being the absolute most popular alternative. It is probably one of the most famous South East Asian dish known overseas. Balinese Satay is usually made out of chicken however, you can request a vegetarian edition. Needless to say, because of the multi-cultural society in the Netherlands, in addition, there are a whole slew of external influences found in the nation's dishes and this is must eat list in manado.

Granted, it's not the sort of food I could or would want to eat each and every day, but a visit to Germany always makes for culinary delights. Don't forget to always order sambal, which is truly mandatory to accompany all kinds of Indonesian food. Once every so often, Indonesian food is an excellent change from the normal mamak food. Today, it is almost synonymous with some of the top Dutch foods. Vietnamese food just isn't like some other cuisines in the area. So, a great deal of our hawker foods can likewise be found throughout the causeway. Simpler than your typical hawker food, fishball noodles is the perfect comfort everyday food for the majority of Singaporeans. To numerous men and women in the area, a meal simply isn't complete without some type of Nasi (rice) dish. So essentially you have the exact same meal three times per day. The standard nasi padang meal includes many little dishes that are brought in by waiters who can carry as many as eight plates on each and every arm.

#wikistreetfoods #indonesiandishes #indonesianfood

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cak3alot-sash · 2 years

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Vegetable Cookery

The vegetable I have chosen for my Blog Post Assignment is Bean Sprout. Even though widely available in Asian countries, and having eaten bean sprouts in many Chinese Cuisines such as in soups and noodles, I have not cooked bean sprouts before. However, I have grown bean sprouts as projects during school, and I do know that it is fairly easy and quick to sprout Mung Beans, and considered fairly sustainable since fertilizers and large growing areas are not required. There is no specific season to grow bean sprouts, as they are not affected by seasons, nor weather, and as a result can be grown year long. They are grown in shaded areas or indoors, requiring very little conditions. Bean sprouts are said to have been grown in Asia around 5000 years ago. There are common varieties of bean sprouts. The green capped bean sprouts from mung beans, and the yellow capped bean sprouts from soy beans. They have a crunchy texture with a novelty of flavours. When cooked almost looks and feels like noodles. Some restaurants use bean sprouts to bulk serving size of dishes, increasing the quantity of portion size. It is a fairly nutritious and healthy vegetable, containing Vitamins A, B, C, D and K, along with Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Iron and Fibers, with health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, cancer, digestive ailments, eye health and heart health. Bean sprouts can easily be contaminated, therefore requiring to be well washed, and cooked through.

The dish that I have chosen to prepare, is a stir-fry, which has an East Asian influence. The stir-fry was fairly easy and quick to prepare, not requiring a long cooking time. The ingredients, including the bean sprouts were purchased from Nofrills. 1 pound of bean sprouts were purchased at $1.67, which was fairly inexpensive and reasonable for the quantity I received. I used other ingredients such red and green bell peppers, white onions, garlic, roasted peanuts, sesame oil, olive oil and soy sauce. The quantities used were as follows.

Ingredients:

· 1lb Bean sprouts

· 2 Tbsp Olive oil

· 4 cloves Garlic

· ½ pc White onion

· ½ pc Red bell pepper

· ½ pc Green bell pepper

· 15g Roasted peanuts

· ½ tsp Salt

· 1 Tbsp Brown sugar

· ¼ tsp Pepper

· 2 Tbsp Soy sauce

· ½ tsp Sesame oil

Method:

I started off by washing the bean sprouts well, and drying them with a paper towel. I then heated the olive oil, and sautéed the chopped onions and garlic until golden brown, followed by julienned bell peppers, and the bean sprouts. I then mixed together the soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil to prepare a sauce, and poured over the cooked bean sprouts. Finally, I seasoned with salt and pepper, and stirred in the roasted peanuts.

The dish came out really well, and tasted good, I believe. The flavour profiles were salty, sweet and umami. However, the next time upon preparing this stir-fry, I would reduce the salt content, as the salt from the soy sauce was sufficient, as well as cook the bean sprouts for a shorter time. I will definitely be preparing more dishes using bean sprouts, now that I am aware of its nutrition content, taste, price and convenience. I also loved how it felt like noodles which will make a great and healthy substitute.

