The first couple of weeks were ok, but then I ran out of money! *tear* So i ate eggs and kimchi for a long ass time. Like, seriously, it was a fried egg and some kimchi almost everyday. I switched it up some days though and experimented with kimchi soups, kimchi/egg sandwiches, and kimchi fried noodles/rice. But for a couple of weeks, it was just that combination.
Then I went back to California for my brother's wedding! I was so happy and I ate so much food! I honestly don't know how I managed to cram in pho,my daddy's chicken congee(chao ga), seafood noodles (hu tieu) and vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) along with morning wedding food and two wedding dinners all in the span of 3 days. I seriously did not stop eating. And I was so happy! Not just for the food, but to see my family. I feel like I'm more homesick this year than I was last year. I really missed my daddy and I honestly did not want to leave him again. At that moment, flying back to NY meant being broke, deprived and overall just a little bit sad.
Now that I'm back, I stopped eating kimchi! But that doesn't mean I'm any better off. I flew back with a 70lb suitcase full of food. And since then, I've been mainly living off of it. Have you ever had cha lua? It's a vietnamese steamed pork sausage and it's so good. I love it! SO much that I bought back 8 rolls of it! =) I've managed to eat 2 within the past week but I need to pace myself so I can make it last till christmas. I have 6 rolls sitting in my freezer right now.
So this time around, my diet consists of cha, eggs, noodles and cereal. Yep, one can manage to live off of $12 a week haha. There have been some surprising culinary moments though! For example, the other night, I made these surprisingly good soup noodles that tasted almost like home. It was inspired by a dish my dad makes called bun thang and is basically noodles in broth topped with egg, pork sausage and chicken and flavored with fish sauce. I did not have chicken and I did not want to defrost the sausage in my freezer so I made do with eggs and tofu. It's very affordable to make and quite delicious! If you are vietnamese like me, this could seriously bring back intense feelings of homesickness. The ingredients, as always, are approximate and are really based on your preferences.
Ridiculously Cheap Homesickness Inducing Bun Thang
Ingredients
2 Servings of a noodle of your choice.
Traditionally, vermicelli rice noodles are used, but if you only have instant ramen noodles, go ahead!
For the soup:
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a small onion, sliced
2-3 Cups Chicken broth (mine was homemade but any will do)
For the topping
1 egg (made into an omelet)
1 Block of firm tofu, cut into thin strips
Fish sauce
Sliced Green onions, chopped cilantro, and fried shallots if you have any!
Lime, chili, and additional fish sauce if needed
For the noodles
- Boil the noodle of your choice in a pot of water according to the package instructions and rinse and drain.
To make the soup base
- pour a bit of oil in a small soup pot and fry the garlic and ginger and onion till fragrant and slightly browned.
-Pour in the broth and season to taste with fish sauce and pepper.
For the topping
- Crack an egg into a bowl and season with pepper, fish sauce, and a little bit of milk(for fluffiness).
- Fry into an omelet in a pan and when cooled, cut into strips.
- Oil a pan liberally and when hot, throw in the strips of tofu. As they begin to crisp up, toss in some fish sauce (about a small spoonful) and fry till it is golden brown and crispy.
- Allow to drain on a paper towel.
To assemble
Place a serving of noodles into a soup bowl.
- Pour broth in and top with the egg and tofu.
- Garnish with the green onions and cilantro
- Season with chili and a squeeze of lime, if desired
Enjoy!
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