Any good cook will tell you that soups are a labour of love. Generally, they take time and a little bit of effort, but like any thing that is worth waiting for, they are absolutely heartwarming. Soups, especially noodle soups, are my go to bowl of comfort. I love the combination of textures (solid and liquid, squishy and firm), the slurping, the messiness, the fun, the satisfaction.
But, the thing about good soups is that they can be elusive. Sometimes you don’t even know they exist. Case in point: bun bo hue, a spicy Vietnamese noodle soup that is absolutely addictive. Before Mike, even after eating countless bowls of Vietnamese noodles, I’d never heard or come across it.
When we started going out, Mike told me that bun bo hue was one of his favorite soups growing up. He took us out for a couple of bowls of BBH (as Mike and I lovingly call it) and I was addicted. I’ve been wanting to make BBH ever since. BBH isn’t quite as popular as pho and I’m not quite sure why. It might be because it’s from Central Vietnam or it might just be because it hasn’t yet made its way into the spotlight. But, if you look for it, you can find BBH specialists. There’s even a
(bring your own pot) so you can bring home enough BBH for your whole family and then some.
BBH is spicy, sour, salty, and sweet all at once. The beef and pork based orangey broth’s main flavour is the delicate herbaceous of lemongrass. The rice noodles, are cylindrical and round, slippery and firm. The brisket is tender and the garnishes add the freshness you expect when eating a bowl of Vietnamese food.
I based this recipe off one I found in . I left out some bones and garnishes (I didn’t do the traditional cabbage, banana blossoms, perilla, or blood cubes) but it was still an incredibly tasty bowl of noodles. Mike and I slurped it up three days in a row and when we were done, we wanted more.
It was Mike’s birthday yesterday and this noodle soup is what I ended up making for his birthday dinner. I think noodle soup is the perfect way to celebrate the person I love most in this world. After all, love is like soup: warm and cozy, nourishing and filling. Love is the crook of your best friend’s arm as you fall asleep at dawn, bursting into laughter together over nothing at all, long lingering walks talking about everything and nothing. Love is the big things, the little things, and everything in between. Happy birthday baby!
Bun Bo Hue Recipe: Vietnamese Spicy Lemongrass Noodle Soup
adapted from
2 pounds oxtail, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
2 pounds beef shank bones, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (ask your butcher to do this)
2 pounds pork neck bones
1 pound beef brisket
8 lemongrass stalks
8 quarts water
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon annatto seeds*
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large shallots, sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped lemongrass
2 teaspoons shrimp paste*
2 teaspoons fish sauce, or to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
fresh rice noodles (round)
Thai basil
sliced green onions
Lime wedges
white onion, thinly sliced
In your largest pot (make sure it’s big enough to fit the bones and water to cover by 1 inch) bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Carefully add in the bones and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the bones and pour out the water. Rinse the bones under running water. This is to force out impurities and will make it so you’re skimming your broth less and will ensure a clearer stock.
When the bones are rinsed clean, return them to the pot (make sure you wash the pot first) and add in the brisket.
Cut the lemongrass stalks in half and discard the leafy tops. Bruise the remaining lemongrass and add it to the pot. Add 8 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat. When the stock comes to a boil, turn the heat down so it’s at a simmer. Skim off any scum as needed.
After 45 minutes of simmering, prepare and ice bath. Check the brisket to see if it is cooked through. Remove from the stock and poke the juices should run clear. (If needed return to the stock and cook for another 10 minutes.) When the brisket is cooked, plunge into the ice bath until cool. Remove from the ice bath, pat dry, wrap tightly and refrigerate.
Continue to simmer the stock with the bones for another two hours, skimming as needed. When the 2 hours are up, remove from the heat and scoop out the bones and set aside. Carefully strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into another large stock pot. If desired, skim off the majority of the fat and then set the pot to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Cool the bones and remove the meat from the oxtails, set aside and reserve in the fridge. Discard the bones.
With a mortar and pestle, grind the red pepper flakes and annatto seeds into a coarse powder. Heat up the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ground red pepper flakes and annatto seeds and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and shrimp paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more, until the mixture is aromatic and the shallots are just beginning to soften.
