Sao Darly

Miang Muang Luang for lunch

DJ — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:58:37 +0000

Miang Muang Luang or Miang Kham bought from a local market for lunch in Vientiane, Laos. My aunt in Pakse always make Miang Muang Luang from scratch rather than buying it from the local market. She doesn’t like how some food vendors would make Miang Muang Luang using flour rather than making it the traditional way with drying the sticky rice and frying it. My two aunts in Vientiane know how to make Miang Muang Luang but were too busy to show me how to...

Miang Muang Luang for lunch

Papaya Salad at Gok Pho market in Vientiane

DJ — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:24:51 +0000

Sao Darly

Whenever I am in Vientiane, I often make a visit to Gok Pho Market for an order of Lao green papaya salad. This papaya salad seller makes delicious batch of Tum Maak Houng, just the way I like it. I hope the next time I am in Laos she will still be in business. She was taking a month or two off the last time I was in Laos due to a surgery and she can’t stand all day anymore selling her papaya salad. Papaya...

Papaya Salad at Gok Pho market in Vientiane

Green Papaya and Noodle Salad for lunch

DJ — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:44:55 +0000

Sao Darly

I made Green Papaya and Noodle Salad for lunch, using sticky rice noodle and a little bit of shredded green papaya. I ran out of red chili peppers and had to resort to using green chili peppers. The spicy salad turned out delicious and went well with lettuce. It was a simple lunch but good enough and a variety to the usual green papaya salad. Green Papaya and Noodle Salad

Green Papaya and Noodle Salad for lunch

Oxtail Noodle Soup

DJ — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:45:13 +0000

Sao Darly

I started to do my grocery shopping at a cheaper store last week. After a couple of times shopping and getting familiar with the location of the products, I found myself starting at the meat and poultry section and found two packages of oxtail. I’ve not seen an oxtail since 2006 when I went there to visit my family in the USA. Since Holland was experiencing minus degree temperatures last week, I thought it was a time to indulge myself and make Oxtail Noodle Soup....

Oxtail Noodle Soup

Khao Poon Nam Jeow

DJ — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:31:39 +0000

Sao Darly

Khao Poon Nam Jeow for lunch at the Morning Market Food Court or Talat Sao Mall Food Court. After some shopping or browsing around at the mall and when you feel like grabbing a bite to eat, then head up to the top floor for all kind of dishes, whether Lao Food or Asian Food and even a hamburger. I felt like trying out Khao Poon Nam Jeow, which is a noodle soup with clear broth and sliced liver, intestine, heart, and other parts of...

Khao Poon Nam Jeow

Green Papaya Salad with Left-over Sticky Rice

DJ — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:12:49 +0000

Sao Darly

After I have walked up an appetite, I treated myself to a bowl of Lao Green Papaya Salad and heated up the left-over sticky rice from last night’s dinner. Usually for two cups of rice, I could divide it into three portions. But for today I wanted to eat something else for dinner and ate all my sticky rice with only green papaya salad and no side dishes like grilled chicken or soured pork sausage. Lao Green Papaya Salad for lunch

Green Papaya Salad with Left-over Sticky Rice

Dutch Crocus before lunch

DJ — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:44:52 +0000

Sao Darly

I saw more Dutch crocus today during my walk at the local park. I have not been back to this park since Friday the 13th. The yellow Dutch crocus flowers are making taking up as much space as the purple ones. I can’t wait to see the spring crocus in either February or March. Last year I missed the crocus because they came out in February rather than early March like the year before. Dutch Crocus January 27, 2012

Dutch Crocus before lunch

Khao Piak Sen in Champassak

DJ — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:26:27 +0000

Sao Darly

Homemade Khao Piak Sen or Lao Rice Noodle Soup made by my aunt in Champassak, Laos. It was a big pot, enough to feed three families living near one another. That’s how it is in Laos, when one family is making something good to eat, sharing with other relatives is how it has always been and hopefully will be.

Khao Piak Sen in Champassak

Mee Kati for breakfast in Vang Vieng

DJ — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:11:31 +0000

Sao Darly

If you don’t feel like having Pho or Khao Piak for breakfast, then having Mee Kati (Noodles with Coconut Milk) is an alternative. I was surprised to see my two aunts ordering Mee Kati for breakfast. I thought it was a bit too early but there is no set rule of when one should eat what. When it comes to a meal in Laos, it depends on the mood you are in or on what is available.

Mee Kati for breakfast in Vang Vieng

Dinner at Hamachi Restaurant in Schiedam

DJ — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:11:04 +0000

Sao Darly

I had a really good dining experience at Hamachi Restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner last year and decided to go back for a second round of great food. I took Johan out for dinner on Sunday and tried the Sushi and Sashimi Menu. I chose Fried Tofu Soup and Selected Sashimi Menu while Johan chose Fried Crimped Dumplings for starter then follow with Sushi and Sashimi Mix Menu. I didn’t eat lunch and was quite hungry so I added a Selected Sushi Menu to the meal....

