Shanghai: Chinese~Bar~Sushi

     My final evening before I came back to Korea was spent at Shanghai, a swanky restaurant that lies right on Thayer street. This restaurant holds a lot of great memories for this lady!
     The first time I went was through recommendations of a wonderful and beautiful friend (and old coworker)~ we kicked it there one evening, swilling back scorpion bowls and overall having a great time. The second time I went to Shanghai was on my final night before flying to begin this Seoul-side adventure. And the most recent time I've been was before leaving the US to kick it BACK Seoul-side.
     The restaurant serves all sorts of Chinese and Asian Fusion inspired food. There are loads of appetizers, sushi, combos, etc. Each and every time I've gone here has been with Daihana and she highly recommends the scallion pancakes, and super agreed, these are delicious. Here are just some shots of all the plates grabbed and purchased, and we can't forget the star and center of the place~

crab rangoon (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Okay, I couldn't wait~ here's the star of the show. Sweet and powerful, comes a blazing and is beyond delicious. Scorpion Bowl (I imagine ringing a GIANT gong followed by flowery twills and a shrilling guitar...FIGHTING^^*!~)

Scorpion bowl (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Okay, now here are the plates~ starting with the famous scallion pancakes, then onto the meals!

scallion pancakes (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Being that I'm the only vegan kicking it amongst my wonderful friends, I feel like I put a slight burden or discomfort on my friends when we eat out. I genuinely am concerned about the concern I get riled up...but they're wonderful and super supportive and loving so...a million thanks over crew!

a beef dish (photo taken by VeganBeats)

Shrimp and broccoli combo~ I think (photo taken by VeganBeats)

Shrimp and broccoli combo~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

      I can always make myself some yummy Chinese food but there's something about American-style Chinese food, saucy, sweet, not very healthy but undeniably delicious. I've been craving some General Tso's tofu, (I can make a mean one) and couldn't wait to snag some.
     I was in a generally anxious position (last nights do that eh) and eating anything wasn't my focus (this mind was elsewhere) but I was drinking and well...I remember last time~ So..combo plate of veggie spring roll (made vegan), General Tso's tofu, steamed broccoli, and brown rice, all for about $8.00!

General Tso's tofu, steamed broccoli, veggie spring roll and brown rice~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The tofu was well flavored, but didn't measure up to mine (how snobby can a girl get), it tasted more like the tofu was pan fried then the sauce was quickly poured on. The sauce was good, but I wish it was a bit thicker, it was very watery, the broccoli was perfect and the spring roll was great. Well flavored, great mix of veggies, and a great combination of crunchy and snappy!
     Last time I got the Szechuan Spicy Garlic String Beans, and those were great! Green beans cooked to a state of teasingly crunchy and soft on the inside, the garlic was generous and the spicy was distributed evenly amongst the massive portion they presented. This of course, was served with scorpion bowls...

ahhh~RI

Christmas Day eats~

     Somewhere in Smithfield Rhode Island, there's the Vietnamese/Thailand fusion joint that my mother and father fell in love with while my brother and I did the studying game in college. Whenever either one of us would hang out with the rents we'd somehow end up at this restuarant...anyways long story (sentence) short, my mom fell in love with spring rolls and now makes them all the time. This Christmas she whipped up some nearly raw wraps (I'm not a vermicelli rice noodle fan) and though not as tight as the ones I've gorged on while kicking it in Vietnam, they were delicious!..

photo taken by VeganBeats

photo taken by VeganBeats

      Strange fact, while being in Korea, I haven't once had any kimchi fried rice! It's such a go to dish for so many people and when I was a kid I loved this stuff but in the nearly two years I've been here, it's never passed my lips. Anyways, it was ont he table this Christmas. Even though I wanted it...I ended up picking out the kimchi.  

photo taken by VeganBeats

     My mom also bought a bunch of eggplant, with plans of making some vegan eggplant parm...I can't deny it was tempting but when it comes to breading, I get really uncomfortable. So she whipped up a really light and flavorful dish of steamed and lightly blnched eggplant, scallions, garlic (loads of it), and some black and white sesame seeds.

photo taken by VeganBeats

     I prepped a MASSIVE salad for the family to nom on. They were having a "poor man's lasagna" which is basically all the fix-ins of the classic dish, except dissected. So it more resembles a cheedey noodle salad versus the elegant layered dish.