Add the contents of the frying pan to the simmering stock along with the fish sauce and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with fish sauce and sugar as needed.
Get ready to plate! Arrange the basil, lime wedges, sliced green onions, and onion slices on a platter and place on the table. Thinly slice the brisket against the grain.
Cook the noodles according to the package and then divid among deep soup bowls. Top with brisket slices and a bit of oxtail meat. Ladle the hot stock over the noodles and beef and serve immediately, accompanied with the platter of garnishes. Enjoy!
You can find annatto seeds and shrimp paste at Asian grocers. I’ve also seen annatto seeds in Mexican food stores. The seeds add the red color as well as a nutty, peppery-sweet flavor to the stock.
PS – Mike really is the best husband. The other day, we went on a long rambly Tokyo walk with what I thought was no destination in mind. Eventually we ended up at a giant grocery store. (He totally planned it!) Sounds like a strange destination, but this man really knows what I love – shopping for groceries/looking at food :) Love you boo!
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Ingredients: whiskey, love, and potatoesTaiwan 9 Days Itinerary - Taipei, Taitung, Green Island, Kaohsiung, Jiufen - KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL
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Day 1 (Taipei)
Day 2 (Taipei)
Day 3 (Taitung)
DINNER: Home Cooked at Minsu
STAY: Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿
DAY 4 (Green Island)
BREAKFAST: Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿
Depart to Green Island
SEE: Green Island Light House
SEE: Glass-bottomed Boat Tour
LUNCH: 18海簡餐
SEE: Island Tour with Scooter
DINNER: 綠漁餐廳
SEE: Chaori Hot Spring
STAY: Amany Resort
DAY 5 (Green Island, Taitung)
BREAKFAST: Amany Resort
SEE: Snorkelling at Da Bai Sha 大白沙
SEE: Green Island Prison
LUNCH: Picnic in Cave
Depart to Taitung
SEE: “water running up”
DINNER: 鲨鱼馆 (Shark’s Museum)
STAY: Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿
DAY 6 (Taitung)
BREAKFAST: Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿
SEE: Nanan Waterfall @ Yushan National Park.
SEE: Liushidan Mountain 六十石山
LUNCH: Picnic at Liushidan Mountain 六十石山
DINNER: Taitung Town
STAY: Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿
DAY 7 (Kaohsiung)
BREAKFAST: Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿
Depart to Taitung
LUNCH: Tanzuomali Premium Jap BBQ 碳佐麻里, Kaohsiung
TEA: Friend’s House
SEE: Kaohsiung Love River, Lotus Lake
DINNER: Popo Ice 婆婆冰, No Name Restaurant @ Kaohsiung Town
STAY: 四季精品汽車旅館 Four Seasons Love Motel
DAY 8 (Chiayi, Jiufen)
BREAKFAST: 四季精品汽車旅館 Four Seasons Love Motel
Depart to Chiayi
LUNCH: 紅花鐵板燒 Hong Hua Teppenyaki
Depart to Jiufen
SEE: 林老師鋼琴咖啡屋 Mr Lin Cafe
DINNER: Windsor B&B
STAY: Windsor B&B
DAY 9 (Jiufen)
BREAKFAST + LUNCH: Windsor B&B
Jiufen Free & Easy
DINNER: Friend’s House
At this stage, it is apparent that Taiwan is our favourite holiday destination as this is KampungBoy’s third time and my fourth time visiting Taiwan. It was a last minute decision made as our good friends from
(Hsu Da Ge and Chen Jie) asked if we would like to join them for a trip to Taitung (East Taiwan) and Kaohsiung (South Taiwan). We jumped at the opportunity, how often does one get to join the locals to go on a road trip in a foreign country?
Our Travel Route – Taipei, Taitung, Green Island, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Jiufen
We got these from Taiwan Visitors Association office at Wisma Goldhill. Remember to bring along a proof of your flight ticket to be entitled for these promotional gifts (varies from time to time).
WISMA GOLDHILL
Suite 25-01, Level 25,
Wisma Goldhill,
67 Jalan Raja Chulan,
50200 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Tel: 60-3-
We boarded onto Guo Guang bus which took us from the airport to the city (Nanjing East Road station). It is also within walking distance to our hotel. Not knowing which bus to take? Taoyuan Airport – Taipei transport information .
