{Saigon Eats} Red Hot Wok

Liz / / 10 Comments

I have a new Saigon food obsession that’s overtaken my cravings for fried chicken from the mosque, nemesis cake from Au Parc and set menus at Ty Coz – salt and pepper squid at Red Hot Wok!
Red Hot Wok opened a few months back down a pokey little alley way just round a corner from Nguyen Hue. It’s run by a friendly middle-aged Aussie-Vietnamese couple and the food reminds me very much of that found in Australian Chinatowns and cheap and cheerful Chinese food court restaurants. Think wok fried dishes served on sizzling cows (you know – the black iron kind), stir fried noodle dishes and plates of yummy Asian greens. The squid is my ultimate recommendation though – deep fried with a hint of szechuan pepper, topped with a mix of fried garlic, shallots and chilli. At Red Hot Wok it’s called something like ‘Deep fried squid with salt and chilli’ but really, it’s the dish we all know and love as ‘salt and pepper squid’. Am so happy to have finally found a good version of this dish in Saigon – yay!


Beef with black pepper (which is really, really tender) and my beloved squid
Red Hot Wok, 9/12 Huynh Thuc Khang, D1 (open 11am til…4am!)

{NYC} Lower East Side eats & drinks

Liz / / 12 Comments

The Lower East Side is another New York neighbourhood we really loved, so much so that we spent several afternoons and nights sampling its cool bars and great eats. The LES is a grungy yet gentrifying area (noticing a theme here?!) that was the first home of many Jewish settlers in New York and went on to house many other immigrant communities in densely populated tenement housing. These days it still seems to have a bit of an edge and has a thriving bar and restaurant scene, with vibrant Ludlow Street the centre of the action.

Where we drank
Schillers – a gorgeous, atmospheric bar by the owner of Balthazar (in Soho) and Pastis (in the Meatpacking District), with a vintage European style and great cocktails. And a quirky bathroom with a communal, retro sink that seemed to be a drawcard for some nosy drop-ins!
Los Feliz (Tequileria & Taqueria) – moody, dark and mirrored with a tequila and margarita menu as long as your arm – we loved sitting at the bar talking (and drinking) tequila at this decadent looking place. Their jalapeno-infused tequila was amazing!
Spitzer’s Corner – a cool, rowdy bar with craft beers, satisfying pub food and long tables crammed with cool college kids. Here we were strangely asked for ID, which they then scanned with a machine (hello paranoia, we’re 31!) but then noticed everyone else was being asked too. NYC bars can be really strict and we’re glad we took our passports with us after an earlier scare at DBA in the East Village (we managed to talk our way in despite being ID-less, luckily!)
Allen & Delancey – an upmarket gothic/chic bar that was perhaps my favourite of the whole trip. Here we sat by the front window having extra-dirty martinis pre-dinner at Little Giant and wishing we lived in New York.


Where we ate
Katz’s Deli – “I’ll have what she’s having!” Katz’s is the famous Jewish deli where ‘that’ scene in When Harry Met Sally was filmed. This wasn’t somewhere initially on our radar, but when we stumbled across it decided to give it a try, especially given we’d never eaten Jewish deli food before. Sampled – a hard salami sandwich that was about 20cm high (slice upon slice of meat stacked up high – pretty disgusting actually!), a yummier potato knish (like a big mashed potato patty, fried) and matzo ball soup – a silky, delicate, doughy dumpling in a comforting broth. Katz’s has been going since 1888 and is something of a New York institution. I’d go back for the soup but skip the salami!


Sugar Sweet Sunshine – Years after Magnolia Bakery appeared in SATC sparking a cupcake eating frenzy, the trend refuses to die. We spotted many cupcakeries while out and about in the city and sampled several, only to be disheartened at the sickly sweetness of them all (which is saying something, coming from a dessert devotee). I think it’s something to do with the fact the icing (or frosting) is equally as high as the cake part rather than thinly spread over the cake like the old school Australian kind. At Sugar Sweet Sunshine we tried the red velvet, pistachio, lemon and ‘Ooey Gooey’ – chocolate with almond buttercream (the lemon was the best). I really wanted to like these but I think the reality didn’t live up to the less cloying cupcakes of my imagination.

Little Giant – a ‘seasonal American’ restaurant that was one of our best New York eats. Cosy and unpretentious, Little Giant embodies the slow food ideal that has taken hold of the NYC food scene, where locally grown, seasonal, and preferably organic produce is used. I had the mushroom and cauliflower with poached egg and truffle oil to start (heavenly) followed by sea scallops with grapes, cauliflower puree and hazelnuts. We shared some sides like a gourmet version of mac and cheese (now I understand American’s fascination with this dish – though I still think I only like the gourmet version!) and three desserts between four of us – meyer lemon fritters, sticky toffee pudding and a chocolate mint sundae. I highly, highly, highly recommend Little Giant if you’re in NYC!

{NYC} Highlights of the Meatpacking District

Liz / / 6 Comments

One area we really loved wandering around while in NYC was the Meatpacking District. It had a totally different look to the other downtown neighbourhoods, with wider footpaths and low rise, converted industrial buildings (including remnants of its namesake meatpacking plants).