     My salad was composed of everything organic (and mostly local)~ romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, green and red kale, celery, sweet vidalia onions, and cucumbers. UGh~ all that green!!!

photo taken by VeganBeats

     It was a feast for sure...I ate tons of salad, and of course mixed it with the sides, but it was mostly greens and my "dressing" was the surely missed hummus, salsa, and balsamic~

^^*!~

Hanoi: Phat Truong Tho

     Right near West Lake, and Ani's place there seems to be a surplus of vegan restaurants! While driving around one day I spotted a brightly colored spot at the end of Xuan Dieu. The place is called Phat Truong Tho and according to the New Hanoian, it's not that bad.

the entrance of Phat Truong Tho (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The parking is confusing here, there's a small driveway and garage on the right side of the restaurant...walk there!
     When we entered we were seated in the back room where a smiling monk greeted us while eating a table full of colorful veggies. Matching the veggies was a vivacious room of crimson red, sunny yellows, and apricot oranges. A large golden Buddha was at the end of the room, inside of an impressive shrine. Being in all that color, you can't help but smile a bit wider.

Beautiful Ani and Buddha (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The menu was decent in size, offering the classics, noodles, rice dishes, etc...but some interesting offers included snails, shrimp, and frog~all vegan, so no worries!
     We were both hungry and tired and ordered spring rolls to start (ahh yea!)

spring rolls (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The springrolls were filled with a lot of greens, smashed tofu, and some julienned root veggies. They were served with slices of spicy hot peppers and a peanut sauce. Not great, not bad...just okay.
     The salad I ordered was a grapefruit and shredded mango one. It was delicious! Chunks of sweet sour tangy grapefruit topped with julienned mangoes, mint leaves, and dried hot peppers and in a sweet lime and rice vinegar dressing. The chewy peppers, slightly grainy mint leaves, hardy sweet mangoes, and plump juicy grapefruit mixed together so well. It was a refreshing and delectable salad.
          ~I desperately miss grapefruit...I long for it.

grapefruit and mango salad (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     One entree we got was the classic tofu in tomato sauce. This dish, wasn't impressive. It was missing a lot...greens and veggies. It was pre-fried and re-marinated tofu cubes in a slightly oily sweet tomato sauce. The tofu just tasted like- sponge. The sauce would have worked if there were some carrots or onions (give it a natural versus artificial sweetness) and some more color. We didn't finish this, it was just...missing.

Tofu in tomato sauce (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     I forgot what I originally ordered but I guess it was out so I went with a quirky sounding dish that had 'snails' in it. It was a curried inspired stew but really what came out was something similar to dwenjjang jigae (된장찌개). The soup base was soybean paste, and it had that same spongy tofu in it (points lost). The greens in the soup were rather bitter, like raw bitter melon, but the "redeeming" points are only on the strangeness of some of the ingredients. The snail was beyond odd, looked like vegan clam and tasted like nothing, the texture was... squeaky. There was something starchy int he sop I couldn't figure out, it was soft, slightly sweet, and smooth~ banana! I am not a fan of bananas but in a soup, it's not too bad. This dish though also wasn't nearly finished, not very impressed.

'snail' soup (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The menu boasts of a lot of interesting potential options but in the end...not that awesome. It wasn't very pricey, I think all together we spent around 120,000-150,000 dong ($6.00-7.25).

The best part of Phat Truong Tho are it's decorations and artwork inside, the smiling ski-ball hat wearing monk and the grapefruit and mango salad , other than that...not worth it. (unless you're nomming on that salad!)

Address: 184B Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho, Hanoi
Directions: At the end of Xuan Dieu (West lake would be on your Left is you are walking towards it), across from the turn into Cong Doan Hotel
phone: 04-7307-8838

Mui Ne: Mai Am noms

     Just pumping up Mai Am one more time, Ani and I decided one day to check out the noms our little home served up. The first day we had some pretty simple staples, but we were curious if the greatness of this place also had great noms.
     Being in Vietnam and both loving spring rolls, we went with an order of their vegetarian spring rolls.

