Text 8795, 137 rader
Skriven 2011-03-26 11:01:00 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Michael Loo
Ärende: BUGIS ALL 109 10326
===========================
 -=> Quoting Michael Loo to Glen Jamieson <=-

 ML> I don't care for Bugis. Even the smells, of which fermenting
 ML> durian is one of the few attractive ones. Well, there are some
 ML> roast meat stalls, but I don't usually go by them.

 ML> I'm not interested in the seamier side of Singapore. Too
 ML> old for that sort of thing. The ground level is all I can
 ML> take.

Down below seems to be nearly all shops.  When I first went to
Singapore, in 1970, Bugis Street was very much the seamy side of
Singapore, but then Lee Kwan Yew cleaned it up, and got rid of the
parading transexuals, drug dealers, etc, etc.  (Boring!)

 ML> Speaking of seamier, I have never stayed on Orchard Road.
 ML> For me, it's the Marina when I can afford it (I've stayed
 ML> at the Mandarin and the Conrad several times), Chinatown

That is well into the Colonial District.  The closest I have ever got
to Orchard Road is just around the corner in the Phoenix, where I
stayed with 4 female in-laws.

 ML> when I can't. Perhaps as an SPG Gold I'll stay at the
 ML> Sheraton near Newton Circus sometime and see the floor of
 ML> hookers for myself (not that I'd be buying).

The Sheraton is waaaaaay out in the peace and quiet of the wide open
spaces.  I prefer the morning sound of the Taoist priests in the
temple next door, and the evening aroma of incense burning in the
Hindu temple down the road.

 ML> For a small fee you can have your feet
 GJ> cleaned by little fish which nibble the dead skin from your toes.
 ML> I have friends who have done this. It doesn't really
 ML> appeal to me.

Nor to me, but I may try it next time, for the experience.  If I can
stand it, I hope the fish can.
 
 ML> It is interesting that a fish common to your area is
 ML> being imported.
 GJ> I think that barra is raised in farms in Vietnam.

 ML> Considering the general level of quality of other things
 ML> farmed in Vietnam, it would have been wise to tread carefully.

I now carefully avoid that tasteless, farmed barramundi.  I still
intend to visit Vietnam to try the cuisine at its origin, but that
will have to wait until my undercarriage has been repaired.  While
that is being done I will be absent from the Echo for about a week.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Saigon Noodle Soup Hu Tien
 Categories: Soups, Breakfast, Vietnamese, Cambodian
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
    1/2 c  Crisp-fried shallots
      1 lb 1/4-inch wide dried rice
           Sticks (banh pho)
      3 tb Preserved vegetables
           -(Tan Xai)
      4    Chicken thighs
      8 md Raw shrimp in the shell
  4 1/4 c  Chicken broth
      4    Port cutlets (8 oz)
      8    Garlic cloves, minced
      1 c  Sliced scallion greens
      1 tb Fish sauce (nuoc mam)
      3 tb Soy sauce
      2 ts Sugar
      1 ts Sesame oil
      4 c  Fresh bean sprouts
      4    Scallions, cut into 2-inch
           Lengths
      2 tb Shredded coriander
           Freshly ground black pepper
 
  Soups are hands-down favorites of North and South Vietnam and more
  likely to show up at breakfast than any other meal of the day. Hu
  Tien is related to Cambodian cuisine right next door. In fact, it is
  sometimes referred to as "Cambodian Style." In Vietnam people are
  less likely to make these dishes at home than to buy them, either in
  shops or at roadside stands.
  
  Prepare the crisp-fried shallots. Reserve one tablespoon of the oil.
  Soak the rice sticks and preserved vegetables separately in warm
  water for 30 minutes. Drain.
  
  Combine one tablespoon of the preserved vegetables, the chicken
  thighs, shrimp, and the chicken broth in a soup pot and bring to a
  boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the shrimp
  and refresh under cold water. Set aside.
  
  Continue to simmer the broth until the chicken thighs are cooked, 10
  to 15 minutes longer. Remove the chicken pieces and refresh under
  cold water. Set aside. Cover the soup pot and set aside.
  
  Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil over moderate
  heat. Add the pork cutlets and cook on both sides until browned,
  about six minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Thinly slice the pork.
  Remove the chicken meat from the bones and thinly slice. Peel the
  shrimp and halve lengthwise. Set aside.
  
  Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a skillet. Add the garlic, the
  remaining two tablespoons preserved vegetables and the scallion
  greens (reserve two tablespoons to garnish the broth); stir-fry
  briefly. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and 1/4 cup
  of the soup broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the sauce
  from the heat and set aside.
  
  Bring three quarts of water to a boil in a pot. Pack the bean sprouts
  and scallion pieces in a strainer. Dip the strainer in the boiling
  water for five seconds. Remove and refresh under cold water. Drain.
  Drop the rice noodles into the boiling water. Drain immediately.
  Rinse with cold water to remove any excess starch. Dry again.
  
  Divide the sauce, bean sprouts, scallions and noodles among four
  large soup bowls. Arrange the pork, chicken and shrimp over the top.
  Sprinkle with the fried shallots, cilantro and black pepper. Reheat
  the broth, then ladle into four small soup bowls. Sprinkle with the
  reserved scallion greens and a dash of sesame oil.
  
  Before eating, toss the noodles. Serve the broth on the side. The
  broth and noodles are served separately and the eater takes turns
  eating first one and then the other.
  
  Nicole Routhier, The Foods of Vietnam.
 
MMMMM
 

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