Food Touring

Trying food from all over the world, at home & abroad!

Shanghai: Shengjian Mantou

Restaurant: Shanghai Tapas
City: Fremont, CA

Had Shanghainese for dinner with my parents, and I picked these pan fried pork buns! The buns are pan fried to a crisp on the bottom. The buns are served hot, and are juicy from the meat inside. Be careful on your first bite, as the juice can squirt out!

shengjian mantou - 1 shengjian mantou - 2

Read on for more info about shengjian mantou, from Wikipedia:

Shengjian mantou (also known as the shengjianbao outside the Jiangnan region) is a type of small, pan-fried baozi (steamed buns) which is a specialty of Shanghai. It is usually filled with pork and gelatin that melts into soup/liquid when cooked. Shengjian mantou has been one of the most common breakfast items in Shanghai since the early 1900s. As a ubiquitous breakfast item, it has a significant place in Shanghainese culture.

In Chinese, a filled bun is usually called “baozi” or “bao”, while an unfilled (plain) bun is usually called a “mantou”. However, in the Jiangnan region, the older word “mantou” refers to both filled and unfilled buns. Hence, the shengjian mantou is called a “mantou” despite being a filled bun. The same is true of the xiaolong mantou, which is called “xiaolongbao” elsewhere. The name shengjian mantou is often abbreviated to shengjian (生煎, shēngjiān).

Shengjian is made from semi-leavened dough, wrapped around pork and gelatin fillings. Chopped green onions and sesame are sprinkled on the buns during the cooking process. The traditional shengjian has pork fillings. Common variations include chicken, pork mixed with prawns, and pork mixed with crab meat.

The name of the bun comes from its method of cooking. The buns are lined up in an oiled, shallow, flat pan. Typical commercial pans are more than a metre in diameter. The buns are lined up in the pan with the “knot”, where the dough is folded together, facing downwards and thus in direct contact with the oiled pan and fried into a crispy bottom during the cooking process. Water is sprayed on the buns during cooking to ensure the top (which is not in contact with the pan or the oil) is properly cooked. After frying, the bottom of the bun becomes crunchy, and the gelatin melts into soup. This combination gives the shengjian its unique flavour. Because the buns are tightly lined up in the pan, they become somewhat cube-shaped after cooking. While waiting to be served, the chef may flip the buns so that the fried base faces upwards to prevent the crispy bottom from getting soggy in the process of cooling.

Posted on by Mango in China, Shanghai

Sweden: Påskbord

Restaurant: IKEA Restaurant
City: East Palo Alto, CA

On Friday, April 11th, IKEA restaurants worldwide held a traditional Swedish Påskbord (Easter Smörgåsbord).

I found out about this event through the IKEA Family emails, and secured tickets a few days beforehand! It was $9.99/person for IKEA Family members, which is a pretty sweet deal for a buffet!

The menu:

FIrst Course
– Assorted varieties of herring
– Hardboiled eggs with mayo and shrimp
– Hardboiled eggs with sillrom or tangkorn
– Shrimp with cocktail sauce
– Marinated salmon with mustard sauce
– Smoked salmon with horseradish sauce
– Poached salmon

Second Course
– Assorted Swedish cheeses
– Tossed green salad
– Cucumber salad
– Red beet salad
– Breads: crispbread, crisprolls, softbread, and thinbread

Third Course
– Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes or broiled potatoes with dill
– Lingonberries
– Jansson’s Temptation
– Swedish ham
– Prinskorv

Dessert
– Assorted Swedish desserts and cookies

paskbord - 1 Continue reading →

Posted on by Mango in Sweden

Korea: Dolsot Bibimbap

Restaurant: Sunny Bowl
City: Mountain View, CA

Went with a few coworkers to get bibimbap for lunch! At Sunny Bowl, you can get bibimbap in a regular bowl (cold) or in a stone pot (hot). You can also choose what type of topping you want; beef (beef rib eye), kalbi (beef short ribs), chicken, shrimp & broccoli, tofu & asparagus, egg batter fish, tuna sashimi, or seeweed salad. You can also choose two toppings for an additional cost. All bibimbap contains jasmine rice, bean sprout, spinach, squash, carrot, mushroom, broccoli, and egg.

I got the dolsot bibimbap, with beef. I added kimchi, gochujang (hot pepper paste), and sesame oil to my bowl, then pressed it against the stone pot to get the rice crispy. The stone pot is really hot, and keeps the food hot till you’re done eating.

dolsot bibimbap - 1dolsot bibimbap - 2

Some info on dolsot bibimbap, from Wikipedia:

Bibimbap (비빔밥, sometimes anglicized bi bim bap or bi bim bop) is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means “mixed rice”. Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

A variation of this dish, dolsot bibimbap (돌솥 비빔밥, dolsot meaning “stone pot”), is served in a very hot stone bowl in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl. The bowl is so hot that anything that touches it sizzles for minutes. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil, making the layer of the rice touching the bowl golden brown and crisp.

Posted on by Mango in Korea

Wisconsin: Sheboygan Bratwurst

Restaurant: Doggie Diner (at AT&T Park)
City: San Francisco, CA

I went to the SF Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks game last night with a few coworkers. No ball game is complete without ballpark food! Hot dog, garlic fries, and beer stands are everywhere at the ballpark.