vegetarian (vegan) spring rolls at Mai Am (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     These were... magnificent. The wrap was made with layered vermicelli noodles as opposed to the flat rice paper, this created a intricate crunch! The filling was stuffed FULL of veggies, no noodles! There were slivers of carrots, shitake mushrooms, sprouts, steamed lotus roots, and tofu. The rolls were packed and wrapped tightly, full of veggie goodness, and comforting textures. (I love me some crunch!) The sauce was the only disappointment, it tasted like it was straight from a bottle. If these came with the sauce from Vietnam Family restaurant...no competition!
     For main entrees I got the steamed lotus roots and 'soya cheese.'  I was curious about just how Vietnam would do soy cheese and, I was picturing the American-ruined veggies lathered in a thick creamy cheese sauce (because we can't enjoy greens without cheesy sauces right-phbbbbt) What I got didn't look like my head image at all!

steamed lotus roots with soya cheese (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     This dish was simple, steamed with a little garlic and chili pepper. I was searching for that cheese and found that it was stuffed into the stems! The 'cheese' was pureed tofu, garlic salt, and I think capsasum. It was a light but sturdy dish, I felt energized and my vitamin levels felt pumped up!
     Ani went with the vegetable noodle fry-I think (ahhh I can't find my notes!!!!) and what she got was...depressing. Again, the ramen noodles (whaaa) and some veggies thrown in. Being in the country of Pho, you'd think that the 'noodle' dishes would be full of hidden taste-bud orgasms...but this dish lacked general inspiration.