Reference:

Casoobhoy. A. (2020, Aug 24). Bean Sprouts: Health Benefits, Nutrition Facts, and How to Prepare Them. Nourish by WedMB https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-bean-sprouts

#beansprouts #blogassignment #vegetablecookery

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localdorkincombatboots · 3 years

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Pardina Lentils onion and rice, although the meal is still amazing without rice if you can't. I think it's called mjadara or you can search lentils and rice. I actually think you should look into "ethnic" dishes (Latin America, Middle East, Indian, East Asian) for affordable dishes or dishes with restrictions

Green brown and orange Lentils and all kinds of beans are probably a good bet for your family. I love cooking black beans and using them for meat substitutes. Like putting it in ziplick, have the kids mash it up, shape it into burger Patty's, and oven bake it for meatless burgers that taste good without buns. Or you can call it a meatless meatloaf. It can be dry if you overwork it so be careful and remember it's already fully cooked

Subs for bread can be dumplings/empanadas/raviolis/pastries, or pasta. If gluten is a problem, rice or gluten free pasta (you can make it with eggs), or rice noodles from any Asian grocery store.

There are cookbooks even free online or very cheap for meals that are $5 a meal or for people on food stamps or college students for example or people with no kitchen appliances. There's also websites where you can type ingredients and it will recommend dishes.

Peas can be watery but if you can have it, a simple filling nutritional dish is rice with carrots and peas over it. I buy the frozen bag of mixed carrots and peas and it comes out delicious. For more flavor you can add some chicken stock or dry powder bouillon cubes (I like these bc shelf safe) to the rice and it will be full of flavor even before the veg. I also enjoy blending peas and then cooking it stovs top with some extra ingredients for pea soup. Some people eat this with ham or even balogna

Eggs and bananas make great flour/gluten free pancakes, but you will need a little oil on the pan so it doesn't stick when you flip it. Investing in a good nonstick or even Teflon pan will save you oil/butter for every meal but maybe that's expensive I understand. You can also add savory ingredients to this btw to make small panmade "bread" for your meals or dinner - like adding scallion green onions, or chopped carrots, or spinach or yam or even sweet potato. You will need more salt though.

I am sorry for typing a lot but you can always not read it. I just hope even one dish can give you help or ideas.

Thank you so so much sweet anon💜💜💜

#jaye answers

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thecbveg-blog · 4 years

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Where I Ate Wednesdays: Tien Hiang

Welcome to the first post of "Where I ate Wednesdays," where I'll be sharing my favourite restaurants that I've been to, and give a brief overview of the establishment.

Today I'll be reviewing a restaurant from overseas, a place I've been to in 2019.

Upon entering Tien Hiang, we were greeted and seated right away. I had done my research before hand and was given the advice to book a reservation as it is always busy... now I can't remember if I actually followed through with making reservations... I think we just showed up because we wanted to see the restaurant and it happened to be not as busy. Since it was my first time dining in France, my French was not that great. I may have asked "Parlez vous Anglais?" The servers were very understanding and took the orders in English.

Below is an order of Phở with spring rolls. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the spring rolls on the menu current menu, but the soup will say, Soupe Phở, "BOEUF ET JAMBON”, TOFU, NOUILLES DE RIZ, POUSSES DE SOJA, MENTHE ET BASILIC THAÏ.

translation: Pho soup, "beef and ham" tofu, rice noodles, bean sprouts, mint leaves, and Thai basil leaves.

The spring rolls were very crunchy, vegetables were fresh, and the broth was flavourful.

SUMMARY

What is it? Tian Hiang is a family run business that serves Asian Vegan cuisine.

Where is it? 14 Rue Bichat, 75010 Paris, France

Why Tien Hiang?

There's a variety of tasty dishes to choose from with a focus on South East Asian flavours.

It's great for people transitioning into vegetarianism or veganism; A friend whom I went with, a meat eater, said it was just too damn good that you won't even notice there's meat absent from the dishes.

