I started with my usual bowl of granola, yogurt, mango, blueberries, and milk.
Peter called so we went to lunch at Vietnam Tastes in the 5700 block of Menaul. I was amazed when we arrived. The restaurant was full at 12:30 and it had been named the best Vietnamese restaurant in Albuquerque in 2017. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table. Peter ordered rice with a pork chop and shredded pork. I ordered my favorite, Bun Cha Gio (grilled pork and egg rolls on a bed of warm rice vermicelli noodles in a bowl with lettuce, cabbage, and mung beans under the noodles. One nice touch was the addition of a small mound of pickled carrots and daikon on top of the noodles for $8.00.
I there were no herbs so I ordered a side dish of cilantro, basil, and mung bean sprouts for $1.00 extra.
Based upon today’s meal, I can reach two preliminary conclusions. First, the prices are slightly less at Vietnam Tastes and the dishes are less elaborate. Second, the Bun Cha Gio at Vietnam 2000 is better. The egg rolls and grilled pork are crisper. Vietnam 2000 dada cucumber and chopped fresh herbs instead of cabbage for a much more elegant and flavorful Bun Cha Gio for $.25 less.
As I told the lady when I paid our bill, “I need to come back and try other dishes.” I was thinking, “ I am curious to see how Viet Taste could be the best Vietnamese restaurant in Albuquerque, given what I tasted today.”
After lunch we drove to the Walmart Community market at Cutler and San Mateo. I have been searching for pickled herring in a jar and after failing to find it at Costco or Sprouts, in an internet search finally found a 32 oz. jar of Vita herring in wine sauce for $7.98 at Walmart. Surprise.
I called at lunch and reserved the last jar in the store. Peter and I drove there after lunch to pick it up. Joy, joy, joy. A grown boy and his pickled herring are reunited. I also bought some bananas for $.49/lb. and we each bought bottles of California Sauvignon Blanc wine for $2.69.
It was 3:00 when I returned home. After a short conversation about receiverships with Scott I took a nap until 4:30.
Suzette came home and made us a gin and tonic with the elderberry tonic Penny and Armin gave us yesterday. It was delicious.
I suggested we heat the PPI Fried Tofu and mixed Vegetables and roasted duck from our Saturday
night meal at East Ocean and Suzette agreed. She suggested we add some broccoli to freshen the vegetables.
She deboned and chopped the PPI duck. When Suzette started to add oil to the wok I stopped her and said I wanted to add more chicken stock and soy sauce to the dish, not oil. She agreed. I added dry chicken stock, Chinese Rice Cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and about ½ cup of water to the wok and heated it while Suzette deflowered the broccoli from the stalk and steamed them in a Pyrex bread pan with a bit of water covered with Saran in the microwave.
She added the broccoli to the sauce in the wok, then the vegetables, and finally the duck. I made green tea. Suzette drank a Negra Modelo with dinner. Dinner was just as I wished. It had a strong flavor of smoked tea, five spice, and soy because Suzette added that sauce from the roast duck, but a strong flavor is usually better than no flavor.
We each ate small squares of the delightful frozen apricot
Mousse Mecan made for last night’s meal for dessert.
Bon Appetit
No comments:
Post a Comment