[NR]Hot Pot Thread[NR]

Sac Arrow

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Snorting his way across the USA
I was thumbing through the forum trying to find 6PC's Chinese knockoff of the 'Please Delete' thread, and then I couldn't find it, and I considered going to the real thread, then I figured, wait, this probably deserves a thread of its own.

In a country that is normally 95 degrees and 100% humidity during the day, why the HELL would someone sit in front of a boiling pot of water, throw garden clippings and fish parts in there and eat it? That's a cold weather activity!

But it's addictive. Like some of the other things in this place but we won't discuss that. Some things aren't addictive. Like the haircut and shave I got last night. The little hotel has (conveniently) a barber shop next door. I walked next door. Huyhn (probably not his real name but it could have been) led me up three flights of stairs and to an open barber chair, and I whipped out an Iphone picture of a high and tight haircut. Those that know me know I get high and tight haircuts. He stared at it intently. He wondered why I needed to get one as I'm clearly not here by benefit of the military nor am I obviously headed to the penitentiary. But he got it done. It wasn't pretty, and the huge straight razor grazing the side of my scalp was a bit disconcerting. Then, Linh (probably not her real name but it could have been) went to work with the smaller, sharper straight razor. Her job was to shave my face. It was the closest shave I ever had. It was too close, if you know what I mean.

But I digress. This is about food. Yes, hot pot. Lau. A boiling pot of spicy soup stock, and you continuously put greenery, edible flowers, mushrooms, squid, fish, clams, whatever, boil it a bit and then eat it. Normally it's a group activity but at the food court here one can get individual hot pots. It was either that or get a hamburger made with subgrade Australian beef at the ex-pat pub. Plus it's like no calories, meaning I can drink more beer.

There is a bit of a secret. It's challenging. The stringy greens (rau muong) take the longest to cook, yet, if you just put them in there with the rest of the stuff, you can't fish it out easily. Not an issue with the fish and squid, but the clams are the challenging part. They are easily overcooked. Undercook them and they won't open. Overcook them and the clam boils to nothing. So, PUT THE CLAM THINGS IN FIRST. About three minutes is right. Then it's a race against time to get all the other stuff in and cooked, and eaten before the solid fuel tablet burns out.

Plus it seems like you are eating more than you are, because you are doing something. You aren't playing with your food, rather, you're commanding it. You are making it work for YOU. The below is seafood hot pot. Lau Hai San. They made it fresh. Just for me. Well, okay, but they did still make it fresh.IMG_3430.JPG
 
hot pot is better in a bong. "so I hear"
 
stay ahead of the hot pot, don't let it boss you around.
 
In a country that is normally 95 degrees and 100% humidity during the day, why the HELL would someone sit in front of a boiling pot of water, throw garden clippings and fish parts in there and eat it? That's a cold weather activity!


I ask my wife that same question almost daily, and all I get in return is an stern "husband.!!!"

Except in the high desert we don't have humidity....
 
Looks pretty freakin' good to me.

Nauga,
who travels on his stomach...like a slug
 
You should write a guide book/ cook book. Between your reviews and my son's trip a few weeks ago, I may have to go to Viet Nam.
 
What's in the little green bowl (forward most in the pic?) - I assume it's a chili oil of some sort, but can't make it out.....
 
In Korea on the base barber shop you really got treated nice. Korean barber cuts your hair while two lovelies massaged you just about everywhere above your waist. No happy ending but man it felt good.
 
That looks like a disgusting eating contest from Survivor. Not on a bet...

Remember that is uncooked stuff you are looking at. It's a lot more appetizing once it comes out of the hot pot. Unless of course you just don't like seafood to begin with.

You should write a guide book/ cook book. Between your reviews and my son's trip a few weeks ago, I may have to go to Viet Nam.

We've had a presence here since 2008. The country has changed quite a bit since then.

What's in the little green bowl (forward most in the pic?) - I assume it's a chili oil of some sort, but can't make it out.....

Fish sauce. You pull the contents of the hotpot out with a ladle into the smaller bowl, and dip it in to the fish sauce before you eat it. Not pictured is the plate of bun (rice vermicelli.) You don't put that in the hot pot. You put that in the bowl, and put stuff on top of it. Or not. I don't normally eat the bun (pronounced 'boon')

In Korea on the base barber shop you really got treated nice. Korean barber cuts your hair while two lovelies massaged you just about everywhere above your waist. No happy ending but man it felt good.

That's pretty standard here too. Typically a haircut involves 'full' service, including the massage, nails, and cuticles. Do NOT let them go to work on your cuticles. This place was pretty good about the shave. Normally, the low budget places downtown (not that the equivalent of $5 USD is over the top) are really bad about maintaining sharp razors. Last shave I got was by a girl holding a plain, double edged cartridge style razor in between her fingers. THAT was a scary experience. And then there was the one with the dull straight razor that just had to give up because it wasn't cutting anything.
 
. Last shave I got was by a girl holding a plain, double edged cartridge style razor in between her fingers. THAT was a scary experience. And then there was the one with the dull straight razor that just had to give up because it wasn't cutting anything.

Hell man bring your own razor for them to use!
 
Why are there zipties on the plate?
 
What's the difference between "hot pot" and "legally purchased pot"?
 
Second picture of the pair up top, the one with the flower blossoms... looked like a chicken foot at first glance.

<------ been all over Asia, has seen some weird food and has even tried some of it.
 
I'd eat it.... No prob. If you'll eat anything on the Pho menus, this is about on par with that.
 
I'm just confused as to why he is over there so much.
 
They do look like zip ties but I am thinking they are hallucinogenic 'shrooms.

Those little shroom things are pretty good. The stringy greens can be tough to eat though.

What, no Burger King?

EDIT: Also, isn't it like the middle of the night there?

Yes it would have been in the middle of the night as of your post. And it's tomorrow for me, so I already know what's going to happen the next day.

I'm just confused as to why he is over there so much.

Boy's gotta work for a living yo. At least I don't have to work today (Saturday) but the Vietnamese do normally work Saturday mornings.
 
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