I had the Johnsonville Sheboygan Bratwurst, with grilled onion and sauerkraut. I added deli mustard on top (relish, ketchup, and regular mustard were also available). It was tangy, sweet, and crunchy in every bite, but messy as I got mustard all over my hands. But totally worth it, especially when you’re watching a losing game. Let’s go Giants!!!

sheboygan bratwurst

Sheboygan County is well-known for its bratwurst. Although different history books give it different paths, the wurst eventually found its way to the German city of Trier and shortly after, throughout the rest of Germany. Sometime in the mid-19th century, the little sausages immigrated to Sheboygan with the German settlers. To celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary, Bratwurst Day was born on Thursday, August 13, 1953. The Sheboygan Jaycees sponsor Bratwurst Days, an annual fund-raising festival that includes the Johnsonville World Bratwurst Eating Championship. (Wikipedia & Brat Days) Continue reading →

Posted on by Mango in United States, Wisconsin

Singapore: Pineapple Tart

A friend brought back Bengawan Solo pineapple tarts from her business travel to Singapore! Pineapple tarts are popular in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Bengawan Solo is based in Singapore.

I upgraded my Samsung Galaxy Nexus to the HTC One (M8); hooray for no more crappy photos if I forget my dSLR! All photos below were taken on my M8.

pineapple tart - 1pineapple tart - 2pineapple tart - 3pineapple tart - 4pineapple tart - 5

Below is a fantastic excerpt from DB Memoirs, that pretty much sums up how the pineapple tarts tasted!

I had read somewhere that one of the things that you must buy in Singapore is Bengawan Solo pineapple tarts. Honestly, they didn’t sound very appealing to me. I like tarts. I like pineapple. Together, though, not so much.

The first taste was sour! It was a real eye-opener. This thing was telling me from the get-go that it was not a sickly sweet kiddie treat. Almost immediately after the initial bite, the pastry crumbled and melted in my mouth, neutralizing the tartness (pun intended) and mellowing the flavors out.

My tongue told me: There’s the butter. There’s the flaky pastry. There’s the slightly fibrous fruit. Some zing, some richness, a bit of chewiness. And then, poof. It was gone.

I reached for another one. And another, and another. Before I knew it, I had inhaled half of my tarts.

Is anybody going to Singapore? Please, please bring me back some Bengawan Solo pineapple tarts. And get a box for yourself, too. You will not regret it.

Continue reading →

Posted on by Mango in Singapore

Chicago: Deep-Dish Pizza

Restaurant: Blue Line Pizza
City: Mountain View, CA

I had deep-dish pizza for lunch with my coworkers! You can order individual sized pizzas (~8″) at Blue Line, which is awesome because it’s the perfect size for each person, and you can order a whole bunch of individual sized pizzas to share!

I have never been to Chicago, so I’ve never tried the real deal. But among the deep dish pizzas I’ve had in the SF Bay Area, I can tell you I prefer Blue Line’s deep-dish pizza over Paxti’s! The crust is crunchy and thin, even though the pizza itself is thick, which defines Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.

deep-dish pizza - 1 deep-dish pizza - 2 deep-dish pizza - 3

I picked the meatball deep-dish pizza, individual sized. Ingredients were spicy housemade meatballs, ricotta, spinach, mushrooms, and red bell peppers. The meatballs weren’t spicy at all; I ended up adding tons of pepper flakes on top of each slice.
Continue reading →

Posted on by Mango in Illinois, United States

Minas Gerais: Pão de Queijo

Restaurant: Fogo de Chão
City: San Jose, CA

Last night, I went to a Brazilian steakhouse (churrascaria) with several college friends. It’s very pricey ($50+ per person; $30 for salad bar only) but totally worth going at least once in your lifetime for the experience!

We were served warm cheese bread as one of our side dishes. The bread is very light and airy, with a very strong cheesy taste!

pao de queijo

Continue reading →

Posted on by Mango in Brazil, Minas Gerais

Newa: Chicken Momo

Restaurant: Hamro Aangan
City: Albany, CA

I had Nepali for dinner with a couple friends and the sister! Momo was highly recommended by a Nepali friend, so my sister and I ordered a plate to share.

chicken momo

Minced vegetables mixed with spices wrapped in dough, steamed & served with Himalayan sauce. The Himalayan sauce is a sesame chutney and had a curry taste to it, so it was a different experience from eating Chinese dumplings with soy sauce.

Read on for more background about momos, from Wikipedia: Continue reading →

Posted on by Mango in Nepal, Newa

Nepal: Chicken Chwela

Restaurant: Hamro Aangan
City: Albany, CA

I had Nepali for dinner with a couple friends and the sister! Chicken chwela was highly recommended by a Nepali friend, so I ordered for the table.

chicken chwela

BBQ chicken marinated with Nepali spices and sliced ginger with mustard oil. Served with beaten rice and aloo ko aachar (potato salad).

The waitress said the three components can be eaten together, or individually. The chicken is VERY spicy; you’ve been warned. The potato salad was sweet and refreshing after eating the chicken. I’d never had beaten rice before so that was interesting; it’s hard to describe it. Continue reading →

Posted on by Mango in Nepal

Cambodia: Cha Kh’nhei

Restaurant: Battambang Restaurant
City: Oakland, CA

I had Cambodian for dinner with my family and a family friend. Battambang had two dishes with frog legs! I didn’t recall eating frog legs before, but my sister and friend had, so they urged me to try it!

cha kh'nhei

Stir-fried frog legs with shredded ginger, onion, and chili in garlic flavor. (Dried and spiced.)

As my sister put, the best way to describe frog leg is a cross between fish and chicken; it tastes somewhat like fish but with the texture of chicken.

Chha Kh’nhei (ឆាខ្ញី) is a spicy stir fry (chhar) of meat, usually chicken, eel, or frog with julienned gingeroot, black Kampot pepper, garlic, soy, and sometimes fresh jalapeños or fresh peppers, for extra heat. (Wikipedia)

Posted on by Mango in Cambodia