October, 2013:

Why does pho and other types of vietnamese dishes taste so better in vietnam?

I noticed during the time I was there that the pho and the hu tieu tastes so much better in vietnam than here in the states. Anybody got any idea why it tastes better ?

Probably because the chickens used to make the Chicken broth in Vietnam is made from chickens that have grown up eating only grass seeds, rice and had far greater room to move, therefore they are skinnier and naturally grown. The Chickens used in America are cage bred with grains which have growth hormones in them so the chickens grow faster and fatter so they can be sold earlier.

With the beef broth in America there is very little "offal" used unless the soup restaurant has a deal with a special abattoir or butcher who has a special order with the abattoir. In Vietnam there is a lot of offal and other meats used in the Pho. These give the broth a deeper, stronger flavour. Also, in the US the meat may be days, if not weeks old before being used while it is freshly killed in Cambodia and Vietnam.

The noodles made in America are made from American rice which tastes horrific compared with the rice species used in Vietnam and Cambodia (and Thailand). Even during the Second Indochina (Vietnam) War, the Cambodians and Vietnamese preferred to give the donated American rice to the pigs and chickens and spend hard earned money on the better local species of rice grains.

Who ever been to a restaurant called Topokki in Birmingham, UK?

Who’s ever been to a Korean Restaurant called Topokki in Birmingham, UK? because the staff are so friendly and the food there is really nice what do you think of it?

I’ve never been there, but from the reviews it seems pretty good.

I might give it a try myself.

Please can anyone gove me the recipe for chicken satay, Authentic chinese restaurant style recipe?

I used to order this at a local chinese restaurant until I moved. I’ve ordered it since and they just don’t get it right.

It’s like light brown/orange in colour, you can’t taste the peanut butter distinctively and I’ve since discovered possibly coconut milk is in it yet you can’t taste that either so they must use much. It’s quite spicy too with onions in it.

Please can a Chinese person please give me the actual recipe?

Thanks x

Well, for a start it isn’t actually a chinese dish so all either place will have is their own interpretation of an Indonesian dish. Add on to that the fact that the food served in Chinese Restaurants is highly regionalised in the UK so the chances of you getting this dish done the same was is infinitesimally small.

If someone moved from where you are now to your old area they would probably have the exact same complaint about the chicken satay not being done correctly.

Even if someone on YA! gave you their recipe it is unlikely to be the same as your old place. Sorry, but such is life.

Best you can probably do is to try contacting your old place. They may use some base mix that you can buy and then adapt as you want.