5 Absolute Must Eat in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

If there is anyone out there should trust on food recommendations, it's the Malaysians. We have extremely complex taste buds because we practically have and eat all sorts of cuisines in our homeland. Spicy sweet sour, korean, japanese, western, whatever, we have had it all and we love it all. 

With help from Mark Weins and his blog, I went to Ho Chi Minh with my sister last October, and might I say, Vietnam is really an amazing place to go for food. Though we didn't get to eat every single thing on the list, I left Ho Chi Minh really satisfied with what I did eat. No regrets!

1. Bahn Mi

Huynh Hoa Bahn Mi |  26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Bahn Mi is basically a french baguette stuffed with assorted meat and picked vegetables. Though it sounds really simple, you won't be able to stop munching on it. The vegetables are super fresh, and the meat is moist and oh so savoury. Some Bahn Mi-s have slices of fiery chili in them, so don't be surprised when you bite into one! The star however, is the bread. It's fluffy, but crunchy on the outside, I almost wanted to buy a bag of it home! I even think that they do it better than ones you find in France, but I love the French, so I'm just going to say it's the Viet's twist on a traditional Baguette. A Vieguette. 

Bahn Mi Hong Hoa | 62 Nguyen Van Trang

Huynh Hoa Bahn Mi

Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Open hours: 3:30 pm – midnight, daily

Price: 30,000 VND 

Comments: This Bahn Mi is a little more frenchy than I expected. It smothered with pâté and slices of ham. Tastes more of western flavours with a slight hint of pickly dressing. It is pricy compared to the other stall, yes. But considering the amount of meat they're giving, I can't complain. Because this store is doing so well, they're not begging for your business. But hey, nothing comes between me and my food!

Bahn Mi Hong Hoa

Address: 62 Nguyen Van Trang

Open hours: Morning till late afternoon

Price: 17,000 VND 

Comments: Succulent porky porky madness! I swear the pigs in Vietnam are different. They must be happy pigs because pork there is so tender and juicy! The skin is crisp and salty, oh and, the baguette soaks up all that porky juices too. Topped with some fresh cilantro and simple pickle vegetables, large slices of fiery green chilli, it's guaranteed to satisfy. I actually prefer this store better, because the taste is more complex, it's meaty, a bit sour, sweet and fresh. Plus, it's a bang for your buck.

2. Bun Mam

Bun Mam Phan Boi Chau | 22 Phan Boi Chau

Bun Mam is probably one of the most interesting soup noodles I have ever had in my life. When eating it, my sister and I were having trouble trying to pinpoint any dish we know that tastes like it. It's kind of like a seafood laksa. (Laksa is a Malay-Chinese spicy/sour soup noodle) The laksa aspect comes from the texture of the noodles, which were white rice noodles that were bouncy and stringy. I was trying very hard not splatter drops of soup on my clothes every time i picked up my noodles. The broth was a complex mix of fish sauce, seafood broth, but it had a depth of flavour that will make you go back again and again!

Bún Mắm Phan Bội Châu
Address: 22 Phan Bội Châu, it’s literally located right across the street from Ben Thanh market
Open hours: 6 am – 7 pm daily. I was there for dinner and it was still open!

Price: 65,000 VND per bowl

3. Beef Noodles (Pho)

Pho Thanh Phuc

To be very honest with you, we stumbled upon this pho place by accident. We were actually our looking for a famous Banh Canh Cua (crab noodles) but unfortunately the store was closed! It was breakfast time, we were hungry, so we walked down the street to find a big PHO signboard smacked right in front of our faces. There were many people in the store, so we decided to give it a go and it was amazing. 

If you're looking for simple Pho done well, it's here. There's no wait, the noodles come springy inside an almost clear broth, topped with crunchy onions and sided with a plate of fresh vegetables which amounts to more than my regular daily intake of vegetables. The broth isn't heavy, in fact, it's refreshingly light with no lacking of beefy flavour. My sister who is usually a light eater, ate the last portion without even warning me!