Excellent atmosphere and service. The staff are bilingual in French and English.

How much?

Cost ranges from $13.00 - $30.00 CAD, depending on your order

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liveindiatimes · 4 years

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Rude food by Vir Sanghvi: Making each dish count - brunch columns

https://liveindiatimes.com/rude-food-by-vir-sanghvi-making-each-dish-count-brunch-columns/

My favourite George W Bush joke is about the time when Bush and few other leaders take a break from a global summit in Paris and retreat to the cafeteria to have a quick snack.

Some order sandwiches and some stick to little cakes but when it is Bush’s turn, he looks straight at the waitress and says, “I’ll have a quickie.”

The waitress looks shocked and the other leaders are nonplussed. Only Tony Blair who knows that Bush is not much of a globalist understands what’s going on.

“It’s pronounced quiche, George,” he tells him.

I have been thinking of quiches (though not so much of Bush) as I have been compiling my monthly round up of things to eat at home during the lockdown. Last month I wrote about an outstanding quiche from Sahil Mehta and this month, I have been delighted by the quiches made by Yummies, a home bakery operation run out of Maharani Bagh by two very gifted sisters, Lalita and Geetika.

Their specialties are said to be their New York style cheesecake and a wonderful apple crumble. The quiche was also very nice but my favourite were the patties.

The patties from Yummies, a home bakery run by sisters Lalita and Geetika (right), are a delight

You don’t actually get great patties anywhere in India these days because a) most people don’t know how to make a tasty filling or are able to work out the right proportion of dough to filling and b) it is really tough to get a pastry that is flaky and yet firm. I certainly have never found anyone who makes them as well as Yummies.

A class act.

Beyond Designs Bistro is a relatively new restaurant on MG Road on the outskirts of Delhi. It serves casual Oriental food with a stylish bistro type presentation. Unfortunately with the lockdown in effect the restaurant has not had the opportunity to show off its skills.

Beyond Designs Bistro offers Oriental cuisine bistro-style and home delivers meals as well as DIY kits. Its noodles (right) are very good.

So, like all sensible restaurateurs, they have switched to home delivery for the duration of the lockdown. Not only will they deliver full meals but they are also sending out DIY kits where you can finish the food at home. And of course, they sanitise their kitchen every morning, follow the most stringent hygiene SOPs etc.

People who don’t want to order in and find it tiring to cook food from scratch can try frozen meals

I ordered a full meal and was quite taken with the way in which the restaurant merges East Asian flavours with healthy/trendy foods. There was a spicy quinoa bowl and the menu includes a Turkish immunity-building bowl (which I did not try) and various healthy options like a curried cauliflower bowl and a roasted pumpkin glory bowl.

Of the dishes I did eat, the Thai fish was delicate and outstanding and there was also what looked like an Asian chicken roulade. The noodles were very good and all of it came with excellent sauces.

There is something for everyone including a paneer gassi and pasta made to your taste. They delivered (all the way from MG Road) to South Extension on the dot so I guess you can order the food no matter where you live.

Many journalists will remember Nicole Juneja from her days in PR. For the last three years, she has worked with her mother in the food space with a venture called MOOD. Before the lockdown, Mood would organise pop-ups and special experiences. But in the present situation, they have had to switch to doing delivery.

Karan Tanna (right), a pioneer of the food business in Gujarat, combines Western concepts like New York Waffles and Dinges with others called Biryani Hazir Ho

The food is all home-cooked by Kusuma Juneja who (if I remember correctly) is a Nepali from Darjeeling district. So the food she makes is not typically Nepali (and Nepal boasts of many great cuisines) but captures the flavours of Darjeeling with its mix of people and lack of ethnic exclusivity. You will find Bhutanese and Tibetan and Lepcha flavours.

In normal times, Kusuma and Nicole would host dinners at their home in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar but these days it is all delivery. It is worth trying because even if you were to go to Darjeeling you won’t get this kind of food at local restaurants.

