Food – Page 7

4,000 Islands ~ Street View Cafe, Mama’s and Pumpkin Burgers

April 21, 2014January 20, 2023Posted in Food, LaosTagged 4000 islands, Adam's, laap, Laos, Mama Piang's, pumpkin burger, Si Phan Don, sticky rice, Street View CafeLeave a comment

Don Det’s tiny enclave of roosting chicken houses, dirt piles for lazy dogs and fish bones for surly cats also produces some chill opportunities to its human inhabitants too. I got lucky and stumbled upon a man for whom the word t-shirt has lost all meaning. It’s as if his body has become resistant to cottons and polyesters. His shaved head born from indifference of trends, his cutoff jean shorts not worn ironically, his feet having long ago merged with the dirt were unprotected, Darren had become of the island. He was “busy” repairing a fence for The Street View Cafe when I found him. I had just had another mediocre burger recently and after responding to his “How ya goin mate?” with an “Aight” of my own, I hinted at his aptitude for making good hamburgers, and being received with an enthusiastic affirmation, I ordered one. It was great. His Laotian wife cooks all his recipes and the good music, decent wi-fi and green atmosphere provided a small haven for me. If you notice, all the food has been shuffled and mostly eaten, each being somehow more comfort laden than the last. Fair Dinkum.

Continue reading “4,000 Islands ~ Street View Cafe, Mama’s and Pumpkin Burgers” →

Poutine in Cambodia

April 16, 2014October 21, 2015Posted in Cambodia, FoodTagged Cambodia, Kratie, poutine, river towns, T.D. Alfredo's, U-Hong1 Comment

Yes, that title is correct. A dish that feels at more at home in the chilled fall evenings of Quebec, or the cheesy confines of Wisconsin, has somehow migrated to Kratie, Cambodia. At the guesthouse called U-Hong, somewhere in the middle of the two parallel streets of downtown Kratie, they sell bus tickets, dolphin tours and the best poutine I’ve had in Asia. It needs to be said that the best I’ve ever had is in my hometown of Phoenixville, PA, at an infamous little diner called T.D. Alfredo’s. I’ve never actually had proper poutine from Canada, I’m American, and therefore know about cheese fries and gravy not so much pommes frites avec fromage. Either way, cheese should be melted, gravy hot and fries’ crispiness gently wilting under the liquid goodness. This was that.

The native food entree was chicken and ginger, which was nice and fragrant. The place had cold beer, good music, and a easy vibe befitting this river town. They also offer rooms, which probably inexplicably have signed Gretzky and Lemieux jerseys in frames above the bed.

Siem Reap ~ Pub Street Dining

April 10, 2014October 21, 2015Posted in Cambodia, Food, Siem ReapTagged backpacking, Cambodia, Charlie's, eating, Siem Reap, The Triangle, travel, Viva1 Comment

The aptly named Pub Street in downtown Siem Reap glows neon red in the hot jungle air. Street hawkers beseech you with their cries about the food quality and with bargain prices. There are plenty of bars and restaurants in which to eat offering Khmer, Thai, Western and Indian cuisine. Of course I couldn’t resist a place which proclaims to have “The Best Mexican Food in Asia.”

At Viva, they serve pretty authentic Tex-Mex style dishes. I had the chimichanga with green chile sauce and was pleased with the results. Quality meat and cheese fried up with a cool sauce. They also offer 2$ tequila shots and Corona bottles.

There is also a trendy rooftop bar called The Triangle whose lights were too dim for pictures. They offer a very chill atmosphere and a bistro type cuisine. Live music every night here with plenty of balcony seats. The band actually covered The Doors’ version of “Backdoor Man.”

Charlie’s reminds me of Austin, Texas. Cold beer, good food and bar stool seating. I ordered the sliders, which were tasty but under-cooked. When will Asia realize you must cook burgers all the way through (without drying them out)?

Dune ~ Otres Beach

April 7, 2014October 22, 2015Posted in Cambodia, Food, SihanoukvilleTagged Caesar salad, Dune, French food, Otres Beach, relaxing4 Comments

On the one street of Otres is the least crowded bar/restaurant in which I’ve ever been, Dune. There are a few French guys and some Cambodian workers here who cook up good, home-made style food. I was so relaxed I forgot to ask their names, where they were from and about the business. And I don’t think I could ask anyone else. I spent an entire afternoon and a full day at their beach-side bar and could count the customers on one hand. Perhaps it’s just their little clubhouse away from Paris or Lyon, but I was the only one there, which was just what I wanted. If you’re looking to spread out and not be bothered: Dune.

This Caesar Salad was excellent. There was just the right amount of dressing.

I should have guessed a Frenchman would use frozen burger patties. This wasn’t that good. But again, I must eat at least one cheeseburger at the beach.

This was recommended to me by a large, shirtless French man with a flourish of kissing four fingers and letting the hand explode as though releasing a dozen fireflies. It was called Ham bone with Porto sauce. It was okay, but no flavor in mashed potatoes.

I should have tried the Nicoise salad instead of a burger. But overall, a fine place to relax with great service.

Otres Beach ~ People

April 6, 2014October 24, 2016Posted in FoodTagged Cambodia, locals, Otres Beach, relaxing, SihanoukvilleLeave a comment

About 2km down from Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s biggest port town, lies the ultra-chill Otres Beach. About a dozen guesthouses, about a dozen restaurants, about a mile of quiet sandy beach is about all this town has. But, there is still a good sense of business among the relaxation for some people. There are mangoes to be sold, bracelets to make and massages to give.

