Acoustically yours : Vietnam idol finalist Ngoc Anh

Acoustically yours : Vietnam idol finalist Ngoc Anh
By Aly Abaquin

You might be wondering why I’m writing music now instead of food blogs but there is a connection to this story line. As Acoustic Music and smoothy mix together perfectly combining when you talk to the owner of NHEN a new cafe for the arts that allures every one to relax and listen to pure acoustic sound by this Vietnamese idol.

I chance upon meeting Vietnam’s First runner-up on season 1 of VIETNAM IDOL. Yes, Virginia in Vietnam they also have the Vietnam idol reality show in-fact this franchise of the  American idol  is doing so well that it is on season 3 and is discovering raw talented singing personas.

Vietnam can sing too. Meet Mr. Ngoc Anh. Acoustically yours.

Ngoc Anh lights up when he speaks of his craft singing and when he foretold his journey over dinner with me and his companion.

Although he finished only as a runner up as Phuoung Vy won the title for Vietnam idol Season 1.

His journey begins as this bright eyed and diminutive inspiring barrio lad auditioned in Hanoi with just plain T-shirt and jeans and WOWWED the audience of his soulful voice that merits the judges approval.

He is an Engineer by profession and a Son of a hard working farmer from the northern part of Hanoi. Can you imagine the journey he took and the courage to follow his bliss.

The passion for singing was honed during when he and his siblings would sing while doing chores in the farm tending irrigation or simply helping out his father in their daily chores in the rice fields. Even his brother was chosen to the top 30 of Vietnam idol.

So there singing is in their genes and from a humble beginning of a farmer boy now a singing sensation in Vietnam Idol. His ballad in the first recording after Vietnam idol and the “Ngay Hom Qua La The”, Ngoc An idol CD are love songs accompanied by violin and an orchestra.  Are must have in this season of giving.

I’ve listen to them and even if it is in Vietnamese I could feel the heart and soul of the singer.  Music is indeed a universal language. You are moved to his vocal prowess and his heart is represented in every song. While the second album entitled “GIAT MINH” is a rock glam musical assortment of things. His versatility is shown as he can do ballads and rock. Well looks like the adam lambert of Vietnam kindda.

Now presently he just opened a Coffee shop called NHEN translated it is literally spider.

Its ambience is a little bit gothic, hallooweeny with spiders web and mask all over. The younger set love the floor mats sitting on the second floor as they sing out their songs and sip their smoothies.

The smooties are very good this part of town. Located in the vibrant Phu Nhuan District between the centre Dist 1 and Tan Son Nhat International airport, along the the hipsterazzi Street and hidden in the short alley of 288/5 Huynh van banh. P.11 Phu nhuan-TP.HCM.

Every Friday is acoustic nights as alum from Vietnam idol sing their signatures and I was awed on the culture artsy folksy night of sounds. It thrives to break the mold of the music scene in HCMC as this is more local. The dark enclaves interspersed with passionate people adds whiff , calm and adds color to this pulsating urban atmosphere of Vietnams music scene. Not underground but pure acoustic nights and love for the performing arts.
Saturday’s is a bit different and it offers a light drama/ comedy ensemble as you sip your smoothy with laughter and colorful people strut their dramatics.

So let Nhen spin a web across you as you will experience good music and let the vietman idols allure you to their craft as I did and can’t help it either that I bought their cds and let them sign it as a remembrance.


Nhen Coffee & Tea
288/5 Huynh Van banh
P.11 Phu Nhuan- TP HCM
Tel no. 08 221 06115
Cell : 0906 68 68 56
nhencoffee@gmail.com

BASILICO

Basilico
By Aly Abaquin

The Basil or the il basilico, the green herb is an important aromatic ingredient in Italian Cuisine. It goes well in pasta dishes and is present in all cucina italiana (Italian Kitchen). Especially the Sughi al pomodoro (tomato sauces) insalate freshe (fresh salads) and of course as main ingredient of Pesto alla genovese. It is so difficult to imagine Italian cuisine without the Basil.

There is now a green and growing newly opened Italian Trattoria that serves cuisine of Italy and brought to life in scent, sight, sound and energy as you step into Basilico.