Some of you may recall that I have been writing about cloud kitchens and virtual brands long before the lockdown. A cloud kitchen is one that is not attached to a restaurant but makes restaurant-quality food. As nobody actually visits it, the kitchen can be located in any low-rent area. (Restaurant kitchens on the other hand have to be attached to restaurants in relatively expensive areas.) A good cloud kitchen runs on a delivery model and so the food can be one third the price of restaurant food – no air conditioning, no server salaries, no décor, and none of the other expenses that restaurants incur.

The one advantage restaurants have over cloud kitchens is branding. Most restaurants have spent years creating their brands. If you order from say Mamagoto you can be sure of getting the sort of high quality food that the brand is associated with.

So cloud kitchen operations have been working to create their own brands. I wrote several weeks ago about Biryani by Kilo. And a fortnight ago, I profiled Cross Border Kitchens, which runs many successful brands, all of them dedicated to making their food in different sections of the same cloud kitchen.

I have always maintained that this model represents a real threat to the restaurant sector though many restaurateurs used to dismiss my view. Well, the lockdown has changed everything. While cloud kitchen sales are down (contrary to the impression you may get, there is no real post-lockdown boom in delivery – sales are actually down from the pre-lockdown phase), their existence has made it much more difficult for restaurants to enter this space. Cloud kitchen food is as good as restaurant food and it is cheaper.

One of the early pioneers of the food business (and later of cloud kitchens) in Gujarat is Karan Tanna. Though he has got all the usual awards that magazines give to people under 30 who show promise, he is not yet as well-known as India’s top restaurateurs are. I reckon that will change.

Though his CV sounds impressive (he even had a stint at McKinsey) he is a small town boy from Veraval in Gujarat. His family was, he says, progressive by the standards of Veraval (his father ran a textile business and his mother ran a beauty salon) but they moved to Ahmedabad largely because his father thought there would be more educational opportunities for Karan.

Karan started young, partnering with the owners of a successful bakery business and then linking up with a fast food chain dedicated to the dabeli (the Kutchi ancestor of vada-pav) before deciding that cloud kitchens were the future.

His company Ghost Kitchens has a mixture of franchised brands (from abroad) and local creations. Many of his operations are in what used to be called B and C class centres, which is where the growth for the F&B industry will come from in this decade.

He manages to combine Western concepts such as New York Waffles and Dinges (no, I don’t know what a dinge is, either) and Starboy Pizza and Shakes with others called Biryani Hazir Ho, Badmash Biryani (great name!) and Arey O Sambhar.

There are more launches planned including the tastefully named Indian-Chinese chain Ching Chong.

It’s people like Karan who, I suspect, will hold the key to the future of the F&B industry in India because they go beyond set notions of how things work and, coming from small towns themselves, understand the India that lives outside the big cities. In any case, he is also planning a more upmarket operation, along with some of India’s better known chefs.

And finally, here’s a little tip for people who don’t want to order in for whatever reason but find it too tiring to cook food from scratch every day. You can do what I do: try some of the new frozen meals that have hit the market.

I know ITC Foods because of the high quality of its frozen prawns (which I wrote about a couple of years ago) and their version of Dal Bukhara, which tastes like the real thing once you empty a pint of dairy products into it.

What I did not realise is that they have introduced a new range of chicken and vegetarian frozen foods. Some of them work best as cocktail snacks: there are crispy chicken nuggets, little falafels and (my favourite) vada-pav pops. But there are also things you can eat at meal times. They have chicken fingers (like fish fingers), which will be devoured by kids and fried chicken strips which are aimed at a similar market.

The one I eat the most of is the one that sounds the worst. Chicken Burger Patties are usually made by breading a chicken keema patty. You are supposed to put it in a bun and pretend it’s a burger. That’s not something I am prepared to do.

However, I have taken to having the patties on their own at dinner (two patties is usually enough) with a little lemon sprayed on them. Okay, it is not quite Chicken Milanese. But for a dish that takes only a few minutes, it comes pretty damn close!

And finally: if you have a product or a delivery service you want me to try, do get in touch!

