Red N Hot, 59 Charing Cross Road, London
It’s been ages since my last update! I’ve had a lot of very nice food recently, but all the pictures have turned out dark so no use posting them here. The thing is that I’m waiting for Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc to be released here in the UK, should be any day soon. Apparently, it has a really nice camera and I’ve been waiting for a decent camera phone. So, hopefully more updates with better pictures soon.
Ok, Red N Hot should seriously consider putting me on their payroll because I eat here a lot. I think it’s such a nice restaurant, the food is perhaps a bit heavy but the flavours are great. Tried some new stuff this time around.
Good old pork dumplings, these are delicious.
These are cumin spiced king prawns. I’ve had this twice I think. Really flavourful prawns, loads of cumin, Sichuan pepper and chilli. Such a nice dish! I just eat the prawns shell on, love these bastards!
Slices of pig’s ear in sesame oil. This was actually good, although a bit starchy. The ear was crunchy, thinly sliced and heavily seasoned with sesame. Would definitely try pig’s ear again, perhaps in a different dish.
Here you have, if I remember correctly, boiled beef and beef tripe. This really looks alien! The taste was great! Aromatic, tender meat and a good crunch in the tripe. You really have to not think about what you are eating, it can be a challenge. Great food though!
Tiger Prawns in Hot Oyster Sauce
OMG! This was seriously tasty! One of my all time favourite sauces is the Thai Oyster Sauce, such wonderful flavour. Please try this recipe at home, you need the following ingredients: tiger prawns, Thai basil, garlic and Thai chillies.
You also need some Rice Flakes, this is a great alternative to rice and can be used in stir-fries where you want some texture. Before adding the product into your wok or sauce, boil them in water for a couple of minutes and they will curl up to an almost Italian penne type of form.
Add garlic to a hot pan, fry gently for a minute or so. Add the prawns and fry until they turn pink. Add a mixture of Thai oyster sauce, Thai soy sauce (Golden Mountain/Boy brand), sugar, water and corn starch. Finally, add Thai basil and the chillies. Mix and let simmer away for a couple of minutes. Add the rice and fold over the sauce. Serve and enjoy!!!
Vietnamese Summer Rolls
I made this great summer rolls for a small dinner party, LOL dinner party sounds so fancy. Basically, we had some people over and they were hungry.
The ingredients included: rice paper, green beans, cucumber, rice vermicelli, tiger prawns, crispy lettuce and herbs (Thai basil, cilantro and mint). You should also include some roasted pork, this would add some nice texture to the rolls.
Start by soaking the rice papers in some warm water for about 10-15 seconds until they turn soft. Place the wrapper on a plate and add the ingredients. I was in a bit of a hurry so I did not have to arrange the filling so neatly, you should do it in a particular order for the final product to look appetizing. Basically my summer rolls looked like a white sausage.
Fold in the sides and roll the paper so that you get a tight roll. I prefer to eat these cold, so make sure all the ingredients are properly chilled before serving.
A very nice dip sauce that is easy to make would include the following ingredients pictured below. Fish sauce, bird’s eye chili, garlic, lime, spring onions, palm sugar and water.
Bring the water and lime juice to boil. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add chopped garlic, chili and onions. Add fish sauce. Let it all cool down before serving, great!
Asian Food Adventures 