Pho Thanh Phuc
Address: Along the corner of Trần Khắc Chân, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Open hours: Morning till 3pm

Prices: 30,000 VND

4. Egg Pancake (Bánh Xèo)

Banh Xeo | 46 Dinh Cong Trang

It seems as if everywhere you go, there will always be pancakes. In Saigon, it's made of mostly egg, some meat and prawns, topped with a fresh serving of bean sprouts. It is possibly the most crispy egg pancake you'll have in your life. Some say the secret is the coconut milk in the mix, but who knows? I just wan't to eat it!

Address: 46 Đinh Công Tráng, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 9 am – 9 pm daily

Prices: (BIG) 110,000 VND

5. Ốp la (your personal pan breakfast)

Hoa Ma | 53 Cao Thang

After eating this, you would agree that personal pan breakfast will trump personal pan pizza anytime. Op La, is essentially ham, pork and onions nestled in a bed on eggs. Served hot on top of a small steel pan, used to cook whatever's in it to perfection. Perfection meaning, lovely golden oozing egg yolks. Oh, some bread by the side too, cause something has to soak up those egg yolks right? I don't have to describe Op La's taste to you, because I'm sure you know, this is comfort food.

Hòa Mã
Address: 53 Cao Thắng, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Open hours: 7 am – 10 am

Prices: 30,000 - 40,000 VND


IF YOU'RE NOT TIGHT ON TIME...

Pizza 4Ps

Missing western food? Pizza 4Ps does a good job satisfying those cravings with authentic pizza. Flavors are spot on, with a variety to choose from! Did i mention the price is reasonable too?

Address :  8/15 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours : 10am - 11pm / 7 days a week

Bun Bo Hue

I ate so much noodles in Saigon that I really found it hard to tell each apart. Bun Bo Hue, to me was similar to Bun Mam, just a milder version. Still tastes great, but if you're pressed for time, you can give this one a miss.

Address: 300 Võ Văn Tần, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 6 am – 10 pm daily


Price: 60,000 VND

Bánh Canh Cua Trần Khắc Chân

I eat a lot of this back home, and to my surprise, the ones at home really does taste as good at the original ones in Saigon! If you're new to vietnamese food, this is a dish that belongs on the top of this posting. It is vermicelli noodles mixed with vegetables, topped with pork, nut and spring rolls. What binds it all together is it's sauce, which tastes a little bit fishy, sweet, sour, but yet mild. Pour the sauce in and mix it all together, and it makes and tastes perfect sense. 

Address:87 Trần Khắc Chân, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 2 pm – 9:30 pm daily

Prices: 35,000 VND


I really hope you enjoyed this posting on what I've tried in Saigon. Though I did not eat everything, rest assured, this list is legit, great, amazing food. 

Happy eating & traveling!

How to get around New York City via Subway

Everyone that has been to New York tells me that the taxi fares there are expensive. Coming from a country whose currency has to be multiplied by 4 to make 1 USD, I'd take their word for it.

There are several ways of getting around New York on the cheaps - bus, subway, walk. I didn't get a chance to experience taking the bus, but here are my tips on getting around New York via Subway in what little time I had there. 

How to read the New York Subway Map

You can download a copy of the map here. I printed this out and it was really useful to me there, but of course you can get one by asking a staff from any subway station. 

1. Understand is the station keys. 

Solid black dots - Local services only, which means only routes that state "local" will stop here. 

White dots - All routes will stop there. 

Solid black line - There will be a free subway transfer, within the subway itself, means it all underground. 

White line - The free transfer is outside the station, meaning you'd have to exit the station and go back in, but your metrocard won't be charged.

It's really easy to tell which line you need to take my pinpointing the station you want to go first, then you'll see the station alphabet stated on that station. For Example, Chambers St states 1,2,3 below it. That means these 3 routes will stop there. There are also Express routes, which mean they only stop on white dot stations, like orange route D in the map below. 

