Hung Vuong

Sunday brunch and I headed off to Hung Vuong, Hopkins Street in Footscray. I've been before and I really like it. It is a biggish, light airy place with friendly staff who put up with westerners (read: me) repeatedly asking questions!

On the table are varied sauces and chili. Also on the table at Vietnamese restaurants is hot green tea in a thermos. If you have never had the tea, all you do is tip the thermos on an angle over your cup and the tea magically appears. If it doesn't, press the button at the top of the thermos and try again. Do not unscrew the top and pour. I have tried this and it is very, very unsuccessful!

I ordered vegetarian spring rolls. For those who have never tried them, you tear off some lettuce and wrap around the spring roll and dip in the sauce. It has chili in it but it is quite mild. They are light, delicious and very refreshing.

After eating my spring rolls I had my favourite drink, four colour drink.

Four colour drink has mashed mung beans which are a pale greenish yellow and taste like they may be sweetened slightly, green strands of jelly, not sure what flavour, red pearls of jelly which tasted sweet but no distinct flavour. This concoction is topped with coconut milk and shaved ice. This is my kind of summer freezy drink! I have a sweet tooth so this drink/dessert is perfect for me. I never get tired of having this drink, especially on a hot day. You can also get three colour drink which has red kidney beans in it.

Huong Vuong

128 Hopkins Street

Footscray

Ph 03 9689 6002

7 days a week, 9am to 8.30pm

Eat in and take away

Cash only, no cards

Macarons

In my trawls of the internet and food blogs, macarons are frequently mentioned. After an attack of boldness I got ready to make some chocolate macarons. As my reference I used a combination of recipes and advice from Martha Stewarts recipe, Syrup and Tang and Audax Artifex.

The macarons came out of the oven and looked pretty good except for a minor mishap with an oven mitt and my thumb!




Trying to get them off the tray proved a little trickier.


To those who have macaron success first go, I salute you! Back to the drawing board for me.

Chinese New Year in Footscray

I went up to Footscray last Sunday to buy a bamboo steamer at one of the Vietnamese supermarkets. Saw that there was noise and streets blocked off and realised there were stalls and amusement rides in full swing for a Chinese New Year festival. Spent an hour or two wandering along the stalls. It was a very hot day and I was not so inclined to try any of the hot food being cooked there and there was plenty to choose from. So I settled for a basil seed drink, which unsurprisingly contained basil seeds and also bits of seaweed, some sago but not sure what else. It was not too bad, was a bit over the seaweed towards the bottom of the cup. Should have taken a picture, will do next time I see it somewhere.

Prior to last weekend I'd gone to my happy place, Little Saigon Market in Footscray which was loaded with fruit and colourful displays in preparation for Chinese New Year.

The colourful items below are dried candied coconut that has been dyed and flavoured. White is vanilla, green is pandan flavoured, couldn't tell what the pink or yellow flavours were, maybe strawberry and pineapple? hard to say. The tub on the very far right in the front row contained fine slices of dried ginger, with enough sweetness to soften the taste a bit. It was quite pleasant. I think it could be nice broken up into small pieces and sprinkled on icing on a cupcake...mmm. The candied coconut was quite pleasant, but pretty sweet, so you probably couldn't eat too much.

At the market there were tables piled up with longans (similar to lychees but not as sweet) and grapes.


Also at the market were dragonfruit. Quite bland in taste, but would be beautiful for a fruit platter or general table decoration.