Gastro888

I'm Toisanese and I've never had the sweet yuan before. The first time I heard of it was from my second cousins when they were discussing what to do the night before my oldest second cousin's wedding (whew! Say that 3 times fast.) Does anyone know of that tradition? According to them, you're supposed to comb the bride's hair and say a certain phrase X number of times and all the girls are supposed to make sweet yuan together. If anyone can fill me in on this, I'd appreciate it. (Not that I'm getting married anytime soon...just want to know....*grin*)

Try goose cracklings. Oh my gosh...this one time, at my old job (sorry, went a lil' American Pie there), the chef made roasted potatoes in goose fat. There were bits of goose crackling scattered 'bout the potatoes. It.was.divine.

I've never had Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cakes. I can tell you these cookies are round and covered in powdered sugar and when you bite into them, they're moist and crumbly. They're very buttery and rich. You get covered in white sugar when you eat them. I love Greek food...*sigh* I miss Greece!

Any specific suggestions for dishes at Viet Royale? Coincidentally, my Vietnamese-American co-worker just identified it as his favorite at EC and recommended the caramel fish, the shaky beef, and the seafood pan-fried crispy noodles. We exchanged menus with notes (I gave him my LyLy notes). ← I've had the Banh Xeo at Viet Royale. Personally, I like Hung Viet's style better. I'm not that familar with Vietnamese cuisine to be able to tell the regional difference but there is a distinct difference between Hung Viet's cooking style and Viet Royale's. Both are good restaurants and better than 4 sisters. Bo Lu Lac (Shaky Beef) is done well at Viet Bistro, next to Maria's Bakery and Cafe, facing the gate to EC. The Shaky Beef at Viet Royale is drier and more like a jerky and at Viet Bistro is stir-fried and has alot of pan juices. Oh yeah...*drools*

Wow, I'm still amazed how many people did the bread-butter-and-sugar thing. Woo hoo! =) Oh, forgot to mention that another wicked childhood treat is to eat the charred, crisp bits of fat on the fat cap of a roast beef. Those browned bits of fat with salt are divine.

I prefer Hung Viet over the 4 Sisters place in Eden Center. 4 Sisters is good for those who haven't had Vietnamese food before. It's a more upscale place relative to the other restaurants in Eden Center. However, Hung Viet is more authentic and cheaper as well. IMHO, 4 Sisters tends to Westernize their food more so that the other restaurants in the center.

Well, the office potluck has come and gone and what did I make? I know you're probably all dying to know, so here we go: NOT.A.DAMN.THING! =) What happened you ask? Well, I had good (?) intentions of making some sort of artichoke dip when a last minute party and invitation to hang out at a friend's house came up the night before the party. Totally forgot about the potluck. Ended up purchasing ready-made store bought dip and chips. Ehhh...goes to show you my true feelings about work. *grin* Thanks to all for the suggestions. I will tell y'all more details later as right now I'm under the weather.

They're great but a small mango shake has about 500 calories (if I remember reading the information correctly). If you have a shake, you should think of it as a meal replacement rather than something that goes along with your meal....unless you're on one of those weight gainer diets1 =)

Honestly, I think they were cautious with the heat b/c often times Asian restaurants get customers that say they want things "the way they're prepared traditionally" but when the customers get said dish, they dislike the dish and complain about it. They'd just rather be cautious and have the customer come back to try it again than totally turn them off the first time. But it's interesting how the food has similarities to Nyona-style cooking in Malaysia.

Ginger salad, fritters, noodles, curry shrimp and bitter melon were my favorite dishes. Funny, the food reminded me of Cantonese homestyle cooking, especially the chicken with the squash. My mom makes that one alot! Judging by the reponses to the bitter melon dish, now y'all know why they asked if you were sure you wanted it. But it's good for you! =) bilrus: Too bad that you couldn't get the Maria's cake! All that talk about it last night makes me want to get one myself!

Thank you for organizing this, Malawry! I sat at the table with bilrus, al_dente and hjshorter's husband (I apologize for my horrible memory...I'm very bad with names!) The food was fantastic! The fritters were light, which is suprising given their appearance. I loved the bitter melon dish. Um, I think I was the only one at the table who did! (Then again, as a child, I hated it. It's an accquired taste!) It was a great outing - my only complaint is that we couldn't get a big ol' table for everyone to sit around and chat. But regardless, a smashing success! I will definitely go again. bilrus: did y'all get the Maria's cake?

What about passion fruit? You can get the syrup at Asian grocery stores. There's also canned soursop available. That would make a great sorbet.

Yeah...I understand most offices don't have a full kitchen and their cafeteria won't let you use their equipment. So why are we having a potluck?...lord. Those chocolate ganache sandwiches look fab! Yum!!! Nothing like chocolate ganache to warm the heart. Funny that deviled eggs are mentioned - someone signed up to bring them in. OK here's what I've gotten thus far as potential potluck dishes: Onion tarts Sweet and spicy hot dogs Artichoke dip percyn, you're too much! =)

Fried chicken liver sandwich? Add some pancetta and thinly sliced red onion to it. If you have some, top it off with the yellow sauce that comes with the Peruvian roasted chicken. (Ok, I'm sure there's a name for it, but unfortunately, I have no clue what it is. It's just rich, yellow and addictive!) Hope this helps!

I agree. Toast into soft boiled eggs. Extremely soft boiled eggs. Nothing like runny yolk with salt and white pepper. Oooh.

Thanks for the feedback, folks! What's Melamakarouna? Does it have apples in it? (Only asking because mela is in the word)

They're not the same as fresh ones but they're decent. Sometimes, you gotta make room for the industrial-type foods. But I'll fight tooth and nail for the last steaming hot & fresh hai gaow!

Yes you can. ← Rock on, thanks alot. Will report back latah!

Anyone tried the fish at Balducci's (formerly Sutton Place Gourmet)?

Where is this little hidden treasure? Directions, please!

Y'all are making me want to stop in on my way downtown tonight. I've only been there once for a late night snack. Can you order the menu at the bar? (Don't want to be a single taking up a multi-top table)

Yeah, that would be interesting in between two slices of flabby white bread. But I'm talking about roasted chicken skin - not fried hard like cracklins. OK, so I like flabby chicken fat...sue me. =)

A local ice-cream shop does that... great stuff that. I worked out a variation using the Guinness ice-cream... the Irish Carbomb. Tastes like the real thing, but goes down a lot better! Who can pass up mixing Guinness, Bailey's and "a little" Irish Whiskey? Cheers! CSR ← Whoa, I think I'd be truly knackered after that drink.... On the booze tip, how's about a sake sorbet?

I usually go to Han Ah Reum in the Wheaton area. As with any place, inspect first! Korean markets tend to be a good place for fish but unfortunately, sometimes it's hit or leave-it-at-the-market miss.

Smoky flavour, huh? Interesting. I don't have brandy or ouzo in the house, so I'll have to get some at the local booze hut. I don't know if I'd like the kourambiedes with a smoky flavor. What I really enjoyed about the cookies was their moist, crumbly texture and the almond flavor. How long would they keep, I wonder? I miss Greece!!!