The Contemporary modern ,casual Trattoria-style enclave made of stone, brown walls and dark wooden floors, supple mode chairs, big silver rounded enclosed chandeliers , full length glass panels greets you as one enter at the ground floor of the new towering Intercontinental ASIANA Saigon residences.

The 31storey Residence offers the finest and most contemporary residential space in Ho Chi Minh City at a premier location in the heart of the business and cultural district.and is part of the Kumho Asiana Plaza, the city’s finest integrated complex featuring commercial, hotel, residential and luxury shopping.

With confident service and posh modern setting will transport you from your daily grind to the comforts of the freshest from the best part of Italy’s cuisinary history and the wine that will make your troubles melt away.

With dried spices, cured hams, nickel colored pot and pans hanging making one feels welcome and with the menu written in the black board using multicolored chalks adds charm to this casual dining restaurant. Freshly baked breads, choices of cheese, olive oils and other condiments can be purchased if you want to cook Italian in your condo above.

Located in the bustling center of HCMC a few minutes walk from Notre Dame church and near the tourist hub. Basilico’s clientele is as diverse as the residents and visitors of this Paris of the orient.

The Restaurant features a wood burning pizza oven so when we dine here. We tried the Pizza. The Pizzaria Funghi  is full of flavor and the mushrooms, ham and cheese on thin crust pizza size of 18” is so satisfyingly and unbelievably priced at 135,000 vnd. ( $7) . Good  for 3 persons.  As the slices are bigger and the portioning is  very good the Pizza is the perfect companion for 3 friends just having fun in a late afternoon chat on what to do on a lazy sunday afternoon.

The verdict we shall return for more pasta and pizza next time as we voted to live La Dolce vita!!
Enjoy life its SUNDAY anyways.

Intercontinental Asiana Saigon Residences
Nguyen Du corner Le Van Huu
Dist. 1 Hcmc, Vietnam
Dining Reservations: +84 (08) 3520 9099
Dining reservations: dine@icasianasaigon.com
www.intercontinental.com/saigon

Intercontinental Asiana Saigon
Cnr Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan St.
Dist1, HCMC, Vietnam
http://www.intercontinental.com/

Gartenstadt: Old world Pub house.

Gartenstadt: Old world Pub house.
By Aly Abaquin

Gartenstadt has this authentic and cozy feel of an old pub house.

Upon entry you are to pass by the long curved wooden bar with stools and mirrors of liquer, whisky, beers are at the bar while you choose to whether sit at the bar or go for the 2nd floor for some relaxing lunch. The Tables are covered with red & white checkered table cloth as if you just picnicking.

This pub house has remained and maintained a reputation for delicious German food for so many years now in HCMC as I was told. From German Sausages to imported German beers are among the favorites of foreigners.

German sausages of Bratwurst (fried sausage) Knachwurst (crunchy sausage), Frankfurter sausage, Debreziner (spicy sausage), Raucherwurst (smoked sausage) and their white sausages are a must try.

The old world tradition of friendly staff, dressed in dirndls and hoping the men are in lederhosen ( leather trousers for men) costume to complete the look. Just a wishful thinking to really make the look and charm of a german pub house complete.

But for the experience you have to sip and taste their Schneider Weisse a German beer for only 75,000 vnd. that will transport you to German territories upon intake.

Good ole beer I thoroughly remembering OKTOBERT FEST. Surely the PUB house is full during this auspicious occasion and drink all you can beer I bet. I could hear hollers and laughter abounding and the house is full.

The Gartenstadt is built on the old world tradition of quality and value.

Where in if you remember the old days when food preparation knew no short cuts. That’s why you will find only the best meat and German dishes on their extensive menu., where only the fresh, natural ingredients are used in consistently producing their dishes

To my surprise they have a 99,000 vnd ( $6) Business Set-Lunch that I lovingly love to share to you readers. True value indeed as you will have a Bread & butter, Soup or choice of salad, Meat or fish in large portion with soft drinks or water plus dessert.

So looking for that perfect biz lunch with a foreigner guest you know where to do it.

Wow I was fortunate enough to have tried the Minestrone soup, Roasted Turkey with sautéed/ pan grilled potatoes, red cabbage and banana truffles.