Checked into , a very trendy boutique hotel with great reviews at Trip Advisor.
Add: No.333, Nan-Jing E.Road, Sec. 3, Songshan Dist., Taipei City 105, Taiwan
Tel: +886-2-
Reservation Direct: +886-2-
Getting Here:
1-minute walk from Taipei Arena, 4-minute walk from Nan-Jing E. Rd. MRT Station (Wenshan Line)
Ningxia Night Market, a very popular night market amongst the locals for its distinctive Taiwanese snacks. From top left: Tainan Savoury Rice Pudding, Oyser Omelette, Stinky Tofu, Fried Yam Balls
Ningxia Night Market
Ningxia Rd., Datong District (between Nanjing W. Rd. and Minsheng W. Rd.)
Getting Here:
Alight at either Shuanglian MRT Station or Zhongshan MRT Station (Tamsui Line),walk towards west Chengde Rd. from Exit 1 for approximately 10 minutes.
Checked into , a new boutique hotel (opened February 2012) right smack in the middle of Ximending.
77, Wuchang street Section 2,
Taipei 10843,
Tel: +886 2
Getting Here:
Alight at Ximen Station (Banqiao Line and Xiaonanmen Line), walk towards Chengdu Road from Exit No.6, turn right to Kunming Street and walk for approximately 3 minutes until you see amba TAIPEI on your right.
“Lunch” at Agnes b Cafe, Takashimaya Tianmu as we went all the way to Tudong Market Tianmu 土东市场 only to find out that a very famous sushi/sashimi stand (阿吉师) that we wanted to try is CLOSED!
Agnes b Cafe @ Dayeh Takashimaya (and almost everywhere in Taipei)
Longshan Temple 艋舺龍山寺 is a famous and well known temple in Taiwan.
Getting Here:
Alight at Longshan Temple Station (Banqiao Line).
Chow’s Porridge 周记肉粥店 is highly recommended by us! Try the deep fried pork slices 紅燒肉, so delicious!
Add: No. 104號, Guǎngzhōu Street, Wanhua District Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Operating Hours：06:00~16:30
Getting Here:
Alight at Longshan Temple Station (Banqiao Line), turn right to Guangzhou Street as you see Longshan Temple right in front of you. Walk for 5 minutes.
剝皮寮 Bo Pi Liao, filming location of the movie Monga 艋舺
Getting Here:
Directly opposite 周記肉粥店 Chow’s Porridge
From Bo Pi Liao, we took a 15 minutes stroll back to Ximending (or 1 station away). As we walk along Kunming Street, we passed by Yong Fu Ice Cream 永富冰淇淋, a very famous ice cream parlour from the olden days. 3 scoops (flavour: yam, egg, passion fruit) for only NT 35.
Add: No. 68號貴陽街二段 Wanhua District
Taipei City, Taiwan 108
As we were nearing Ximending area, my sharp eye spotted Niu D an award winning beef noodles shop. Our bowl of signature beef noodles costs NT 220 and it tasted so good! Be prepared to queue though!
Add: No. 91号昆明街, Kūnmíng Street, Wanhua District
Taipei City, Taiwan 108
An overly ambitious late lunch as such left us in search of something “light” for dinner at Ximending shopping district – Okinawa Grilled Mochi, Taiwanese Sausage, Ah Zong Mee Sua (which sucks btw) and Jiguang Xiang Xiang Chicken.
Getting Here:
Alight at Ximen Station Exit 6 (Banqiao Line and Xiaonanmen Line).
We hired Jiang Gong to chauffer the 4 – 6 of us around for the next few days. He is charging NT
per day (depending on the distance) for 4-6 person in a car. Fuel, parking, driver’s food and driver’s accommodation all in. He is a very good driver and tour guide, you guys may email him at
to enquire.
Passed by Xueshan Tunnel (fifth longest road tunnel in the world) during our 8 hours road trip from Taipei to Taitung.
Lunch at some random restaurant by the highway – wild boar skin salad, wild vegetables, grilled wild boar, sakura shrimps.