2. Know your bearings

Are you going North, South, East or West? Or rather, in the direction of the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens or Brookyln? There are 5 boroughs to New York City - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island. If you're at Grand st station, and you wanted to get to 36 St via line D,  go down the subway station and follow the directions of the signs that say "To Downtown & Brooklyn". If it was vice versa, just follow the directions of Uptown, Queens, The Bronx or Manhattan.

Photo credits : https://mrmac7.wordpress.com/2011/02/

3. Know the day & time of your travel

Some routes only run during the day, and some routes don't run on weekends. Some routes are changed at night, some only operate during rush hours. There are changes to the system all the time, so a better overall guide would be the check out their website on each line here. I tried not to take the subway too late at night for safety reasons, but normally if there was a certain route you wanted to take but was unavailable, it'd be clearly stated when you reach the track and there'd also be an indicator of which train you should take instead, otherwise you could ask the staff at the ticketing counter.

Metrocard & Fares

Photo credit : http://www.elinformador.net

If you're not going to be in New York for a long time and rather not buy a prepaid metrocard, a single ride ticket is 3 USD per trip. I was there for 2 weeks and that was adequate enough for me to get a metrocard. The cost of a metrocard is 1USD, and it charges 2.75USD per trip. When you top up anything more than 5.50USD, they automatically reload an additional 11% bonus to your card, call it a value add. You can top up your card at any subway station, their machines take both cash and credit cards. For additional info about unlimited ride tickets or reduced fare cards, check it out here.

Since the rate per trip is fixed no matter what distance you go, it's better to use the metrocard only when it's not a very walking friendly distance. And in New York, nearly everywhere is walking friendly. The best thing is New York City follows a grid system, where it's super easy to get your bearings right. Or if you'd like to try a little trick I found, if you look up and you see the empire state, it means you're going north. If you're walking towards the world trade center, it means you're going south. But since you probably can't see these 2 iconic buildings all the time shaded in the concrete jungles of the city, I'd guess this really isn't the best thing to bet on. 

I hope this post has helped you get a better idea of the NY subway system. Happy travels!

BBQ Meat Roast Feast

Forgive me I've been away from far too long! But I haven't necessarily been away from the kitchen. I've been trying to make it a habit to cook something different every weekend, something I've never attempted before. And that means playing around with meat meat meat! In Asian countries, we use meat a little more sparingly as compared western countries. Occasionally I do crave a whole slab of meat, but going outside to get it is just really expensive, especially when I know we're perfectly capable of cooking a great meat feast at home on our own!

I got this recipe from watching Jamie Oliver's food tube - Best BBQ Sauce. He used chicken wings, and I suppose it's because this sauce is really a sweet and sour-ish type BBQ sauce, much like how it relates to buffalo wings and sticky asian chicken wings. I did this recipe twice, with different techniques and different meats. The first time was with chicken and pork, where it was just roasted in the oven at 200 deg celsius for 45 minutes followed by 25-30 minutes of basting (original recipe instructions). The second time I used a mix of lamb and pork, but I slow roasted it at 170 deg celsius for 3 hours, followed by 25-30 minutes of basting too. 

The verdict? If you really prefer to cut time on roasting, go with the first method but using only chicken because the chicken was perfect! The pork in the first method was good too, but I find that slow roasting pork in the second method really gave it the softness time can only give. The lamb however came out slightly harder than the pork, perhaps using the ribs section of the lamb would have been a better, more tender option that using shanks. But overall, an extremely satisfactory and jolly home BBQ, without the effort of needing to set up a fire outside. 

BBQ Meat Roast

Ingredients:

Chicken Thighs or Pork Ribs or Lamb Racks to feed 5 pax
1 fresh red chilli, to serve

For the rub:
2 heaped teaspoons fennel seeds
1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika
1 heaped teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 level teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

For the BBQ sauce:
200 g light soft brown sugar
200 g tomato ketchup
200 ml fresh unsweetened apple juice
100 ml bourbon whisky
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 heaped teaspoons English mustard
juice of 2 oranges
a few splashes of chipotle Tabasco
1 pinch of sea salt


Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. 