The Minestrone soup is the so tasty that the onions, celery garlic combined with bacon, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, spinach, zucchini and some spaghetti noodle was reddish in color and was served deliciously hot. Three slices of different breads are given with of course the yellowish butter. To complete the soup bread combo.

The roasted turkey was particular good my only wish is that is was served with apple, chestnuts trimmings instead of the greens. The pan grilled potatoes was delectable and fulfilling. The dessert was average. After finishing my lunch I thought to myself that… … Christmas is surely just around the corner. Turkey for me is a comfort food and part of our celebrations during thanksgiving & Christmas. Surely Christmas carols are in the air.

That said I am now a regular here due to its proximity to my office. Your Gartenstadt experience promises to be filled with good times, good food and good drink. Good eating in an atmosphere of warmth and friendship. That’s why for some ex-pat this is a home away from home.

Portrait of a Market

Portrait of a market.
By Aly Abaquin

A visit to Ho Chi Ming City’s Cholon Market is an attractive site for tourist and locals as well. This is Vietnam’s Chinatown market. .

Cholon is located at Tran Hung Dao street, district 5 HCMC, and also called with a different name: Binh Tay Market.

The lively atmosphere welcomes each patron as you enter this majestic Chinese structures dictates decades of history from seeing sea farers & traders from a by gone era and now a multitude of entrepreneurial people stays and trade their wares.

It remains home to more than 500,000 people, many of whom are of Chinese origin.

The area and its side-streets and markets provide an interesting glimpse of the Vietnamese Chinese and their cultural traditions and language.

Less touristy but meeting the locals in this side of town is more fun, colorful and vibrant.

Inside the center of the market is an altar commemorating the founder Thong Hiep surrounded by the four bronze lions, four bronze dragons spitting water into a fountain.

The smell of incense is evidently in the atmosphere as the afternoon breeze lifts it in the air.

The market is easy to understand as the stalls are categorize by the products being sold.

Fruit Section, bags, hats, textile, house wares, accessories, toys, candies, nuts, fish,meat, cigarette, beer, clothes sections.

It seems to go on and on crammed with every possible kind of product that you can possibly be needing.

Every type of silk, textile whatever print, plain in every color from twill, wool to cotton. is omnipresent in the stalls. As you would be dizzy enough to handle the bargaining as well as the yards and yards of it. Fabric shopping in Ho Chi Minh City is a serious treat.

Friendly bargaining skills is needed and don’t be bothered as the traders will give you 20%- 40% discounts. And a hand shake to close that precious silk that you wanted so badly.

The variety of goods are astounding and give us a glimpse into the modern Vietnamese life.

Bursting with unique, high quality selections of artisan and ethnic products and freshly-made prepared foods, you’re sure to enjoy shopping the independent merchants of the Cholon Public Market.

Whatever your taste or craving – this Public Market has something to satisfy your appetite!

The sweets are in a colorful array of glassed menagerie: candied spices, candied tamarind, candie ginger candied everything as mouthful of sweets to give you a sugar rush.

The Temples should be visited in additions to the traditional apothecaries, fortune tellers and some excellent Chinese food that is available in Cho Lon.

Hence giving you a full understanding of a living market. The portraiture is realistic and not surreal.

MANGORIENTICA: MANGO ROCKS the SEA

MangoOrientica : Mango rocks the Seas.
By Aly Abaquin

Hội An ancient town with beautiful landscape, ancient architecture and attractive lanterns at night, traditional specialties is always the destination for domestic and foreign tourists for sightseeing, relaxation and research. Plus lets put Chef Duc Mango Mango an added attraction to this town.

You might be wondering why this chef is now an buzz word and trail blazingly different in a completely enchanting town. He may not be ancient nor holy but making this once sleepy town a hip and becoming place for culinary adventure.

When you are done with your sightseeing duties in this acknowledged World Heritage town by UNESCO. You might want to step down to Mango rooms for some tasty Vietnamese food with a twist served California-style as preached by the chef himself.

A hidden treasure located in 111 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Mango Rooms, Hoi An. To get inside the restaurant you need to go to the gate facing riverside near Bach Dang.

