BonVivant

La Cabrera @Cabrera 5099, Palermo Viejo sounds very nice! omg so much glorious Argentinian beef! let's see how much beef i can eat in 7 weeks there

Thai 'facing heaven' is not the same. fresh sichuan facing heaven peppers look like this. they sure use a lot in a dish, too. the locals don't eat them but i do even if only a few. besides, it's not too common i get to see the fresh stuff. other chilies worldwide [and so many other spices and foods...] we have the Portuguese to be thankful for.

save them all! yes, all those you mention, and some more. i hardly cook from them but how i love looking at them! i also collect german cookery mags as i can understand some german, and the layout/style is a bit like the french version. so many beautiful cookery mags to buy [my house isn't happy being used as a mag storage]! here in food hell it's just a case of hopping on the train as i live close to both belgian and german borders, and coming back with more than i can carry.

sweet memories! was there in 2001 but unfortunately didn't know about foodtography then. i remember enjoying hokkien noodle soup by the roadside. certain areas of town look just like a film set ['In the mood for love' to be precise]. loved it! i think the citrus is kalamansi lime. Syzygium malaccense is really nice with a crushed chili salt mixture. really.

are mandarin pancakes the same as peking duck wraps? i like! as far as i know popiah and spring rolls wraps are not the same in terms of texture. popiahs in Taiwan look good to me [from the photos i've seen]. can't compare as i've only had Fujian version in Xiamen. [well, almost Taiwan, no? mwahaha...] i want to see this film again now that you people are talking about the glorious food!

'flavour of happiness'

i thought the ikura was salty enough so i left the beans as is. besides, i like the pure tastes of both the beans and roe.

found an old photo of broadbeans in my Flickr food/drink album. briefly blanched and tossed in the ikura.

my last dan dan mian. at room temperature, never cold or warm, or soupy. the chili oil looks like a lot but not really. just mix everything well before eating. this place uses fresh greens but i've had it elsewhere with other dried greens or roots. everyone has their own recipes. the same green mixture is also used as a noodle soup condiment. this one is probably the muslim version i had in Kunming. Hakka version in Hakka heartland. speaking of dried/preserved greens and roots, i think no one likes them more than the Hakka. [some photos of the vegs i put on one page here ] --------------- ['shoulder pole noodle', a classic and much loved snack in Chengdu. in the old days it was sold by street vendors carrying baskets on a shoulder pole.]

i was wandering around a market in Chengdu and saw this thing... does anyone know what this is? is it bamboo that's been salted? or has been roasted? or is it not bamboo at all?

^^ exactly. rookworst with boerenkool and stamppot funnily for me [in NL only] nothing is above good old herring by the tail with chopped onions and nothing else. i can't imagine eating 'comfort food' when one's depressed is comforting

my mouth waters! lol @ 'wine camp'. love Korean food and it is on my travel list. soon. soon. maybe after Japan, Syria, Mauritius etc :-) [omg they have plastic cover for plates and bowls in Korea too? i've only seen that in China.]

enjoy this fleeting seasonal treat in all things Portuguese of course. [favas are much loved in Portugal] do try "Favas à Portuguesa" [however, this is how i make it...] white wine, onion, garlic, lard [optional], tomato sauce, quality chouriço, fresh coriander. fry garlic, onion in some olive oil. as soon as it smells aromatic add the lard stir all the while to prevent burning. add sliced chouriço, tomato sauce, wine, bay leaves and let it boil gently for a short while. now add the favas and let cook until just tender. remove the lard [if used] before serving. sprinkle with copious amounts of fresh coriander. bom appetit!

German Bauernbrot. the type eaten all over Bavaria.

i have never had/seen dian dian mian as a soup in Sichuan. whenever i hear or see it 'brothy' i cringe and with peanuts... rarely.

from what i remember it varies from stall to stall. doesn't always contain [minced or roughly chopped] peanuts and/or preserved vegs or roots. i've had this favourite noodle dish of mine in different places in Sichuan province, and even once in Tibet. every time it's slightly differently, always good with or without minced pork, is never brothy. the best dian dian mian is to be found in Chengdu. where else :-)

i have tried it raw and i have tried it blanched. much prefer it flash blanched. juicy and a little salty, nice with shellfish. here one can get samphire at supermarkets. what i also like but is hard to come by is iceplant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.).

i was supposed to stay the night on board but decided to get off. never got to eat the food on board but was glad i came ashore. the 'fresh beer' which came in a plastic jerry can alone was a good enough reason to abandon ship. i did buy a crab and prawns from a fishing boat that was sailing along side my boat. the cook [on my boat] made 2 dishes and charged me 2 euros for his service. that was rather nice. all creatures were jumpingly fresh.

fancy? really? sorry fines de claires are small but quite fleshy. sweet and exquisite. it's rather frustrating that i can't open them as fast as i can slurp. but then i pay a fraction for 2 dozens eating over the kitchen sink. (it was for lunch, yesterday.) i've seen dried oysters in Canton and HK. smoking them sounds good, actually. do show us how you eat them, _visually_.

yesssss! sacrilege sacrilege sacrilege! i regularly eat 2 dozens fines de claires directly over the kitchen sink. tabasco, curly parsley, many slices of lime, and sparkling wine to wash everything down. just... heavenly!

has its origin in Hong Kong. i brought back 2 pots [lee kum kee] and have only used it in plain warm noodles. i'm sure other people like it in other things to enhance the taste of soup broths or...

C. sapidus' Thit Bo Kho looks great [hope you used a beef cut with tendon]. this version is eaten exclusively with baguette to mop up the rich delicious sauce. the soupy version is called Bun Bo Kho, which is slightly different in taste. to confuse one further, there's something else called Pho Bo Kho. aiiiiiii! i suspect it's the same thing. i love how so many things in VN come with a humongous tray of fresh herbs and leaves. makes me feel like a rabbit. has anyone ever heard of Bun Bo Cay? a southern speciality similar to Thit Bo Kho but simpler, apparently. and spicy! lime juice, pounded fresh chilies, roasted ground chili and garlic enhance the broth. dmreed, grilled dried beef i think it's probably beef jerky. not sure if it's actually grilled though. Ce'nedra's dinner, is it homemade? looks more authentic than the same thing they sell here in my food hell.

Joe Fortes it is! i'm going gorge on oysters and sashimi and wash it all down with Stella Jay. thanks Oyster Guy in Whistler. i've just checked out some oyster places' sites and thought i'd give JF a go cheers

would like your suggestions please... what are the top BC bubblies? and which oyster house in YVR actually has any of the top 3? and of course the price, if possible. cheers.

nakji, that looks really nice! miam miam...