Tom Ram Thit Ba Chi- This was one of my mom’s personal favorites which is also known as Vietnamese caramelized pork belly and prawns.

The secret to the dynamic flavor of pork and shrimp is buying fresh or frozen pawns (uncooked) and keeping on the head and shell for that super rich caramelized crunch with little bursts of umami shrimp yumminess! I love eating the shells but you can totally peel these prior prior to chomping down on these prawns!

Crispy roasted pork belly is one of the most coveted Vietnamese dishes and it was definitely one of my dad's favorite dishes that he was very proud of. Check out the recipe to learn how to make it!

Why didn’t I know about this leaf sooner? It’s so delicious and full of all the good stuff! These delicious spinach like leaves are known in asian cultures as the “queen of vegetables” and the “longevity vegetable” and are touted to be anti-cancer greens.

I received this along with a bunch of other asian herbs, vegetables, and greens as part of my CSA share that I posted the other day.

Easily misinterpreted as “cafe soda”, it’s actually “ca phe sua da”, where “da” is translated as ice (= Vietnamese iced milk coffee).

Vietnamese coffee (Aka “cà phê sữa nóng” (hot), or “cà phê sua dá” (iced)) is known for its extra caffeine kick and in Vietnam street coffee stalls use simple aluminum drip filters for this slow drip coffee favorite! I usually don’t drink coffee but since this is on the sweeter side, it’s definitely my go to coffee when I need my caffeine fix 😍

Thit Nuong is one of the most popular dishes in Vietnamese restaurants and it’s often served in a noodle & fresh herb bowl with a side of fish sauce (nuoc mam Cham) aka Bun thit nuong.Thinly cut pork belly or pork shoulder are slowly cooked on a grill until caramelized and slightly charred on the edges.

Read my latest press and Q&A by Morgan Y Evans in the Kingston Wire- “Life In Kingston”.

Simply translated Suon Ram Man means salty pork ribs. These pork spare ribs are pan seared in a marinade that’s equally savory, salty, and a little sweet all at the same time! It is a classic Vietnamese dish that is traditionally served with a side of hot jasmine rice and some fresh sweet vegetables like cucumber and tomatoes to offset the saltiness of this dish.

It’s one of my childhood favorites (yes, I have quite a few since my dad was quite the chef) and these are literally finger licking, bone gnawing good!

Do you like Chinese style sweet and sour chicken? Well this recipe is sure to please and replaces the chicken with a plant based substitute, golden oyster mushrooms!

These mushrooms are dredged in a flour/egg batter and then deep fried to perfection for that extra crispy crunch. The wet batter creates a nice doughy crust that makes it more fluffy while the chewiness of the oyster mushrooms gives you that mock chicken texture!

Buttered beef summer rolls - aka “Cuon thit bo chien beure”.So, this is one of my little sister’s (@altnyc ) favorites. She loves Vietnamese summer rolls but these are harder to find in a menu anywhere (more commonly you will see shrimp or pork & shrimp summer rolls).This dish is super fun to make. Thin cuts of beef is flash seared in front of you with butter (on a small hot plate in the center of a table) and everyone at the table gets to assemble their own rolls and eat them freshly made.

This traditional Vietnamese beef stew is very rich and savory. I love how you can see the French influence in this dish. Oxtails and beef are deeply stewed with ginger, lemon grass, and garlic along with root vegetables, aromatics and it’s also traditionally served with a warm french baguette.

This stew is sometimes red’ish in color with the addition of tomato paste and paprika. I love using oxtails because they really make your stew very rich and dark. What makes this dish a little different from other recipes is that my mom also uses a dash of curry powder, and uses aromatics like star anise and cinnamon.