Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp and Pork Belly (Goi Du Du)

by on September 5, 2013, 0 comments

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This green papaya salad is a great warm-weather dish with its crunchy, cool papaya, plenty of fresh herbs, shrimp, and pork. In fact, the first time I had this dish was at a quiet, riverside hut with my cousin in Vietnam. We were at a daytime retreat center just about a half hour outside of the city. Each hut came with a beautiful view, a table, chairs, and the best part, hammocks! They had a full menu, so you could order everything from an entire hotpot meal to fresh coconut waters. We picked a few things off the menu and spent the day lounging and relaxing by the water. All the makings of a perfect, lazy summer afternoon.

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My mom and I set out to recreate this simple dish back at her home in Portland, Oregon. It doesn’t require any fancy ingredients, so it was a cinch to put together. The only thing you may need to hunt down is a green papaya. These should be available at any Southeast Asian supermarket or even at a Chinese grocery store. While you’re there, be sure to pick up some shrimp chips too. I prefer the long, rectangular ones that my mom brings back for me from Vietnam (for maximum load), but you can use the little, round ones that are available at any Asian grocery store too.

_MG_0884 copyVietnamese Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp and Pork Belly
Serves 6-8 as an appetizer, 4 as a light meal

1 large green papaya, shredded (about 6-8 cups)
1 bunch thai basil
1 bunch mint leaves
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 /2 lb. medium or large shrimp
1/2 lb. pork belly
nuoc cham dressing
crushed peanuts
fried shallots
shrimp chips

1. Wash and peel the papaya with a vegetable peeler. Cut in half and remove the seeds inside. Julienne the papaya with a knife, or use a mandoline or julienne peeler to get thin strips. I find that the julienne peeler is the best tool for this job since it is quick, easy, and produces the perfect thin-yet–still-wide-enough-to-be-crunchy papaya strips.

2. Boil the shrimp for a minute or two until just cooked.  After the shrimp have cooled, lay them flat and slice through them horizontally (butterfly them). This should produce two pieces of shrimp that make for a more attractive salad and an easier bite to eat!

3. Steam the pork belly in a small pot with about 1/2″ inch of water or in a steamer until just cooked. Let it cool and then slice thinly.

4. Wash and dry the thai basil, mint, and cilantro. Next, you’re going to chiffonade all the herbs by picking off all the leaves, stacking them, rolling them up, and slicing into thin strips.

5. Time to fry those shrimp chips! See directions here for frying.

6. Finally, assemble the papaya, herbs, shrimp, and pork together. You can either mix them up or layer them like I did for a more attractive presentation. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts and fried shallots (I forgot them in these pics) on top and serve with nuoc cham dressing. You can always dress the salad and mix it all up for your guests, but you’ll have to finish the whole salad in one sitting. If you think you’ll have leftovers, I’d suggest serving the dressing on the side.

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smashed cucumbers (pai huang gua 拍黄瓜)

by on August 7, 2013, 0 comments

Cucumber has become what I associate with summertime in Beijing. During these oppressively hot months, you’ll often see street vendors selling not popsicles (ok, you can find those too) but, yes, cucumbers — on a stick!

Last summer, when Becca visited and we went to the Summer Palace, we came across just these cucumber street vendors and couldn’t resist giving it a try. For a couple kuai you can have the cucumbers peeled and attached to a stick to make for easier munching as you stroll through the Long Corridor or climb up Longevity Hill.

It’s convenient that cucumbers are considered cooling in both American and Chinese cultures, so it’s not too hard to accept this as a good and healthy snack in hot weather. But on top of that, I should point out that the cucumbers in China are just plain delicious. None of the waxy skin, none of the watery, bland flavor. They’re of a variety that is long and skinny, with a somewhat prickly skin. But the most distinctive characteristic of these cucumbers is that they are wonderfully, satisfyingly crunchy. They beg to be taken up in your fist and munched on right on the spot. Those street vendors really have the right idea!

We are fortunate to get an organic CSA-type delivery here, and during the weeks of summer, the cucumbers have been really plentiful. I think at one point I had something like 10 cucumbers in my fridge at once. I tried to make cucumber soup, very cucumber-ful Greek salads, very cucumber-ful Vietnamese noodle bowls… But on many nights, the most efficient preparation of all has been this classic smashed cucumber dish, which you can find at just about any restaurant in Beijing.