To make the rub, bash all of the ingredients in a pestle and mortar until fine. Massage the rub all over the chicken, then place into a low-sided roasting tray. Place in the hot oven for around 1 hour, or until cooked through. (See my comments above if using Pork/Lamb)

Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce. Place all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan over a high heat. Whisk well to combine, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it's sticky and coats the back of a spoon. 

Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and reduce the temperature to 110°C/225°F/gas ¼. Take a piece of chicken and dunk it into the BBQ sauce. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a wire baking rack placed over a roasting tray (this will help the smoke to permeate the chicken as it cooks). Place each piece of chicken into the BBQ sauce, placing them onto the baking rack as you go. Return to the middle shelf of the oven for around 10 minutes, or until turning lovely and sticky.

After around 10 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and dip each piece into the BBQ sauce once more. At this point, you can add par-boiled corn and sauteed sausages to make it a really complete meal. Return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until sticky, glazed, a little charred and delicious. Serve with sliced chilli scattered on top.

See you at the next recipe review foodies!

Berry-tastic waffles!

Do you ever get that sudden sugar urge in the morning? So much that you feel like only a good whole hearty stack or waffles would do the trick? But yet again, you don't have the patience to let the waffle dough rise like them belgian waffles do. Well, this recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver's griddled pan waffles will satisfy your cravings without taking that valuable time of yours.  

I've decided to add some blueberries to give it a dose of fruitiness and natural sweetness. It came out gorgeous, and lovely, and just....munch munch munch. You can divide the recipe into half if you're only making a test batch or just for yourself.

BERRY-TASTIC WAFFLES

• 2 eggs
• 300 ml milk
• 225 g self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 100 g unsalted butter, melted
• A handful of frozen blueberries 

METHOD

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk and whisk to combine. 
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt then whisk until fully combined. 
4. Add the cooled melted butter and gradually stir it through the mixture. It's important not to stir the mixture any more after this or your waffles may be tough.
5. Pour the batter onto the waffle iron and drop a couple of blueberries in. Cover the iron, and wait for the waffles to turn golden brown, about 3 - 5 minutes (depending on your waffle iron's manufacturer's instructions)

Voila! Gorgeous blueberry waffles that you'll chomp down before the next waffle is ready to come out!

Bath in a Day

Bath's so lovely, I've just got to write this post to I can remind myself to go back!

Even in the winter with what little sunlight hours and waterfalls of rain the UK has, all their small towns still amaze me. Meet Bath, a world heritage site famous for its Roman Baths and historic atmosphere. Bath is just a stone throw east of Bristol, with just a 15 minutes train ride away at 4£ or less! 

Bath Abbey

Pulteney Bridge

Things to eat in Bath

Have you ever had fluffy homemade buns spread with love? Well I have! The place to go is Sally Lunn's. "The oldest house in Bath, since 1482", serving up the best bun type bread I have ever had. 

Sally Lunn's

A must try is their signature bun with milk caramel. Milk caramel is better known as Dulce de Leche from Argentina, but I've taste several and I find the ones they make here is the bomb. You can really taste the briny texture of the salt but it kicks you a step back to the beautiful caramelization of milk and sugar.  If they sold it at their shop, I would have bought 10 bottles back.

Sally Lunn's signature buns with milk caramel (dolce de leche)

You see it everywhere in England, and there are probably other places you've read about that claims that they have the best Cornish Pasty, but I've stumbled upon a shop that gives you quality pasties without queuing up in line! The shops name is Pasty Presto, and it's located just outside Bath Abbey. I'm just about sure many mass goers head there to pick up a pasty after morning service. Their traditional pasty is filled with minced beef, onions, turnips and potatoes. To me, its the best one to try if it's your first time trying one. 