Three massage girls chatting after I got a nice backrub for 5$.

This is Leda, a hilarious girl. I told her one dollar for a bracelet, and she threw her head back and scoffed, “In your dreams.” I ended up buying a necklace and 3 bracelets.

There are also quite a few expats living here, like these Frenchmen, enjoying a shirtless game of boules in the courtyard.

La Cantina ~ Phnom Penh

April 6, 2014April 6, 2014Posted in Cambodia, Food, Phnom PenhTagged albondigas, Cambodia, croquettes, La Cantina, Me Mates Villa, patatas bombas, Phnom Penh, tapas1 Comment

La Cantina (178 street and 19) is right next door to Me Mates Villa where I stayed. We stumbled a few blocks and found a massive French villa, restaurant fitted, without much of a face lift. The house has big gates and columns beset against the rounded trapezoidal staircases. They serve a tapas style restaurant with plenty of options. For 10 US$, you get 3 tapas and a mini draft beer.

Chicken croquettes with an apple and spicy sauce.

Patatas Bombas, meat stuffed fried delicious with a potato crust, drizzled with a chipotle mayo.

Albondigas, Spanish style meatballs in veggie broth.

All of these were outstanding, and way more filling than I thought for three little appetizers.

Western Food Paradise in Ho Chi Minh City

April 2, 2014January 20, 2023Posted in Food, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTagged Allez Boo, Chuck's Burgers, ESPY Pizza, food, Ho Chi Minh City, La Cantina, Saigon, Schneider's Bakery, VietnamLeave a comment

Perhaps because of the heavy influence of American troops from the war, perhaps because of the massive amount of transient backpackers funneling in on night buses, perhaps because the locals are interested in Western Cuisine, or perhaps because all the best Vietnamese food is elsewhere, HCMC is a destination for world cuisine. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to eat all the places that looked interesting, instead, I went the comfort food route. After all, it had been a month of focusing on Vietnamese food, I was ready for cheese!

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Nha Trang ~ The Russian and Backpacker Beach

March 24, 2014January 21, 2023Posted in Food, Nha Trang, VietnamTagged Asia, backpackers, beach, Booze Cruise Bar, food, I-resort, Louisiane Brewhouse, Mojzo Inn, Nha Trang, NT Fitness, Russians, SE Asia, VietnamLeave a comment

Its natural beauty is easy on the eyes, but as with most resort towns, tourists find a way to crowd out the beauty to be replaced by high rise hotels and trendy beach bars. The city is overwhelmed with Russian tourists due to the one way flights serviced from Moscow. Signs and menus are posted in Vietnamese, French, Russian and English. The Russians seem to be a hard bunch to impress and walk around with faces that seem to ask, “Is this all ya got?” Continue reading “Nha Trang ~ The Russian and Backpacker Beach” →

Hoi An ~ A Place to Shop and Eat.

March 18, 2014January 21, 2023Posted in Food, Hoi An, VietnamTagged backpacking, Hoi An, local food, tailored clothing, Vietnam2 Comments

My first impression of this town was cheesy. In one direction were tourists, in the other were the hawkers selling trinkets or sugary donuts. I heard the gentle, instrumental muzak version of “My Way” playing. Strangely, I kept hearing it as I continued walking. There are actually posted loudspeakers dedicated to playing contemporary easy listening hits as if to encourage the mall atmosphere this town as acquired. It’s not wholly without charm. There are fascinating old houses, a lovely Japanese bridge, swinging, glowing lanterns across the street and a friendly, but completely commercial vibe. There are 400 custom tailor shops and perhaps just as many restaurants. With so many tourists, that much competition is possible. But, it is totally overwhelming. There are signs posted outside many stores and restaurants proclaiming wonderful reviews on TripAdvisor. And they are probably all correct. The tailors are probably all talented, and the restaurants are probably all tasty; but how do you choose? Continue reading “Hoi An ~ A Place to Shop and Eat.” →

Hoi An ~ Bale Well

March 18, 2014October 13, 2016Posted in Food, Hoi An, VietnamTagged Bale Well, BBQ, food, Hoi An, pork, spring rolls, VietnamLeave a comment

I had searched a few times for this place, and couldn’t find it. Then, as always, when wandering lost on my last night, I found it. Lonely Planet recommended it, and with good cause. It’s an outdoor seating, BBQ/family style gem. They offer a SET (as in, only thing you can order) menu for 125,000 dong (6$). It includes a large salad, marinated vegetables, fried spring rolls, two kinds of pork, fried pancakes, rice paper for wrapping and the special sauce. The nice ladies who work the place will help you build a few of your wraps until you can try. Basically, you just put a splash of all the ingredients on the table into the little, clear rice paper wraps, roll, dip and eat. I had been underwhelmed with the amount of street/authentic local food in this tourist haven. This was a place where everyone comes. Your fingers are greasy, beer is condensating, stomach is full and then they bring you a little chocolate or mango mousse with a dollop of whipped cream. The chairs aren’t comfortable enough to make this a place to chill for a long time and hang, but it serves a delicious purpose.

Best restaurant in Hoi An. (51 Tran Hung Dao)

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