Your Guide to What to Eat at Citi Field in 2024
Yvonne's Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Yvonne says: "This is a beautiful appetizer. The fresh Summer Rolls are stuffed with a combination of noodles, tofu or prawns, veggies, fruit, fresh herbs – or all of the above. Serve with a sunflower seed dipping sauce or a coconut basil dip!"
Ingredients & Methods
For the Rolls (Makes 10):
10 spring roll rice wrappers
1 sheet of cooked rice noodles
115g extra firm tofu, sliced into strips and sprinkled with 1 tbsp cornflour, smoked paprika and mild chilli before frying
1 medium size ripe avocado, sliced
1 medium ripe mango, sliced
12 cooked king size prawns
6 radishes, very thinly sliced
Slices of mini bell peppers
Fresh herbs: basil and mint
Pinches of sesame seeds
Pinches of pomegranate seeds (optional)
How to Wrap - Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Set Up Your Workspace
Fill a large bowl with warm water.
Dampen a clean kitchen towel and lay it flat on your worktop or a large chopping board
Tip: The damp towel prevents the rice paper from sticking and tearing while you work. But I personally prefer on a clean chopping board.
2. Soften the Rice Paper
Dip one sheet of rice paper into the warm water.
Submerge it for just a few seconds until it becomes soft and pliable.
Carefully lay it flat on a clean chopping board or on damp tea towel.
3. Add the Fillings
Place your fillings (like vegetables, fruit, herbs, noodles, or prawns) in the centre of the rice paper.
Leave about 2 inches of space on each side to make folding easier.
4. Fold and Roll
Have a small bowl of warm water to wet your fingers for rolling.
Fold in the left and right sides over the filling.
Fold up the bottom flap over the fillings.
Gently but firmly roll the paper upwards, tucking as you go, until the roll is sealed.
5. Repeat
Continue with the remaining rice paper wrappers and filling ingredients
Tip: Want to keep your rolls from drying out? Cover them with a damp towel while you finish the rest. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce and enjoy!
For the Dipping Sauces:
Yvonne says: "A good dipping sauce makes these rolls irresistible. There are a quite a few varieties, but my favourite is a coconut & basil dip, as well as a sunflower seed butter dip!"
Coconut & Basil dip (to be mixed in a blender):
115ml full-fat coconut milk
Large handful of fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
Half of lime juice
1 garlic clove
One thumb size piece of fresh ginger
Pinch of salt & pepper
Sunflower Seeds dip (to be whisked in a mixing bowl):
115ml creamy sunflower seeds butter (or peanut or almond butter)
Half of lime juice
2 tbsp of rice vinegar or any mild vinegar
1 tbsp of sriracha
1 tbsp of tamari (gluten free), or soy sauce
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
2 tsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of grated fresh ginger
4 to 6 tbsp of water, as needed
To Prepare:
First make the dipping sauce by combining all of your chosen ingredients until smooth.
Season to taste, then pour into a little bowl.
Assemble the worktop area for the rolling.
Cook and drain your choice of noodles.
Pan fry your prawns from raw (4-5 mins), until they reach a pink colour.
Slice and coat your tofu slices in cornflour before frying in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. A sprinkling of smoked paprika and mild chilli can be used on the tofu.
Prepare the rest of your vegetables, fruits, proteins and seeds into individual bowls.
Yvonne's Tips:
Add bean sprouts, red peppers, or purple cabbage for extra crunch.
Keep the tin of coconut milk in the fridge so that a creamy layer can form during refrigeration.
Lay a green leaf lettuce inside the spring roll wrapper for extra texture.
Tuck in thinly sliced spring onions for a savoury kick.
When cooking tofu, you should first press it through a sieve or by hand to remove excess water - this is also why extra firm tofu is the best type to purchase. When cooking on a frying pan, it is best to leave it undisturbed to fry for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Whatever you do, don't skip the herbs!
May Pho Culture: The Best Vietnamese Pho & Spring Rolls I've Ever Had, Hidden In Chinatown
Despite coming to Chinatown aplenty for my fill of xiao long bao and other hawker eats, it took me a couple of turns before I finally located May Pho Culture, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant with pho seemingly so good that even Vietnamese locals endorse it. No wonder— its lady chef hails from Ho Chi Minh!
May Pho Culture - exterior
May Pho Culture is located at Fook Hai Building, a quiet commercial building nestled at the corner of Upper Hokien Street and South Bridge Road. It faces a side road, so you'll have to walk along the building to get to it.
May Pho Culture - interior
May Pho Culture - second floor
May Pho Culture has two separate dining areas— a smaller, homely space on the first floor, and a second floor with bar seats that face the outside world.
As I chose a table on the first floor of the restaurant, I started to appreciate how bright and cosy the entire dining space was. I could smell pho broth and freshly brewed Vietnamese coffee, there was upbeat Vietnamese music playing in the background, and the good vibes were undeniably infectious. I couldn't wait to start eating!
What I tried at May Pho CultureMay Pho Culture 08 - pho
After flipping through its menu, I decided to try the most expensive thing on May Pho Culture's menu: Beef Tenderloin Pho (S$17.90). "Go big or go home," I told myself.