From HT Brunch, June 21, 2020

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missguomeiyun · 4 years

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lunch @ Pho Thanh

Good morning, and Happy Lunar New Year, as we are now on day 2 in the Year of the Rat~

Few days ago, Christina & I had lunch together, & like previously, the place that we intended to go to was not open. It’s a Chinese hand-pulled noodle place called Noodle Feast. We got there, & there was a sign that said they’re closed till Feb. 18th due to the lunar new year =( Us & them. .. just not meant to be. But maybe the 3rd time’s the charm? We shall attempt after Feb. 18th.

We ended up here at Pho Thanh, which is located next door to Noodle Feast.

So glam for a Vietnamese restaurant!

It was our first time here. To me, the interior looked like a Hong Kong-style cafe-restaurant. Bcos I’m not in this area/strip mall often, I don’t know what the situation was like before Pho Thanh - like has it always been Pho Thanh? If not, what kind of restaurant/store was it before? It just didn’t look like a typical Vietnamese restaurant to me so. .. *shrugs*

Their menu, however, looked familiar :P They have some appies, the usual pho & other noodle soup options, as well as some vermicelli & rice dishes.

As for beverages, they have some items that I have not seen before, such as red/green/white bean with whipping cream (diff than the red bean with ice cream dessert.. . maybe the whipping cream is an ice cream substitution?) & the soda with salted plum! Okay! For those who grew up in a somewhat traditional East Asian family or have spent time with grandparents in the youth years, you proably would have seen/heard of/tasted salted lemon/lime & salted plums before. I would say they’re less common than dried orange peels.. . but essentially, they are all dried fruit snacks, & sometimes they appear in a jar with liquid (& then you mix the liquid+contents with water to drink). ANYWAY, look it up - there are Chinese, Japanese, & Korean versions of this.

*Christina ordered the soda with salted plum. It was interesting; I would recommend it for the adventurous ppl haha it’s like fusion Italian soda!

My iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. SO GOOOOOOD!

The appetizer we ordered was the Banh Loc, which is pork & shrimp tapioca dumplings. I have heard of this on many occasions from Susan bcos her mom makes it but I found out that Christina’s mom makes it too. Apparently it’s really easy haha but I haven’t even had this before! It’s not common on Vietnamese restaurant menus =( After today, I wished they have it at every place. They’re so different, but good! The filling is slightly seasoned; I can eat the dumplings on its own- I usually eat all dumplings without a sauce anyway. The tapioca coating was interesting to me; it was like a chewier version of the shrimp dumplings that you get at dimsum. The best part of it was the fried garlic! Make sure you take a good amount of that with every bite bcos it really adds to the flavour. The fish sauce, I could easily do without but I ate 2(/5) with the fish sauce just to try it out.

LUNCH. My bowl is large not bcos it’s “closer”, but bcos it really was a large lol Christina got a small-sized bowl.

Satay~ I don’t order satay noodles at pho places when there’s BBH available so in my mind, it shouldn’t be thaaaat peanut-y? But omg it was great! Really strong & rich in peanut flavour. It wasn’t that spicy to me for the reasons that 1. it wasn’t too spicy to begin with, and 2. it doesn’t last long; like it hits you, & then quickly goes. Christina loved it, & said it reminded her of her childhood.

Ahhh.. you should know what this is :P

Bun bo hue :D MY FAV. Good amount of toppings & noodles. I added all the bean sprouts & basil that were provided bcos Christina didn’t take any.. . I don’t know what makes BBH so good but I just love it! The broth was flavourful; I would’ve wanted it to be a little more spicy but it’s okay. I think it’s bcos I can tolerate spicier things these days. & I’m glad it wasn’t greasy!

Altogether, it was a satisfying meal... 10/10. I don’t know if there’s any pho places nearby but Pho Thanh had a steady stream of diners coming in (for a Thursday!). If you’re nearby, give this place a chance =]

#YEGfood #lunch #food #good food #vietnamese food #banh loc #satay #bun bo hue #pho #yummy

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