Eclectic, innovative flavors, combining the best of Latino and Vietnamese cuisines is what Mango Mango is all about. It has won the hearts of many loyal and happy customers.

Now, we have a pleasure of meeting and trying this fantastic FUSION cuisine in HCMC as Equatorial Hotel is thrilled to be featuring Duc Mango Mango as the guest chef at Orientica for an exciting week of Latino Vietnamese culinary highlights.

Chef Duc spent his formative years in Texas before earning his stripes in hotels and fine-dining establishments. Fifteen years of dedication in honing his skills in cooking and the passion for fusion. From Latin America, Japan, New Zealand, Europe, and Australia he brings us his own blend of cuisines, serving up cool combinations of California infusioning it with Vietnam with a dash of PAN American style.

As what we have experienced in MANGORIENTICA.: Where the mango rock the seas.

As you well know Orientica has been serving fresh of the freshest catch of the day.

Seafood market marrying the mango latino so their offspring is a the blend of  MANGORIENTICO hybrid.

The best part about having your food is the introduction of the appetizers. This set the course of what is to come in any fine dining affair such as this one.

As we are greeted by the Green papaya salad with shrimps served with mango mojo.

The salad was entrusted in a martini glass all sweetingly tangy mix and dressed by a whipped mango obviously the chef’s alter ego. The Grilled peppered shrimps are succulently fresh as with the green or shall we say julienne papaya mixed in with onions, cilantro, lettuce and carrots as cocktail surprise. Exotic but not intoxicating which is a superb starter.

You are presented with food with great color and variety. You are anticipating to look forward to some delectable dishes with a visual appeal put together by the the artistan himself.

The TEMPURA squid with green pepper with the hint of wasabi is sumptuously crunchy And the squid not elastic but pleasingly chewy.
Chef Duc has the reputation of giving all his cooking creations a unique style, which makes us wonder is the plate a refection of his life. Making it life in a plate?

Well the next entrée the seared Tuna with mango salsa is his signature dish of Salsahsimi. No wonder why Mango rooms has a following for the taste of the tuna is fresh slicing in over a bed of mango salsa mixture of onions, red & green jalapenos, mango over banana leaf making each morsel delectably pleasing.
The taste lingers again and again in your taste buds as fireworks in display inside your mouth adding the hint of mango purée..

The green beans and the pickled carrots and papaya garnish are added colors in this masterpiece.

The dessert is the chocolate and fruit wrapped in wonton skin with coconut sauce. Makes a befitting finale as the Crunchy desserts washes away your palate with a chocolaty & coco nutty goodness.

This unique culinary event is a reflective of the eclectic and innovative taste that is now present in Vietnam. Fusion cuisine is becoming a norm.

Confectionary FASHION

Confectionary FASHION

by Aly Abaquin

   Can you imagined when Marie Antionette said "Let them eat cakes" when  the young madame was asked what to feed her vast empire whose  populace was getting hungry and a mere loaf of bread was not in sight. That infamous line cost her head. Well at least she was in history and relishes to remain in that category of revolutionary confections.

 Well in tokyo just recently just turned heads literally making fashion as edible as ever. TOKYO SWEET COLLECTION 2009.

The moves are graceful. The colors, vibrant. And as the music swells, it would be easy to believe that you've somehow gone to heaven, with out a head. No pun intended. Marie  Antionette should be in the front row to be able to see such lovely creations and cherish every delectable confections. Sweet savvy creations that is.

This is Tokyo fashion,  a fashion show that show Pastry chefs conturing pastry sweets with hats, hair , fashion which is painstakingly put together making it a masterpiece.

The colors and patterns blaze like the rich colors of an oil painting. Only for this unique style of art, it is the Confectionary kind that serves as the canvas.  Artistic expression  in food and fashion becomes one.
Believe it the photos  are from Itsuo Inouye are amazing.

A model displays a creation by pastry chef Hideki Kawamura during the Tokyo Sweets Collection 2009 in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009.

A model displays a creation by pastry chef Koichi Izumi during the Tokyo Sweets Collection 2009 in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009.

Now no one dares to say OFF WITH THEIR HEADS......;)