The once no-go neighbourhood is now home to high-end fashion stores, boutique hotels and chic eateries like Pastis, where we stopped for creme brulee and people watching.

Nearby were these striking wall murals of Madonna by a street artist called Mr Brainwash.


We ventured up to the much talked about Highline – a disused railway line that’s recently been converted into a park and public space, spanning the Meatpacking District to Chelsea.
Here’s the view looking down….

…and the view above of The Standard – a stunning design hotel (that’s part of the Highline underneath).

…and a close-up of the urban-meets-nature Highline where rustic railway tracks merge with wild plants – so effective and pretty.

At the moment I’m…

Liz / / 9 Comments

Watching: True Blood (quirky, sordid and much better than Twilight!)

Reading: The 4-hour work week by Timothy Ferris (lots of interesting ideas…)
Perusing: new home/decor online mag Lonny (lots of pretty pics and inspiration)
Drinking: Spicy chai (with Cambodian palm sugar and milk)
Eating: Pizza and cookies (but making salad tonight to compensate!)
Loving: 40,000 dong tops and 50,000 dong pedicures (we’re talking $2-3!)
Looking forward to: A trip to Phnom Penh in a few weeks (dying for a brownie from The Shop and stocking up at Russian Market, Bliss, Ambre etc. etc….!)
….how about you?

{NYC} 5 things I loved about the Brooklyn Flea

Liz / / 7 Comments

{1} The Setting
A schoolyard in leafy, brownstone-lined Fort Greene plays host to the Brooklyn Flea each Saturday (it’s also on in DUMBO on Sundays), a market featuring retro and vintage furniture and homewares, secondhand jewellery and clothing, independent designers and gourmet treats. The neighbourhood is picture perfect and I loved its community feel, historic buildings and laidback vibe.

{2} Typography everywhere
The Flea is a typography lover’s dream. Wooden block stamps, plastic and tin letters rescued from old signs and vintage typewriters were spotted, but my favourite finds were rings made from old typewriter keys and vintage toy building blocks.

{3} Vintage and retro finds
From mid-century style chairs to lamps and retro kitchenware, the Flea featured many a cool find to decorate a home. There were even a few coffee tables made from old railway sleepers, and old school lockers that would be a great storage space in a vintage look room!

{4} Innovate design
This little tent (the Design Co-op) was home to an assortment of independent designers’ wares. I loved the cute screenprints on these t-shirts and baby onesies.

{5} Rustic woodfired pizza
Our mid-morning sustenance search at the Flea came to a halt at this homemade woodfired pizza stall. The oven is on the back of an old trailer, and from its fiery confines comes a margarita pizza to die for, with fresh basil, tasty tomato sauce and oozing mozzarella on a crispy base. Pizza perfection!
For more on the Brooklyn Flea, check out their blog, or an interview with one of its founders by Lonely Planet. If only I could access this market every weekend…I’m afraid Tan Dinh (my Saigon local) just doesn’t quite measure up!!

{NYC} Soul food at Melba’s in Harlem

Liz / / 8 Comments

Soul food is something I’ve only ever read about or seen on tv – it’s not something that registers on the Australian or Asian food radar, given its American-centric nature.

To the uninitiated, soul food can best be described as fare rooted in African-American traditions, emanating from America’s south with African influences. Vegetables like collard greens feature, as do grits (like polenta), crab cakes, catfish, fried chicken and down-home comfort type foods like mashed potato and onion rings.

Chicken and waffles at Melba’s, served with maple syrup and strawberry butter

One thing we were curious to try was the supposed nirvana of all soul food dishes – chicken and waffles. That’s fried chicken and huge spongy waffles served TOGETHER with maple syrup poured all over the two(!) In search of this artery clogging grease fest we headed ‘across 110th street’ (love that song!) to Harlem, the heart of Manhattan’s African-American community and home to several well-known soul food restaurants. Top of my list was Amy Ruth’s, but after meeting up with some Upper West Side dwelling friends who are in the Harlem know, we were persuaded to try Melba’s instead – a classy little restaurant representing the new, more upmarket style pervading Harlem.

Happy to go with sleek and chic over down and dirty diner, we caught the subway to Melba’s – with a walk through Harlem’s streets at night not nearly as adventurous or dangerous as I was perversely hoping!

Melba’s had the look of a classy brasserie or bistro, with dim lighting, a cosy, buzzing atmosphere and a jazz bar vibe, given it was open mic night when we attended. Of the four of us, two opted for the famous chicken and waffles, which was accompanied by not only maple syrup but strawberry flavoured butter(!!!). Two of us ordered a plate of sides to sample the mash, onion rings, collard greens and more, and we also tried the catfish strips and crabcakes – both delicious. So how were the chicken and waffles? Surprisingly – they weren’t as disgusting as they sound! The maple syrup somehow tied the two main ingredients together in a warm, deep fried, comforting, sweet and savoury, complimentary kind of way! I’m not sure I’d place chicken and waffles in the ‘dishes I regularly like to eat’ category (not having a death by obesity wish) but I’m glad we expanded our eating horizons with a side trip into soul food territory – and what better place to do it than Harlem!