Traditionally, this dish is made by actually smashing the cucumber with the side of a cleaver until the cucumber breaks into chunks. This not only helps release a lot of the cucumber juices but also gives the pieces nice ragged edges, all the better for holding the garlic vinegar dressing. After trying a couple different methods, I’ve decided that the easiest for me is actually to smash the cucumber with my heavy stone pestle. I’ve found that keeping the cucumber whole (rather than first cutting it) before you smash it makes for much easier smashing. That way, the cucumber skin is still firmly gripping the surface it’s sitting on, and you also have the benefit of the cucumber still containing most of its juices. After smashing, I roughly chop the cucumber into chunks.

Smashed Cucumbers (pai huang gua 拍黄瓜)
Serves 4-6 as a side dish

If Chinese cucumbers are not available, substitute with crunchy kirby cucumbers. English cucumbers would also work. For a simple, quick version, this dish can just be dressed with just some chopped garlic and a splash of Chinese black vinegar.

2 Chinese cucumbers or 4-5 kirby cucumbers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

1. Using the side of a cleaver, the handle of a large knife, or a large pestle, smash the whole cucumbers until they begin to crack open and release juices. Chop the cucumbers roughly into bite-size chunks.

2. Toss the cucumber with the remaining ingredients in a bowl until well dressed. Let the cucumbers marinate for 10 minutes to soak in some of the sauce. If desired, chill before serving.

Not Eating in Seoul

by on July 23, 2013, 0 comments

In actuality, all we really wanted to do in Seoul was eat. After doing all this research beforehand to begin versing myself in Korean cuisine, and subjecting my husband to it along the way, we were both ready to dive in. Neither of us had any desire to see Gyeongbokgung Palace or Changdeokgung Palace or the DMZ or any of the major museums. And we only caught a glimpse of the Cheonggyecheon stream (which I actually did want to spend some time at) as we passed by after dark. We pretty much just went in search of one Korean meal after another, which of course, we would argue is one of the best avenues into local culture. :) Somehow, though, we did manage to find a way or two to distract ourselves in between all those meals…

Bukchon Hanok Village [map]
One of our favorite things about our trip to Seoul was the guesthouse we stayed at. It gave us a close view of a traditional Korean house (hanok), was managed by a nice family, had affordable rates, and was situated in a beautiful historic area near Bukchon Village, where many hanoks have been preserved.

The area was so incredibly quiet and calm. In fact, being used to the apocalyptic scenes on the Beijing subway during rush hour, we were having a bit of culture shock at the eerily empty Anguk station, which was often so deserted we wondered if it was a national holiday of some sort.
At our subway station, Anguk, stopping for our daily Manjoo Hana fix. This was pretty much how empty the station was every time we went through.
On one of the mornings, we walked north from the guesthouse to Bukchon Village itself and strolled through the alleys. It was fun to see some of the traditional homes standing next to quite modern and stylish residences. Some of them have been converted into restaurants and shops and even a church.



Kimchi Museum [map]
We did make it to one museum in Seoul, but it’s a pretty small and unglamorous one. Situated in the basement level of the Coex Mall, the kimchi museum has exhibits on the history of Korea’s most beloved dish, all the different types of kimchi made with various vegetables, and the health benefits of it, among other tidbits.
There are even special fridges designed for kimchi, and I’m told that it’s not uncommon for Koreans to have this in their home. When you think about it, if you eat something this often, it makes sense to have a means to store it year-round where you know it will be maintained in its optimal state.
Some day I’d love to come back during kimchi-making season and watch a family make it first-hand.
the four seasons of kimchi

Supermarket in Lotte Department Store [map]
We also visited this gourmet supermarket in the Lotte department store (not to be confused with Lotte World, the indoor theme park). Remember when I said Koreans have gourmet everything? This is where I came to this conclusion.