I noticed that there wasn't any beef combination pho on the menu. Upon enquiring with the staff (who seem to be Vietnamese), they tell me that I can top up S$1 to enjoy an additional portion of beef, which is made up of a combination of cuts.
If you're not inclined to fork out close to $20 for a bowl of pho, there are other more wallet-friendly options such as Beef Brisket Pho (S$12.90), Beef Plate Pho (S$10.90), as well as chicken variations such as Chicken Supreme Pho (S$11.90) and the cheapest option, Chicken Meat Pho (S$8.90).
May Pho Culture 14 - soup
May Pho Culture 15 - soup
The first thing that I did was take a sip of the soup, and I was immediately blown away by how delicious it was. Letting out audible sounds of approval, I spent a good minute or two just sipping soup, because it was just. So. Good.
Each sip was so robust and full of flavour. It was savoury and salty, but it was packed with such a deliciously earthy richness that I resisted the urge to lift the bowl up by my hands, and slurp it up as if I was a thirsty savage.
I loved how it was peppered with a herby fragrance from what must have been the addition of mint and Thai basil, such that it lifted the entire flavour profile of the soup towards the end of each sip, making this a perfectly well-rounded soup that I'd gladly come back for again.
To cater to all types of customers, May Pho Culture even provides cut chilli and a wedge of lime on the side, as well as a full range of condiments for those who'd like to jazz up their soup. For me, I didn't even need any of them— the soup was perfect on its own.
May Pho Culture 12 - beef
The minute that my Beef Tenderloin Pho had been served, I noticed that several slices of beef were still slightly pink. However, after a good stir, I was mildly disappointed to find that the beef slices had continued to cook, albeit slowly, in the warm broth, such that all of them were thoroughly cooked by the time I picked my first slice up. Would this mean that the beef wouldn't be as tender?
Thankfully, the thin slices of beef tenderloin remained juicy and tender, even after sitting in the soup for some time. While I couldn't taste the natural beefy sweetness of the beef tenderloin because of how overpoweringly savoury the broth was, I still thoroughly enjoyed its texture.
If anything, the soft beef slices continued to absorb the soup, making each bite burst with the robust broth's flavours.
May Pho Culture - spring rolls
I wanted to order their Spring Roll (S$11.90 for large, S$6.90 for medium), which was a traditional Vietnamese fried spring roll with a rice paper crust rather than typical spring roll wrappers, but unfortunately it was not available.
I ended up going for May Pho Culture's Fresh Spring Rolls (S$9.90) instead.
May Pho Culture - spring rolls
Despite being slightly disappointed that I was unable to try their fried Spring Roll, these Fresh Spring Rolls didn't let me down either.
Most fresh spring rolls I've had were either too raw or too green, which made me feel like a rabbit for a second, but May Pho Culture's were wonderfully light and crunchy, with a good amount of non-vegetable ingredients inside, such as pork slices, shrimp and rice noodles.
May Pho Culture 05 - chill sauce
The entire flavour profile of the Fresh Spring Rolls changed the minute I dunked it in the chilli sauce that had been served on the side. It was a sweet and tangy chilli sauce that complemented the light and fresh spring rolls perfectly, with a good amount of ginger, shallots, and just the right hint of spice.
May Pho Culture 11 - coffee
As a bona fide coffee addict, I couldn't resist finishing off my undeniably delicious meal with a cup of Vietnamese Iced Coffee (S$3.80).
I had expected it to be overly sweet, but surprisingly, May Pho Culture managed to strike that perfect balance between sweetness and the roastedness of the coffee beans. I could still taste the nutty, chocolatey-like notes from the coffee, while the condensed or evaporated milk added that addictive sweetness that made this drink velvety smooth.
Final thoughtsMay Pho Culture 09 - pho
This was such a lovely meal, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single thing that had been served— yes, even that odd basket of rice paddy herb that had been given to each table as an appetiser or palate cleanser. While May Pho Culture's pho might be slightly pricier than other pho joints, the quality of the broth and meat made it worth every cent.
Even before I was done with my meal, I was already sending photos of the delicious pho to my friends and family, telling them that we should come back for a meal. That's how you know that this place has truly won you over.
Be sure to come early or avoid the peak lunch and dinner crowd, as seating can be quite limited!
Expected damage: S$8.90 – S$20 per pax
The post May Pho Culture: The best Vietnamese pho & spring rolls I've ever had, hidden in Chinatown appeared first on SETHLUI.Com.
6 Varieties Of Spring Roll From Around The World That People Love To Eat
Vietnamese Goi cuon, also known as summer rolls, offer a fresh and healthy alternative to their fried counterparts. These rolls are made with rice paper wrappers and are filled with a combination of fresh herbs, rice vermicelli, shrimp or pork, and vegetables like lettuce and cucumbers. Goi cuon are typically served with a dipping sauce made from hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and sometimes a hint of chili. The fresh ingredients and light, flavorful filling make these rolls a perfect appetizer or snack.
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