Entries tagged with 'Asian'
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The best bánh mì in Chicago? [Photographs: Nick Kindelsperger] Nhu' Lan Bakery 2612 W. Lawrence, Chicago IL 60625 (map); 773-878-9898 The Short Order: Freshly baked bread and perfect bánh mì. Want Fries with That? Nope, but some shrimp chips are possible. Want Ketchup? This sandwich needs nothing, eat it as is. You can keep your paninis. I'll forever give up the club sandwich or limit my meatball sub intake—but me and thebánh mì have a serious, committed sandwich relationship that needs constant nourishment. The bánh mì's power lies in its striking balance. The fatty meat, which can include head cheese and pate, contrasts with the acidic, pickled vegetables like daikon radishes, cucumbers, and carrots. Have I mentioned the slight jalapeño...
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[Photograph: Andrew Siddons] Fried dough and fermented cabbage aren't two things that usually join forces, except maybe in South Korea where my friend spotted this kimchi donut. It's one of five "ethnic" flavors that Dunkin' Donuts launched (they also made a yogurt-filled one in Greece and soy-filled one in Japan). Technically there's no hole, so they're calling them kimchi croquettes. File this under: potentially genius or a vile, gag reflex-inducing mistake. Related Snapshots from South Korea: Pon de Ring Doughnuts from Mister Donut New Burger/Doughnut Creations from Mosdo in Japan Paula Deen on Her Bacon, Doughnut, and Fried Egg Burger...
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Note: It's time for another edition of Street Food Profiles. This week we meet a banh mi truck. [Photographs: Nom Nom Truck] Name: Nom Nom Truck Vendor: David Stankunas Twitter: @nomnomtruck Location and hours: All over Los Angeles for lunch, evening, and late-night. Primarily we've been heading out to west Los Angeles, but we still get to places like Hollywood, mid-Wilshire, Koreatown, Silver Lake and Torrance. What's on the menu? Banh mi, Vietnamese-inspired tacos (basically a banh mi in a corn tortilla instead of bread), and various other Vietnamese snacks and drinks. How long have you been street fooding? For about 5 weeks. How has Twitter affected business? Twitter is a huge part of our business. Not only is it...
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[Flickr: Spy On Pea] Yesterday, our new nut columnist Lee Zalben wrote about Kung Pao chicken, exploring the use of nuts in this and so many other Chinese dishes. He casually mentioned the peanuts in his Kung Pao dish, which set off a mini debate. What about cashews? Or are peanuts more common? We tweeted and Facebooked the question, and the consensus seems to be with peanuts. "traditionally, only peanuts are used" (@kattebelletje) "Peanuts or no nuts. Never cashews." (@GarySoup) "peanuts for sure, says the girl who grew up in a Chinese restaurant" (@aliciac) Chinese cuisine mystery-solver Jenny 8. Lee directed us to this New York Times piece by Howard W. French from 2005. Apparently in south-central China, the...
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Note: It's time for another edition of Street Food Profiles. This week we scoot to Portland, Oregon, a sidewalk cuisine mecca where this one-item menu finds inspiration from Bangkok vendors. [Photographs: Nong's Khao Man Gai] Name: Nong's Khao Man Gai (pronounced cow-mon-guy) Vendor: Narumol "Nong" Poonsukwattana Location and hours? SW 10th Avenue and Alder Street (map) across the street from Jake's Grill in Portland, Oregon. What do you sell? Khao Man Gai ($6), or poached chicken served on jasmine rice with cucumber slices and cilantro. And don't forget that little tub of sauce—it's made with fresh ginger, garlic, sugar, fermented soy beans, and chile, and meant to be poured all over the meal. The Piset (pee-set), or "special" in Thai,...
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The hot pot or nabe in Japanese is more than a meal—it's a social event, a reason for people to gather around the table and enjoy not just a meal together but one from the same pot. In Japan there is a common belief that str sharing a meal forges closer relationships among diners. You might not have shared a steaming hot pot before, but anyone who has tackled a cheesy, bubbling pot of fondue with friends knows it's a fun, though a bit messy, way to eat with friends. Japanese Hot Pots by chef Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat, Japanese food aficionado and creator of the comprehensive Japanese food culture bolg, The Japanese Food Report sets out to bring...
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I started my search for the perfect wok by gathering information about the different materials available: carbon steel, cast iron, and aluminum. Find out which performed best.
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Best described as a "melty creamsicle," but I still don't like it. Have you ever tried Yakult? A probiotic dairy drink that comes in wee 65-milliliter plastic containers, I've only known it as "yahkuhluhteh" (essentially Yakult pronounced in Korean); that icky drink that my parents and grandparents drank but left my mouth with a strange, dry feeling whenever I took a sip. Created in Japan, it's a staple there and in other East Asian countries. Given my childhood distaste for the drink, I thought it was time to bring it into the Serious Eats office and get a collective judgment once and for all. Is Yakult actually secretly delicious? Were my taste buds of yesteryear just incapable of dairy drink...
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"Fusion which seems confusing and breaks all conventions is sometimes the perfect formula for seriously good eats." Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood is known for many things: It is the birthplace of mayors (or maybe that should be reworded as the cradle of progressive American liberal dictators), including Mayor Richard Daley and his father. It is the home to the our last Major League Baseball Championship–winning team, the Chicago White Sox (though due to their second-class status behind the Cubs, the only way anyone on that team is getting a beer is with their own five bucks—or if they're drinking in Bridgeport). It is also home to many blue-liners and firemen and is one of the last few living enclaves of sausage-fingered...
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If your summer cook-out repertoire is limited to hot dogs, hamburgers, and the occasional kebab, The Asian Grill might help you spice up the grilling season. Corinne Trang has put together a pan-Asian compendium of recipes using her "East meets East" concept of fusion cooking. Trang, dubbed the Julia Child of Asian cuisine, has taken flavor components from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines and adapted them for the American grill. The Asian Grill utilizes the five-flavor concept, combining sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter elements to create depth and complexity of flavor. Taking a cue from most Asian cuisines, meat is not the main focus of the menus outlined in The Asian Grill; instead one protein...
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