Anglican Cathedral of Seoul [map]
Since we happened to be in Seoul on the first Sunday of Advent, we took the opportunity to attend an English service at the beautiful Anglican Cathedral of Seoul. It was another refreshing moment from our time in Korea.
Nanta
Thanks to my Korean American friend Sarah, we learned about this musical theater show that’s incredibly popular in Seoul. It’s called Nanta, and the plot line centers around a group of three cooking students who are preparing to cater a wedding on very short notice. On top of that, the chef’s (largely incompetent) nephew is visiting, and he decides to add him to the mix. It’s marketed as a non-verbal comedy, so there’s no need to know any Korean, and it’s especially fun if you love food or if you have kids. There was actually a whole elementary-school class attending the show we went to. And even our little one-year-old was enthralled for a good part of it. (Side note: We called beforehand to make sure having small children in the theater wouldn’t be too disruptive, and they reassured us that people bring small children in all the time. Plus, the show is pretty lively and sometimes quite loud, so the concern might actually be more that a baby or toddler might get upset, which luckily ours didn’t.) For promotions and discounts, be sure to check the site.

Myeongdong Beauty Shops [map]
One of the few non-food related things that we (well, I) did included checking out skincare products, which my sister suggested, since Korean skincare products are well made and very popular among a lot of Asians these days. Given that we don’t use local Chinese products in Beijing, this seemed like a particularly good idea… until I realized I had already stocked up on enough stuff from the US to last us a while. Still, it was my friend Sarah again who tipped me off to all the skincare shops at Myeongdong, which happened to also be where we were going to see the Nanta show, so I squeezed in a bit of shopping right beforehand while the boys took a coffee break. (There are also skincare shops at many of the subway stations.) Sarah also told me that stores offer a lot of free products to lure customers in and not to be afraid to ask for EVEN MORE free samples (this didn’t seem to work out for me… but I am really bad at asking for things!).

Dragon Hill Spa [map]
I have friends back home, Asian and non-Asian alike, who are enormous fans of Spa World, a Korean spa in northern Virginia. But I have always been too scared to go for fear of running into someone I know. So what better place to get naked and let a stranger scrub you raw than in a foreign country, where (hopefully) no one will know or remember you? Although I got some recommendations for local neighborhood jjimjilbangs, we decided it was just easiest to head to the tourist-friendly Dragon Hill Spa, even though it is often likened to a tacky Vegas hotel. Surprisingly, it turned out to be filled with locals (I think I only saw one or two non-Asian faces while we were there), so I wouldn’t say it was an entirely inauthentic experience. :)
I have to confess, even after we got into the spa, I wasn’t exactly eager to venture into the no-clothing sections. I also wanted to spend time with my family, so we hung out more in the communal areas. It was really interesting to see how much of a social activity the bathhouse is. There were families, teenagers, young adults, couples. Just from looking around I saw people there playing games, sharing snacks, chatting, watching movies, playing arcade games, and, in the case of couples, snuggling in various corners.
Once I managed to muster up the courage to head down to the bathing area on my own, I wish I had gone earlier because this really felt like the heart of the place. While the communal areas seemed more like a Vegas hotel slash club house slash amusement park, the bathing areas were more what I imagined a traditional bathhouse to be like. It was quiet, save for the running water and the echo coming off the tiles. There were different pools of varying temperatures and types of herbs and salts. There were also showers and an area in the back where the Korean grandmas scrub you down. Having missed my hamam opportunity in Morocco, I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave Korea without getting a good scrub in, and so I did. I have to say, it’s not something I would call relaxing or enjoyable, but it was definitely a memorable cultural experience.

Emart [map]
Lastly, right next to Dragon Hill Spa was an Emart, which is like a Korean Target or Monoprix. I love visiting stores like this. You get to see how locals live, where they shop, what’s important to the culture (as you’ll see in the photos below), as well as pick up some cheap, practical, and oftentimes pretty good-quality souvenirs and gifts. I think we were looking forward to roaming the aisles of Emart more than the spa or even the city streets themselves. :) We picked up some cheap winter clothing items, a grill top, and various snacks and Korean cooking ingredients.
gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
instant noodles, including the beloved Shin Ramyun
Koreans love Spam, and Emart was filled with all types of it, including this kids’ version advertising DHA!

