Curry Hill, NYC

A friend from NYC gave me a few recommendations and one of them was to check out curry hill neighborhood for the food and sent a New York Times article listing out some restaurants.  Although Tiffin Wallah wasn’t listed, it had high Yelp reviews. You could smell the curry as we came closer to Lexington Ave. They are known for their tiffin dinners with different types of traditional thali foods. It was fun to try as well as the uttapam, a rice and lentil flour pancake with mixed vegetables.

(Source: yelp.com)

Vietnamese Banh mi food cart in Nha Trang

Home cooking in Vietnam: fresh steamed baos, veggie noodle soup and sauteed greens with garlic

Vietnamese Fruit Tasting

Lunch on Dragon Island in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

One of my favorite desserts that my mom would make is chè trôi nước. I also had some in Vietnam during my travels. The chè dessert consists of balls made from mung bean paste wrapped in a shell made of glutinous rice flour. The balls are served in a thick, sweet clear or brown liquid made of water, sugar, and grated ginger root. It is served warm and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. 

A popular Northern Vietnamese dish is sauteed greens known as chayote cooked with garlic. Also a popular Northern dish are fried and salted peanuts. These were served in our hotel after a long day of sightseeing.

Pineapple Overflow

Potatoes, Potatoes

On the trip to the temples outside of Hanoi, Vietnam, there were many vendors selling drinks, breads, food, candy and yes, potatoes. They are called khoai tây. While I was there, I had some as a snack. The potatoes were steamed over coals and without any seasoning. They had a bit more flavor than what I’m use to in the U.S. and of course more variety. It was a nice warm snack on a chilly day. I learned that Hanoi hosts Potato Days, which is an important staple in the northern Vietnamese diet and economy.

Fresh water chestnuts in Vietnam

I was surprised to see these outside of a can in a grocery store. They tasted so crisp and a bit sweet. It was a nice crunchy treat!

Vietnamese noodle soup with faux meat and vegetables. Nearby vegetarian restaurant that had all the flavors I was looking for in Saigon.

My first meal in Vietnam: Vietnamese curry at Pho 2000 in downtown Saigon. It had potatoes, carrots, okra and tofu served with french bread to soak the curry sauce in. Delicious, but not as good as my mom’s…usually food never is. 

Another home-cooked meal at my friend’s home. It was basic and delicious miso soup, sticky rice with beans and pickled vegges. A great way to start the day to a busy day touring different areas of the city!

Lunch in Seoul took us to a buffet near the Hongik University. The area is known for the art and design and fun small shops around the area. Here I enjoyed a Korean salad made of carrots, radishes and pickled vegetables over sticky rice.