Cornish Pasty @ Pasty Presto

At every town I go, I must find ice cream. Because I'm almost certain that locals everywhere will always have their go to spot for an ice cream fix. After some research and since everything is a few minutes walk away, there was The Real Italian Ice Cream Co.  They have many flavours but all are good and it's a matter of personal preference. The one I had was raspberry and it was amazing!!

Velvety smooth ice cream @ the real italian ice cream co.

Until next time fellow travel foodies!

No - Bake Fresh Berry Cheesecake

Fresh Berry Cheesecake | Copyright Karen Wan

The world needs more easy recipes, and this is one of them. I felt so bloated one day but at the same time I wanted to nibble on something sweet but light. Cheesecakes often is far from anything "light", especially those that add condense milk into the mixture. So on my experimentation, I managed to make a No-Bake Cheesecake, with NO GELATIN (because I do not like the smell), topped with strawberries and blueberries for that fresh flare. It's really simple to make and it's going to wow guests anytime.

Fresh Berry Cheesecake | Copyright Karen Wan

 No Bake : Fresh Berry Cheesecake

 by Karen Wan

Time taken: 30 mins + overnight setting

Yield : 6 to 8 servings

Level : Easy Peasy

INGREDIENTS

Base

• 150 g digestive biscuits
• 70 g unsalted butter (melted)
• pinch of salt

Filling

• 250 g cream cheese
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 80 g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of half a lemon
• Dash of milk (optional)

Topping

• 100 g blueberries
• 250 g strawberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pulse digestive biscuits in a food processor until fine. Add melted butter and salt and pulse again until they resemble a sticky bread crumb like texture.
2. Empty the base mixture into a 9 x 9 inch tin lined with grease proof paper, and press the base into the tin until compact. Refrigerate.
3. Cream the cream cheese with the caster sugar until smooth. Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice. 
4. In a separate bowl, using a clean whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it thickens and forms soft peaks.
5. Fold the whipping cream gently into the cream cheese mixture, trying to retain as much air as possible. 
6. For personal preference and lightness, add a dash of milk to loosen the filling slightly.
7. Pour the filling into the crumb base, cover with cling wrap and leave it to set for at least 8 hours or better yet, over night in the refrigerator.
8. An hour before serving, quarter your strawberries (I prefer to leave my blueberries whole) and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar. Set it aside and all it's berry juices will start coming out naturally.
9. On serving, cut the cheesecake into squares and top with the fresh berries and berry juices.  

Here's a close up to make your mouth water...

Fresh Berry Cheesecake | Copyright Karen Wan

My National Express experience

Having first time landing in a foreign land on my own, the first thing I had to do was find my way from London Heathrow to Bristol. There are multiple ways to do this, the train, the bus, and on foot (yeah, no.) 

Just take the train! Well normally that would be my first option but I decided not to do that because taking a train required me to take a tube east into London Town, change onto national rail and head back west to Bristol. The time taken on the tube from Heathrow to London Central is slightly less than an hour, so I figured I wanted to go with the fastest way possible, and that was by bus.

Bristol is actually only slightly over 2 hours west of London by bus, and after hours of research there are two options : Megabus & National Express. Megabus can be a lot cheaper at times but again, its bus stop is situated in London, and I just didn't want to go back and forth. So that left me with National Express which happens to have busses leaving directly from Heathrow.

I actually bought my ticket online before hand at £19. BUT, my flight landing was delayed due to air traffic and I arrived an hour later MISSING my bus. Fortunately, National Express has an office right outside its Heathrow bus stops and I managed to amend my ticket time for an extra £10. So in total, I paid the same price as on the spot tickets. 

National Express Ticket Office

National Express interior

Not long later my bus arrived and might I say, it was a very comfortable 2 hour ride. The bus was on time, if not early, driving at a constant speed. I could tell they probably train their drivers really well. They didn't have things like Wifi and sockets on every seat but compared to what I'm used to, it is a luxury. 

I've read some mixed reviews on National Express before. But hey, I'd say give it a go because it's value for money and convenient.