As you can tell, we enjoyed our time in Seoul immensely and hope to have a chance to go back and explore more soon. What a great city!

Noryangjin Fish Market, Seoul (노량진수산시장)

by on July 9, 2013, 2 comments

I just returned from a family trip to Vietnam with my husband, son, sister, and my parents. (You may have seen some of our photos on Facebook and Instagram!) We have lots from the trip to share (I know, I still haven’t gotten around to posting about our last trip there in September!), but before that, I thought I’d finish up my series on Korea…

On one of our mornings in Seoul last November, we went out to the enormous Noryangjin Wholesale Fisheries Market. The nice thing about this market is that, unless you want to see an auction (which takes place at 1am and 6:30am), there’s no need to get up super early, as it’s open throughout the day. We brought our toddler with us, so we took our time getting ready and finding our way there, and it was generally a very leisurely and pleasant excursion.

The place was not crowded at all on the Friday mid-morning we were there to select some fresh seafood for a pre-weekend brunch. At Noryangjin, you pick out your seafood on the lower level, and then you take it upstairs to one of the restaurants, where it is prepared for you.

We walked all around the fish market, taking everything in, before settling on this stall, mostly because the people were friendly.

Since we wanted to try several things, we asked for the least expensive fish to have raw, and they pointed us toward this flat fish, which I think was fluke. (It was still about $35, if I remember correctly.) The man filleted it on the spot and sliced it into sashimi pieces.

I’d heard about the infamous octopus sashimi (I’ll tell you why it’s infamous in a sec), and we were in agreement that we needed to experience it for ourselves. Here, the lady at the stall picked out a nice baby octopus for us.

My husband really wanted to try the roe, so we picked up a bit of that too.

The fish was the only thing prepared at the market. Everything else was put into bags, and the man at the market stall walked us upstairs to one of the restaurants, where, for a small fee, the chef will finish preparing the seafood and offer you a table and small dishes to accompany your meal.

I have to say, everything was much… chewier than I expected, even the fish. But I later learned that Koreans eat more firm, white-fleshed fish, whereas the Japanese prefer softer fish with more fat. In any case, it was all incredibly fresh and was very nice wrapped in shiso leaves with a dab of doenjang (fermented soybean paste), which I must point out was always really good in Korea — much stronger and more flavorful than the pastes I’ve had in the US.

The roe was also quite good. It was pretty salty, but the cook at the restaurant topped it with sesame oil, grated ginger, and chopped scallion, which balanced out the taste more. Because it was cured (and because we got roped into buying more than just a sample), we were actually able to pack most of this up, keep it in our guesthouse fridge, and bring it back with us to Beijing, where we enjoyed it with rice.

As for the infamous octopus sashimi known as sannakji, well, it was something of an experience. The octopus was brought to the restaurant whole, and the cook cut it into pieces in the back and brought it out on a plate… where the pieces were still writhing. I guess I have gotten so used to eating strange things that I was surprised to find even my own mother, who eats some pretty strange things herself, to be quite alarmed by this. When I sent her this video (click at your own risk), she wrote back “That is terrible. I would not eat it.” My sister, on the other hand, said, “Whoa that’s awesome.” Personally I didn’t feel as squeamish about this as some other things I’ve eaten (or not eaten), but I’ll just say that, going with the theme of the meal, this was also quite chewy, though squid and octopus have that tendency to begin with. Also, suction cups are involved, so if you do try it, be forewarned.

Finally, the fish bones from the fish sashimi were also saved and brought to the restaurant, where they were made into a soup cooked at the table. This is mostly what our toddler ate. :) It was a nice, warm finish to a lovely meal.

Overall, this was definitely a lot of food for the morning, though it helped that we had it more as a brunch. (And I am used to Asian breakfasts, where pretty much anything goes. :) ) Plus, it was generally light, healthy, as fresh as it gets, and also a lot of fun. Since the market is open 24 hours, this may be a good place to go for lunch or dinner as well, though I’m told most of the action takes place in the wee hours of the morning.

Noryangjin Fish Market 노량진수산시장 [map]
13-8 Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu
동작구 노량진동 13-8
Phone: +82 2 814 2211
Subway: Noryangjin station, Line 1 or 9