Passport & Plate - Pinoy Comfort Food

j9vanlog — Thu, 6 Mar 2014 14:39:09 GMT

Ingredients
1/2 cup diced onion; 500 g chicken pieces; 1/2 cup shredded ginger; 1 lemon grass stalk (white part only);1/2 cup carrot cut as desired; 1/2 cup chayote squash cut into half moons; 1/2 cup coarsely cut green pepper; coconut meat; 1 coconut worth of water/juice; 1/2 cup shredded Chinese cabbage; 1 diced garlic clove; vegetable oil; hollow coconut shell for serving.

How to prepare this recipe
If you're using fresh coconut, cut it in half and use a fork to scrape vertical lines in the flesh. then take a tablespoon and scrape around the inside. Spaghetti-like pieces of meat should remove easily. Next, saute the chicken breast (I use breast meat for my family because they're squeamish but any chopped up meatwith bones in will add better flavour), onion, garlic and ginger on medium-high heat until the chicken browns. Add the carrot and chayote and fry on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low heat until the chicken is cooked through. Ladle into the coconut shell or bowls and serve. This recipe makes 2 servings.

The story behind this recipe
My fiance and I spontaneously took a roadtrip on a 125cc scooter around an island in the Philippines. On the first night of that trip I tasted the island style soup that is the subject of my entry for the 1st time.It was nearing sunset and we were on our way to the mountain crossing we needed.We took a 'short cut' (true to form, it wasn't marked on the map) and after five hours of navigating rugged mountain roads on our small scooter, we found ourselves in the dead of night, lost and woefully low of gas.In one of the intermittent villages, we stopped to ask where we could buy gas.We located the 'Rum' shop but it was closed!Being our last hope, we banged on the metal store front and were lucky to find a family at home.We bought gas and asked where we could spend the night.Then they invited us in for dinner.We were led into a coconut frond hut by a mob of children.The food I'd eaten thus far on the trip had been light, healthy and organic.Not the type of food where ingredients sit in the fridge for days - this was no different.We all shared in a soup served from a hollow coconut shell. I'm a foodie, so I enjoyed playing ingredient detective with the soup. It was sweet with slight hints of ginger and an oily chicken flavour.Getting the recipe was tricky.People on the island learn to cook by observing and doing and using what's practical.Eventually, I got a list of vegetables and an old woman told me, 'saute the chicken, onion and ginger'.When we got back to the resort, I was curious whether hunger had simply been the best sauce or if the Binakol really was that enjoyable.The resort cook was obliging and made me a coconut full while I observed him.Borj used small handfuls of each ingredient (again, no recipe or measuring tools in sight) in almost equal quantities to complete the recipe and it was a delight to eat it again after eating side-of-the-road -stall food for the preceding days. It was every bit as tasty as I remembered!

Royal Saigon Guest House

j9vanlog — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 13:40:00 GMT

On my recent trip to Vietnam I pre-booked at a hotel near Pham Ngu Lao street in Ho Chi Minh for 30$ per night. My flight was arriving after 10pm and I didn't want the hassle of searching for accommodation after arrival so I settled on this family-run hotel and made use of their airport transfer service for a further 15$.

When I finally arrived at the hotel after 12pm it was an oasis to me and I was satisfied with the queen size bed and clean, fresh linen and that's about all I got for my 30$ per night. Oh yes and breakfast which was a no fuss choice of pho or an omlette.

During the course of the next day I went to a restaurant to order a salad to go and i happened upon an american expat and we got chatting about accommodation and rates. The name of the restaurant is the Royal Saigon and the three floors above the restaurant are the guest house.

I would strongly recommend the Royal. For 13$ a night I got so much more than a queen size bed and comfy pillows. Each room has it's own computer and internet and massive flat screen tv with cable. The rooms are air conditioned and cheerful.

Photos: Mekong Meander

j9vanlog — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:40:00 GMT

A rolling stone...

Passport & Plate - Pinoy Comfort Food

Royal Saigon Guest House

Photos: Mekong Meander