vegetable noodle fry (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     We of course shared dishes, and thank god for those spring rolls...heavenly.

~~~how can we sneak the sauce....... 

again...why did I never let myself have these before?

Mui Ne: Vietnam Family Restaurant

     Our stay in Mui Ne offered lots of good noms, particularly spring rolls. Vietnam is famous for their spring rolls, fresh or fried, you can buy these fresh at side vendors in popular areas (saw loads of them in Ho Chi Minh city.)
     One of our regular go to's, (Schwammy's home!!) is a place called "Vietnam Family Restaurant." It's located a couple hundred yards away from Mai Am, right on Nguyen Ding Chieu Street. The place is owned and run by a family, the father being the head guy but his daughters are always there.
     It was the first place where we had drinks and an impromptu dinner. Our first night in Mui Ne we wandered and fell upon this cheesy romantic lit place and slightly drunk ordered a plate of their fried vegan spring rolls and...well this order happened almost every night.

vegan spring rolls and heavenly sauce (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     My flash makes these looks severly oily but, trust me they arne't oily. They are pan fried and filled generously with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, tofu, and crushed lotus seeds. Everything blends very well together, a soft heated texture and crispy skin, but it's the sauce that makes this roll really roll.
     It's a spicy and tangy sauce with powdered peanut in it. Not tasting racked with msg or very salty, there is a sweetened tang to it, that also heats the mouth a bit. This with the mixture of vegetables created a savory explosion of crunchy crispy skin, marinated in a heated sweet array of veggies.
     On other days Ani and I did visit this place for a meal meal. Spring rolls were always around but, one day we decided to try some of their other menu options. I went with a tofu and tomato sauce, which was very satisfying. A generous position was provided chalk full of veggies. Soft tofu was served on a bed of shredded carrots and cucumbers along with steamed cabbage and morning glory. There were chunks of fresh sweet tomato and these ingredients came together to make an almost cirtusy sweet sauce that brought out a lot of natural flavors. It was saucy, and not high in oil at all, I would even go as far as saying this dish was nearly fat free. There was some oil or fat content from the tofu, but...this dish was great. If I was in Mui Ne again...kick over some of this....and more spring rolls ^^*!~

tomato sauce tofu (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Ani went with the pineapple fried noodles, and it sounded interesting and how can you go wrong with pineapple? (wait...don't answer). This dish was beautifully plated, and looked very nice but...what it had in looks it lost in personality. The noodles were ramen noodles (points lost) but there were alot of shredded carrots, greens, sweet pinapple, and radish (points points points) but no flavor (annnnnd FAIL.) Pineapples and veggies were picked out...but more or less, untouched. )O:

Pineapple fried noodles (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     I also got a fresh coconut, seeing all these coconut trees just chilling, my eyes, I mean belly was wanting this. And for only 15,000 dong ($0.75) hell...do it! They literally grabbed a young coconut off of a tree, cut out the top and stuck in a straw. The juice was refreshing and full or health jazz, feeling energized! The meat was great too, though no spoon was offered to help get that out...I found a way!

my fresh coconut (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Because we came often enough and struck up some positive vibes with everyone here, we started getting dragon-fruit when we were planning on leaving.
     "It looks like cookie dough ice-cream" Ani once said to me. It's like a crossbreed between a cactus and a kiwi, bright pink with green tendrils and a soft white pulp similar to kiwi's texture. This fruit is delicious, subtle in flavor, not too sweet or too strong in any sense but refreshing and delightful. Grab a spoon and scoop it out!

dragon fruit!!! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     This place is located on the main strip of hotels in Mui Ne, if you see Schwammy and a brown spotter pooch kicking it alongside her, make sure to stop in and get some spring rolls!!

Nguyen Ding Chieu Street<~~~check Vietnam Family Restuarant

Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon): Saigon Vegan

     Up early in the morning, just before the heat caught up to the heavy air, Ani and I took a ride to Hanoi's airport for our flight with jetstar for our flight to Ho Chi Minh city. We were only planning to stay for one night and then head via train to Mui Ne!
     Saigon for some reason has always struck me as an exotic and famous location, a destination that everyone must go to. Maybe through films, twin references, or general word of mouth...Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) was in the stars.
     Jetstar is a very inexpensive air line that takes you essentially anywhere for more than decent prices...but you get what you pay for. Not the most comfortable of seats (though we lucked out with the roomy exit seats) and minimal service. Our several hour long flight was absent of water, tea, and coffee. Similar tot he China town buses going in between New York and Boston, it helps you get to where you want to go on a budget.
    Once we landed we wandered over to the backpackers district and went hostel to hostel, hotel to vacant rooms looking at spaces, bargaining prices...trying to find something decent, inexpensive and above all clean. I think we looked at maybe eight places before we settled on Hong Han Hotel, clean inside and a roomy space for $20 a night. Breakfast wa included and Ahn (brother) had great English and people skills, he honestly sealed the deal.
     The room had two comfy beds, air conditioning, cable tv, a fridge, clean bathroom, and a viranda/balcony where breakfast was going to be served. There was also free internet and skype access along with a super helpful staff. Tired and hungy...sold.

Address: 238 Bui Vien street, Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
telephone: (84-8)-38-361-927 /39-203-336

our room! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     If you are planning on kicking it in Ho Chi Minh City, I HIGHLY recommend staying at Hong Han!!
     Bonus, next door was Saigon Vegan, a loving hut chain...working up an apetite (didn't eat since dinner the night before) we treated ourselves to a cruelty-free feast!

     We started with some ice-coffees while browsing the massive menu! This street was chalk full of vegan eateries but this place seemed to have the most options. My heart was set of some Vegan Pho...niente )O:

     We were the only people in this place, and it was cute, and definately different from Seoul Loving Huts. Open, a bit dusty and you went up a frail spiral staircase to eat on a blacony overlooking Bui Vien street.
     We started with two different spring rolls, one being the Bi Cuon (fresh with peel, tofu, and thyme) and the other being the Goi Cuon (fresh with mushrooms and vermicelli) each were 6,000 dong ($0.30) per piece. We bother enjoyed the Bi Cuon more (scallion poking out). It tasted fresher and the vegetables were distinctive. The tofu was creamy and blended very well with the vegetables, a simple honest roll!

The Bì cuốn (fresh with peel, tofu, and thyme) and the Gỏi cuốn (closer to you) photo taken by VeganBeats

     We also ordered the Com Chien Hat Sen, which is a fried rice with lotus seeds (50,000 dong= $2.50). The dish has a lot of rice (not so much my alley) but I loved the hidden chunks of shitakes, pressed tofu, peas (man I love my peas), and the generous portion of lotus seeds. This was my second time having lotus seeds and they're similar to chestnuts  smaller, smoother, and nutty. And I have to say, the tomatoes were so sweetly fresh!!

Com Chien Hat Sen, fried rice with lotus seeds (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     A random picking was the Goi Nam Bao Ngu Rau Ram, a mushroom with flagrant knotweed salad (40,000dong= $2.00). We both had no idea what the hell knotweed might be and my parts were all too curious. The salad was hidden underneath layers of rice cake crackers and had lots of vegan ham in it. I'm not into the fake meat deal, frankly it creeps me out, but the knotweeds were plentiful and measured up quite well in the spiced red-vinegar sauce. ...

Goi Nam Bao Ngu Rau Ram, a mushroom with flagrant knotweed salad (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     A little over a year ago, while in China I got into the spirit of hunting down veggies I've never seen or tasted before and tried playing around with them. One of these veggies was a wrinkled up warty green guy resembling a sick zucchini, bitter melon. I could never figure out what exactly I should do with it, I tried steaming, frying, even got desperate enough to batter it up and fry it...fail fail fail. I saw the Canh Kho Qua (bitter melon soup) and it was done. For only 35,000 dong ($1.55) I would be able (idealistically) get to crack the bitter melon code.
     It was served sliced thinly in a simple broth of water, soy sauce, and black pepper. A few mushrooms and softened creamed tofu were thrown in but it was very straight forward. Bitter melon sticks true to it's name, it's bitter and a bit starchy and directed for those that like a mixture of bitter and sour. I liked it, but I doubt I'll go running to buy more bitter melon.

Canh Kho Qua (bitter melon soup) photo taken by VeganBeats

 Nam Bao Ngu Sa Ot, fried mushrooms with chili and lemongrass (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Saigon Vegan is good, and inexpensive, so high high points. It is part of the Loving Hut chain so I'm already a bit off put by it, but overall, it was good and is great to eat at with friends. Loads of dishes, options, and a wide spread of preferences (steamed veggies, fried rolls, noodles, rice, soups, etc.)

But the coffee....ooo that coffee^^*!~

Address: 240 Bui Vien Street District 1
Phone number: 383-726-86

(Com Chay MAY TRANG) White Cloud Vegetarian Resturaunt; My First Vietnam dining experience

     Prior to Vietnam landing I knew of the classic Vietnamese dishes and sadly intregal components of those dishes are beef or fish sauce. My heart was set on tropical sexy fruits and discovering how to survive vegan style in this supremely sweaty country.
     Ani knew of an all vegan restaraunt, and could vouge for it. She's gone there several times and I am so glad that this small intimate place was brought to my palate. The open doored, bamboo chair lined, and comfortable space was beyond comfortable and cared for. We were the only people to start dining and an amazingly sweet woman, Thui greeted us with kind smiles and a big heart.

photo taken by VeganBeats

     The menu is full of creative dishes and Vietnamese staples. There are loads of fresh juices (salted apricot juice), soups, "light food", spring rolls, tofu dishes, gluten bases, classic rice and noodles dishes, and desserts. I've read all about the topical fruit salads and usually they're made with pork, naturally jumped at the greens! Here's some food porn!

Nom hoa chuoi~ banana flower salad (photo taken by VeganBeats)

    The salad was chalk-full of texture and shining complimenting flavors. The sweetness paired well will the mint leaves, the rigid banana flowers balanced with the apples, it was a delicate complex salad that kept meeting with my chopsticks.

com gao lut and dau phu sot ca chua~ brown rice [with lotus seeds and black soy beans] and tofu cooked with tomato sauce (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The rice was full of black soy beans and had lotus seeds in it! It was nutrious and had a sweet nuttiness to it...nom!The tofu cooked with tomato sauce was great, not overwhelming, hinting with a spicey sweetness and the cooked cherry tomatoes gave a flirty little addition.

nem ram~ spring rolls (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     We had both the fresh and fried spring rolls. I was assured that fried tasted better (lightly pan fried) and we'll just say...this led to a Vietnam "tour!"

in the back: quay dau xanh tam vung chien~ fried mung bean batter with sesame (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The fried mung bean batter with sesame is great, crispy, warm, and light! It was served with a syrupy spicey sauce and some fresh mint leaves. This is a favorite at Ani's house (tenants before her always got it)! The mung beans create a teasing nutty flavor and it works really well with the toasty flavors of sesame. It is simple, light, and has a very healthy taste to it, even though it's fried, it has no oil residue and heavy feeling to it!!
     The mixture on the side is a combination of ground peanuts and sesame seeds...a magic mixture really! Add it to anything in the menu and you can't go wrong! The entire menu has no msg and is all organic!
     White Cloud is an easy favorite. It's slow, quality food that is more than affordable and savory! If you're going to dine here, stow away an hour at least, they take their time really putting love into everything.

This was a hell of a way to begin the dining exploration of Vietnam!

Address:

So 2 Ngo 12 Dang Thai Mai,HaNoi
No.2, alley 12, Dang Thai Mai street, Hanoi

phone: 04)-6258-1622
0912-143-647

hours: Monday through Sunday 11am to 2 pm and 5pm to 9pm