Saigon escape: a month in Bangkok, Sydney and NYC

Liz / / 4 Comments


Hi! I’m back in steamy Saigon after an amazing month away, and luckily, rather than suffering post-holiday blues am feeling happy to be back (first stop was the new Quan An Ngon restaurant on Pasteur – if you’re in Saigon check it out, the building’s beautiful and the food is the same delicious menu as the original).

Our time away began with a long weekend in Bangkok, reacquainting myself with the Siam neighbourhood (read: shops, shops and more shops, cough cough…). Oh and food. Lots of great food. We also caught up with some friends who have moved there which was lots of fun.
Next – a week and a bit in Sydney, which was alot of catching up with family and friends and friends’ new babies and old babies (and unborn babies!). We went to some of our favourite places – Zumbo’s in Balmain, Sulfaro’s (for pizza & coffee) and Colefax Chocolates in Haberfield, Berkelouw Books and movies at the Dendy in Newtown, restaurants and bars in Crown Street, and our old suburb, Dulwich Hill, where I was very happy to discover a new cafe has opened at the end of our street which will be pretty convenient in future! We also went to some of the new ‘small bars’ popping in Sydney (a la Melbourne or New York – yay!) like Pocket Bar in Darlinghurst and The Hive in Erskineville.
Then, bidding little Z adieu, we headed off on something of a post-babymoon to New York City!!! The feeling of walking through an airport without being encumbered by a pram and a big bag full of baby paraphenalia was the best feeling! And being able to read, watch movies and listen to music on the plane was bliss. I didn’t even care that it took about 22 hours to get from Sydney to New York, and felt a bit sorry for the tired, haggard mothers disembarking at the end with screaming baby in tow (in a ‘so glad it’s not me’ kind of way!). Our New York stay featured 10 days of eating, drinking, shopping, art galleries and wandering all over. It was one of the best holidays of my life. Lots of gushy posts to come featuring our favourite neighbourhoods and food finds!

{travel inspiration} Cat & Adam’s cycling journey

Liz / / 7 Comments

The ever-intrepid Cat & Adam in their cycling finery!
My friend Cat and her boyfriend Adam are currently on a cycling journey – from London to Australia, via the world!! It is definitely the most ambitious and inspirational trip of any kind that anyone I know has ever undertaken.

From their temporary home in London (both are Australian) they have so far cycled across Europe (France to Greece and lots of pretty places in between), across Turkey on what sounded like an epic journey in itself, and as I type are traversing Georgia. Next, it’s the ‘stans (think Borat’s homeland!), Iran, a ferry over to UAE and Oman, then to Sri Lanka (ok, they have to fly there but then it’s cycling all the way). Then its across to India and non-stop cycling from south to north, to Nepal, Tibet and into China, down into southeast Asia (and hopefully a pitstop at my place!) and finally, to Oz.

Cat with some gypsy thugs, pretending to be friendly for the camera (actually the one on the right looks pretty scary)

Wild camping in Turkey – what a beautiful sight to wake up to!
Tales of camping in the wild, encounters with gypsy thugs, the overwhelming hospitality of strangers and awesome sights and scenery along the way are all chronicled in Cat and Adam’s blog Cycling2Oz if you want to join me in some armchair travelling! Am looking forward to their Asia leg and when they finally make it to sunny Saigon for some much needed R&R (am thinking massages, pedicures and hairwashes at Jasmine – maybe some beard maintenance for Adam!) though there’s many an adventure ahead of them before then. Can’t wait to read more. I hope they make a film or write a book about their experience!

Adam tackling some mountainous terrain in Turkey
So – where would you go/what would you do if you were going to undertake some kind of epic journey across the world? I’d love to follow the ancient spice route on a food-focussed journey, taking in markets and souks, spice gardens, tea and coffee plantations, authentic, family-run restaurants, cooking schools and staying in atmospheric hotels with character and history along the way…what about you?

New York, New York!

Liz / / 7 Comments

A scanned pic of the Brooklyn Bridge taken on our first NYC trip in 2000 (pre-digital camera days!)

Exactly four weeks from now I’ll be exploring cafes and shops in the East Village, strolling through SoHo or might be at MOMA. I’m going to New York!!

In case it’s not obvious enough, I’m pretty excited about our upcoming 10-day stay in what might be my favourite city in the entire world. First though, we’re having a couple of days in Bangkok to refuel on pad kee mao and iberry, stock up on books at Kinokuniya, hopefully get a Thai massage or two and wander the labyrinth that is Siam Square. Then it’s on to Sydney to see family and friends and do lots of fun Sydney things (and eat lots of yum Sydney food, e.g. macarons from Adriano Zumbo’s in Balmain – obsessed – even had them hand-delivered in Saigon when my parents came to stay!). Then New York, then back to Sydney for a bit more time before returning to Saigon (a month away in all). The countdown to this trip has been the most agonising one ever (18 days to go…. 18 days to go….). Before then I need to try and keep myself pre-occupied with Saigon-centric stuff so I don’t drive myself (even more) insane!