Dinner at Hamachi Restaurant in Schiedam

Dutch Crocus on Friday the 13th

DJ — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:09:35 +0000

Sao Darly

The sun was shining on Friday the 13th and I went for my walk at the local park as the last route of the day. It gave me a chance to check and see if there are more Dutch crocus in blooms. I was not disappointed but didn’t stay too long because it started to rain and I made a dash to a shopping center for shelter. It was nice to be out and I felt like spring was coming around the corner. Dutch Crocus...

Dutch Crocus on Friday the 13th

Daffodil on Friday the 13th

DJ — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:17:27 +0000

Sao Darly

I found plenty of Daffodil in full bloom along my walking path today. I noticed the yellow flowers a few days ago as I was on my way to the dental hygienist’s office. As soon as I got my teeth nice and clean, I went walking for an hour afterward and made some photos and clips using my new phone. The photos and videos didn’t turn out so well so I deleted them all and went walking on the same path today and took pictures...

Daffodil on Friday the 13th

Spicy Pineapple Salad

DJ — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:24:17 +0000

Sao Darly

I went for a walk around lunch time today and was enjoying so much that I didn’t check the time. It started to rain while I was taking pictures of Dutch crocus at the local part and I headed for the nearest shopping center. I was getting hungry and didn’t know what to have for lunch. Then I walked by a fruits and vegetables store and bought myself a pineapple. By the time I arrived home and got in the kitchen, the sun started to...

Spicy Pineapple Salad

Soured Pork Sausage in Pakse

DJ — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:38 +0000

Sao Darly

I’m fortunate to have relatives on my father’s side in Pakse that often make their own Soured Pork Sausage or Som Moo rather than buying it at the market. One family even makes a living out of selling Soured Pork Sausage and is quite well known in Pakse as the best Som Moo in town (that’s what they told me). Now and then the relatives in Vientiane would make a call to Pakse for an order of Soured Pork Sausage and would get a bag...

Soured Pork Sausage in Pakse

Spicy Prawn Salad for dinner

DJ — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:11:54 +0000

Sao Darly

What did I do with the other half of fresh prawns that I bought to make Koong Chae Nam Pa? What else but to make Spicy Prawn Salad or Laap Koong and served with string beans, eggplants, and Lao parsley. I didn’t have as much vegetables on hands but it was a good dinner and I can’t wait to make more of this Lao food dish. Spicy Prawn Salad

Spicy Prawn Salad for dinner

NYE with Lao Food and Japanese Food

DJ — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:23:41 +0000

Sao Darly

It was Lao Food and Japanese Food for the countdown to 2012. I made Koong Chae Nam Pa or Prawns with Chili Fish Sauce Dressing and cooked a kilo of shellfish to go with spicy dipping sauce. The main dish was no other than a take out from Hamachi Japanese Restaurant in Schiedam with Sushi and Sashimi menu. Just to make sure I won’t be hungry at the end of the night, I also bought a dozen of finest Gillardau oysters to complete the meal....

NYE with Lao Food and Japanese Food

Laotian Fondue for Second Christmas Dinner 2011

DJ — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:57:52 +0000

Sao Darly

Since the test went so well on Christmas Eve Dinner, for Second Christmas Dinner I set up Laotian Fondue a meat theme for the celebration. I do have to admit that I’m not much of a meat eating person. So, the next time I make Laotian Fondue, I’ll be using fish and seafood for the fondue. Laotian Fondue for Christmas

Laotian Fondue for Second Christmas Dinner 2011

First Christmas Dinner 2011

DJ — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:02:49 +0000

Sao Darly

As tradition, we celebrate two Christmas Day in Holland. The first Christmas and the second Christmas, which is convenient for people to be able to spend the special occasion with both sides of the family. I spent the First Christmas with Johan’s family. His mother made a nice Christmas dinner for us and we took our time eating and opening Christmas presents. I didn’t have my pocket camera only but had my iPhone in my coat pocket and made a few photos of the night....

First Christmas Dinner 2011

Papaya Salad and Vietnamese pork sausage

DJ — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:11:21 +0000

Sao Darly

Lao Green Papaya Salad or Tum Maak Houng for lunch with vermicelli noodles, winged beans, morning glory or phak bong, and Vietnamese pork sausage or Moo Yor. I have never eaten this type of sausage with green papaya salad before and wanted to test it out. Green Papaya Salad for lunch The combination was good but I prefer grilled chicken with green papaya salad.

Papaya Salad and Vietnamese pork sausage

Lao Food Festival 2012 in Vientiane

DJ — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:11:20 +0000

Sao Darly

The annual Lao Food Festival will be held at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane, Laos from January 5-7. The event is organized by the Lao Business Women’s Association. There will be over 70 booths from Vientiane Capital, Vientiane, Borikhamsay, Savannakhet, Champassack, Khammouane, Sayaboury, Luang Prabang, Xiengkhouang and Houaphanh provinces to showcase cooking skills of Lao women from north to south. Lao Food Festival aims to promote Lao food as well as Lao handicrafts and food processing by using organic agricultural produce. Check out the...

Lao Food Festival 2012 in Vientiane