Recent Food Trips

I always say that when I count my blessings, there is always a photo of it. :-)




For some reason, this won't move the way I want it too. Fried chicken with garlic rice and
some clear broth.





Sushi !!!




It took me almost all afternoon to make this crunchy crispy crackling
roast pork, but it was oh so worth the wait. The homemade apple
sauce also made the difference. Photo with healthy fruits in the
background :-)




This is actually fried rice :-)




Oh Zumbo!




Northern Vietnamese style spring rolls. Delicious!




Whole snapper crispy fried. Oh lala




Sago and banana in coconut milk. I tried to make this and
it was a success. Scroll done and see :-)




I am weird because I refuse to eat lamb, do not like indian food and
not a fan of chocolates. But I eat offals and squid tentacles. Oy ve!





Deep fried lean pork chop. It is lean, but it is fried. Oh dear, but
so delicious!
 




I made this! Yay me!




buchi buchi ola la




Honey chicken, spring onion pan cake, soup and that buchi
Yum!




I always ask for clear broth on my Asian meals. Habit since young.
Sabaw. Bow.




Another serve of that duck that Rich loves. Quack.




Sticky black rice is hiding somewhere :-)




This is a salad with crispy roast pork. Delish!




I made this! Yay!




Checking out Roti Road menu




Still in the look out for the best char kwai teow. It has been a while so I
tried making my own and it is the best!




roti




fried chicken ribs and pickles




my fave beef meatballs soup with coriander and broth

Glad that I am able to get this gorgeous
wooden tray from Villa and Hut before they
close shop. Also here are some fruits - I eat healthy too!

The Viet in Me...

I am not. I mean, there's not a tiny drop of Vietnamese in my blood but my heart and tummy would tell you otherwise. :-)

When Richard and I were newly married, he worked 2 jobs and I was working part-time. With time in my hands we volunteered to make 60 liters of soup  once a month for a soup kitchen. This was also the time when friends would tell him to introduce me to Footscray because there's a migrant hub there and I might enjoy it. Footscray is not for the faint-hearted. Though it has been revamped and cleaned of unsavoury stuff - it used to be a scary place. Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne, started as a European hub with mostly Spanish and Greek families. Through the years, the Vietnamese came and made the place synonymous to anything Viet in Melbourne. Nowadays there are a few African groups that put up businesses here and rightfully feels comfortable in this hub. Footscray is the poster baby of multi-culturalism.

Rich's friends were right, I loved the markets and the stalls and the busy-ness of this area. I am able to find some treasures in the op-shops and Asian vegetables not sold in usual supermarkets. Not to mention the meat cuts that might be revolting to some but delicious for a Pinoy like me.

I fell in love with the Food in Footscray. Pho - the Vietnamese soup slowly became the to-go soup when I am unwell. Most esp when I am well! The fresh herbs somehow opens my senses and revitalizes my body! I will let the photos speak for itself.

Now I want to go back for lunch and dinner!

Good on ya Footscray...



Pho` is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles called bánh phở, a few herbs, and meat, primarily served with either beef or chicken.

Rice paper rolls can have pork, prawns or veggie variation. The dipping sauce of peanuts with hint of coconut and loads of chili packs a punch.

This is dry, crunchy fried noodles with pork or chicken stir-fried with vegetables. So tasty.

 



I have tried a lot of salt n pepper calamari - this is delicious I kinda taste a hint cinnamon on it.

 



Dried fish, chicken, tofu, prawns make this fried rice really 'special'.



Prawn or pork crispy springrolls with fish sauce & lemon tops all the dishes in the menu

 



You wrap the spring rolls with these lettuce & herbs

before dipping it in the sauce. Foodie experience to the max.



This am sure is Chinese inspired but the addition of herbs & chopped chilis on the side with that pungent fish sauce nouc nam is truly Viet.

 




Iced lemon tea, lychee in crushed ice, 3 colours ( 3 kinds of beans with jelly strips in
sweetened coconut milk)



Vegetarian fried rice 🍴

 



Stir fry vegetables with steamed rice, reminds me of my childhood chopsuey 💖🍴

If I am not mistaken this is called banh cam...sticky syrupy but crunchy donut. Oh so good

The cuisine is quite similar to Filipino way of cooking. Rice is a staple and there is always saltiness, sweetness, acidity in verything.  I can eat Vietnamese food every single day as I do Filipino food. Always with a big smile and I won't tire taking my family and special friends to share the enjoyment. 

Lucky Duck

 

While my food might not be from Fat Duck of Heston Blumenthal, I consider myself a lucky duck for having all these yummy food from Footscray recently. My husband and I go to our favourite Vietnamese/Chinese place regularly. It only cost us $75 bucks for the whole big meal, as opposed to $550 each person for Fat Duck's 5 course meal - if you are lucky enough to get in. They raffle the patrons. The ballot only allowed 14k people in from the 100k that applied. Good on these people - they want to go, then it is their choice.

But not me, I like my food simple, I've always suck at Science Experiments. (And kinda stingy, too. One day, when we get more than we need, I might be able to justify spending that much for a meal. Maybe.)




spicy chicken ribs



special fried rice



grilled pork vermicelli

 

Prawn wonton soup



prawn and pork springrolls

 



oh la la

Eating Out...

 

As you know by now, food is very important to me :-) but believe it or not I am very picky with what I eat. For example I do not like lamb and Indian food. I do not care much about Mexican food, either. I am not a big dessert eater. I like the sugar cone more that the ice cream. I normally do not order desserts nor have alcohol with my meal. I do eat a lot of Asian Food and most of the choices are healthy.

 

With my handy pedometer, I also take at least 10K steps a day so I can sort of justify a lot of eating out. Thank you Lord for blessings! :-)



^ Crispy spring rolls and grilled pork  c/o our fave Vietnamese Restaurant  Hao Phung ♥




Pinoy Food: Lugaw, Pinakbet, Crispy Pata, Kare-kare




c/o my older brother - BBQ sa Pier, Pinirito na Buras, BBQ Pecho, Pasayan Sinigang




Grilled Pork with Asian Salad of Hao Phung




Singapore noodles, Prawn Rice Paper Roll, Spring rolls, Crispy & spicy chicken ribs
grilled pork and rice, Thien An




soft shell crab sushi with pickled ginger




Seafood inari, soft shell, grilled scallops, grilled salmon
prawn tempura of Sushi Sushi Altona Gate





Tonkatsu Ramen c/o Bento High Point




Scallops and chili caramel pork and Asian Salad, Tom Phat




c/o Billy Kwong




Prawn Wonton egg noodle soup Hao Phung, Footscray




prawn spring rolls and spicy fish sauce dip




gluten free food I made a few weeks ago: fried chicken
roast pumpkin, grilled corn, potato salad, fried rice, chicken popcorn w/ honey




Yum! c/o our fave Viet restaurant Thien An, Irving St. Footscray




Noodles in the Target Centre




Belly pork with rice, tofu and ginger gravy
of Charsiu House, Errol St. North Melbourne




Combination soup with the lot (chicken stock) Vic Market




Prawn and Pork Rice paper rolls




seafood stirfry with rice and crispy spicy chicken ribs




same old favourites but with the Vietnamese pancake this time

I also do not like Pizza and food with weird spices that makes me sneeze. If I like something I stick by it all the time. In fact I tend to order the same thing over and over again. ♥