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Nov 18, 2009

The month of November

Photo: Doorknob.

There is something uneventful and slow about this time of year. The air is biting but not cold enough for teeth to clench. Browning leaves clutch onto the emaciated branches refusing to let the wind take them on a little tango. Although I have stopped counting my age, it is hard not to feel uneasy around this month with the ominous notion of my teenage years fleeting away before I could make a statement in this world.

Yes, age is a vexing perception. Inevitably.


Jul 15, 2009

At the comfort of one’s own foie


Photo: "A dollop of foie gras". I don't like flash but sometimes it can do wonders.

“It is quite unbelievable". I uttered at loss of words as my brain numb the other senses to concentrate on the electrifying sensation occurring at my taste buds. Such reaction I have is characterized by the ones around me as “getting doped on food crack”. No way any joint that I’ve tried at MIT fraternities was able to stir up such fanatical endorphines uproar. “Mon dieu!”, I, then too was at loss of breath, quivered and sunk into a blissful coma.

Nothing is more serene than a late morning on the sun-drenched porch with a copy of E.E Cummings and a jar of Rougié’s Foie Gras de Canard Entier en Gelée à l’Armagnac freshly flown from Paris. It took me a good 30 minutes to battle the hermetically sealed jar whereas what felt like 3 seconds for the ephemeral rapture to melt into thin air.

Golden crisp brioche from Hanoi Hilton Bakery topped by a slide of pristine, unsmeared foie exuding sheer beautiful vulnerablity. After the first bite, I gathered that such ethereal richness is not to be wasted on the interference of bread. So I paired it with the classic choice – Château d'Yquem Sauternes 1995. Miraculously, the sweet notes of the wine roam around the earthy richness of foie silking down creating a whole new flavor with subtle bitterness that clings to your throat. The chemistry between the two components is simply sublime.

I round up the palate with a piece of charred fig with the hope of milking out every possible indulgence from the foie’s intense buttery essence. The savory was prolonged until brunch reluctantly ends.

Jul 10, 2009

Wild, wild East


Admittedly, my first visit to Bobby Chinn back in 2006 marked my attention to the fine dining scene in Hanoi. I was intensely engrossed in the realm ever since. For years to come, Bobby Chinn had been my utmost role model. In fact, one my proudest achievements is getting to work in his kitchen – which at that time was considered to be the stepping stone towards the many chapters of haute cuisine wisdom.

I admired Bobby Chinn, maybe I still do, but less as a chef and more as a personality. He blends his charm into every nooks and crannies of his restaurant. I guess it it the unprecedented nuance of a well-crafted ambiance that was made this place a success. The food, to be honest, not so much.

By ‘well-crafted’ I meant that this place is very much precisely taken care of. From the moment I set foot into the restaurant, I was greeted by trails of rose petals. Back then the place didn’t have as much exposure as now so the wait at the bar wasn’t mandatory. Inside displayed old temple interior (attempt to evoke serenity, maybe?), hanging silk drapes and dry flowers. The walls exhibited works of contemporary Vietnamese artists – a very efficient way to add class and artsiness to the place. Music is tastefully selected, Bob Marley and Matthew Shafer was played during my stay. Everything else from the witty menu to the petals inside the toilet shows how tasteful and meticulously designed this place is – all touches provided decent social lubricants as one’s conversation may start with “have you gone to the loo?”.


The amuse bouche is an interesting part of the dining experience here. Every once in a while, if you’re lucky (when there’re enough salmon bones left-over to scrape off the flesh), the chef’s complimentary dish – Salmon tartare in truffle oil wrapped in jícama – may be the best thing you have that night. The salmon, perfectly marinated and generously soaked in truffle oil, is wrapped in a salami-thin slice of fresh-crunchy yam. It is pure beauty. Other times, it would be random bits and pieces like teeny crab-cake on a clam shell or pre-dessert freebie, Chocolate mousse in dark chocolate taco, which I thought was better than some of the main dessert itself.

Like the eminent (and insanely overpriced) Grapes in Pitaschio crusted Goat Cheese (USD 8 for 3 grapes) that made Bobby Chinn’s name, the Pan Roasted Salmon on Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Vegetables, Ginger Demi Glace (USD 20) is undoubtedly worthy of its reputation. Of course, Bobby Chinn himself knew the hook is in the spicy and creamy side dish as he mentioned in his book “Wild wild east” that it was constructed out of pure fortuity when some wasabi got mixed up in his potatoes. Err, riiiight.


Unlike his other very overrated signature dishes (ahem, Smoked Zealand Rack of Lamb w/ Apple Risotto, Red Wine Lamb Jus Reduction – USD 30, ahem), his less exposed Blackened Barramundi on Braised Banana Blossoms with a Turmeric Balsamic Vinaigrette (USD 17) is a hidden gem. Original plate décor of balsamic patterns and turmeric dots, coated in a crunchy flavorful layer of cumin. It makes a very decent, fun eat. Better than most of other pricey options.



My personal favorite is probably the Green Tea Smoked Duck w/ Black Sticky Rice, Baby Bok Choy & Pomegranate Jus (USD 20). The broth is duck bones stewed for 2 days, duck perfectly cooked, sliced and presented. The rice has exotic textures and flavors that one doesn’t experience with run-on-the-mill white rice. Overall, the only dish that I thought was worth its price.

I learnt to blow-torch my first crème brulee in the Bobby Chinn kitchen, and he did use real vanilla beans in the cream. On the other hand, the sinful Molten Chocolate Cake is very simply made with even simpler ingredients. But hey, who says good food has to be costly made, as long as the product is not so overcharged.


Food:1
Service 1. Wait staff didn’t know the menu well.
Ambiance: 3
Value: 0. An NYC price tag on a Hanoi standard.

Jul 3, 2009

Le ‘Iron Chef’ dans la maison

Trung learns to cook from watching TV. Which is pretty legit considering how much he knows about haute cuisine. Without having any proper training in the realm, Trung was met with dubiety against virtually every food stunts he delivers. But from time to time, he would attempt to recreate world-renown recipes from master chefs and come up with surprisingly palate-pleasing versions of his own. Among which, is his signature dish Olive-oil-poached Chilean Sea Bass in Mango sauce.

Sea bass is perhaps one of my favorite white fish closely after Misoyaki (grilled miso in sake) Butterfish (commonly known as black cod) and Mom’s crunchy pan-fried snapper. It is quite impossible to ruin a piece of seabass because the fish doesn’t get dry when overcooked like halibut, or has a funky flavor when undercooked like baramundi. The beautiful texture of Chilean Seabass is especially smooth and velvety due to its high oil content locked deep inside the flesh, which makes savouring the fish, flake after flake, an unbelievably indulging act.

In his quest to secure that priceless texture and flavor, Trung implemented a technique from Aaron Sanchez where he ovens a glass baking pan filled with a whole bottle of pure olive oil (Ouch!). When dropped into the pool of olive oil, the marinated flank of fish starts to heat up as the oil does, then it sizzles, oozing in a precious flavor blend of olive and bass. After 2-3 minutes, the fish is ready to be plated.


It was quite extraordinary. Soaked immediately in high heat, the seabass was thoroughly cooked without a slight chance for flavor to escape. The inner texture of the fish was preserved and not dehydrated by the heat. The sauce, well, balances well with the marinate.

*Note: I did the plating and photography but those irrelevant cilantro leaves were his idea. Food styling failed. At least the fish tasted good.