Hsu Da Ge requested to stopped by Fugang Fish Market – talking about having the freshest sea produce that night!
Checked into Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿. The B&B owner Hwang Da G he offered to bring us around as checked in as a group of 6.
向阳山民宿
台東縣卑南鄉泰安村59號
+886 937 396696 / +886 8 9383626 (only in Mandarin/Hokkien)
We took room 302 located at the third floor. It was a decent room but remember to ask for room 206, which offers the best view and a canopy roof top for stars gazing at night.
Dinner at Facing Sun B&B Taitung 向阳山民宿’s garden. These were all whipped up by Hsu Da Ge within minutes! Hwang Da Ge made us roasted chicken and red bean rice too!
Hwang Da Ge, the owner of Facing Sun B&B invited his friends over and we had a great time making new friends.
East Taiwan is really a paradise, we were having coffee while looking up to the stars-filled sky!
Rise and shine! We woke up early every morning as the sun rises around 4-5 o’clock in the morning.
Off to Green Island (Lyudao, 绿岛) the next morning! We were at Fugang Harbour which offers ferry service to Green Island and Orchid Island. During summer months, the ferry departs every hour or so and costs NT450 one way. The best time to visit Green Island is between May – October.
We reached Green Island within one hour! It is a very small island with population of only 3000. There weren’t any traces of foreign tourists but
it is a locally popular scuba-diving destination. Hwang Da Ge is our tour guide for the next two days. He made KampungBoy stood at an elevated platform of swordfish fishing boat. Taiwan is soon losing this traditional method of swordfish fishing. They use long spear, as you can see from the picture.
We rented a scooter to tour the island (scooter rental NT300 per day, NT 60 fuel can lasts 2 days). Scooters can be found lining the roads around the harbor on Green Island. Most guesthouses include a scooter rental in their accommodation packages. We visited the Lyudao Light House and even went into the light house as Hwang Da Ge knows the light house manager. So cool!
We took this glass bottomed boat tour (NT 300 per person) not knowing what to expect. It is not the most exciting tour and there isn’t a huge variety of fish – not recommended.
Lunch at 18海簡餐, Lyudao Town. Lyudao Town is just a small stretch of road, so it is pretty easy for one to decide on lunch/dinner.
Most of the scenic spots are linked by the 16.3-kilometer round-the-is-land concrete highway. So after a 3 hours power nap from 12noon to 3pm, we began our island tour. Hwang Da Ge suggested so as 12noon-3pm can get really hot during the summer months, so it is advisable to stay indoor during that time.
We saw a lot of beautiful rocks and oceans – Green Island Park, General Rock, Gateway Rock, Guanyin Cave, Youzi Lake, Pekinese Dog Rocks, Sleeping Beauty Rock, Sail Cape, Black Ghost Cave…
Haicanping is located on the east of Green Island. It is a moon-shaped coral reef gulf formed from volcanic rock. There’s Pekinese Dog Rock and Sleeping Beauty Rock, as we looked from top.
Hwang Da Ge made us climbed down these flight of stairs for almost 30 minutes from the top.
We were greeted by this beautiful scenery as we came down. That’s the Sleeping Beauty Rock on the right. Saw the head, neck and torso?
He then rewarded us with mung bean ice and some buns which he carried on his bag pack. Look at my shitty sweaty face but I felt really special as we were having our tea time picnic at one of the most secluded spot of Green Island. *so touching*
KampungBoy stood under “the neck” of the sleeping beauty rock (refer to picture above).
Niutou Mountain is my favourite spot at Green Island! It is famous for its sunset view of Green Island.
We walked to the peak. It is a big green grass of prairie, which is the best location to watch the sea, the waves and the sunset.
Hsu Da Ge got cozy and almost fell asleep here.
Met and talked to two young girls from Taipei who came here for their summer break. Hwang Da Ge took out pots of hot coffee and paper cups from his “magic backpack” too. Admiring the gorgeous sun set view while having a cup of hot coffee is bliss!
Everyone just sit at the grassland, admiring the orange hue immerse the ocean and rocks. It was an unforgettable sight.
Dinner at 綠漁餐廳，strongly recommended by Hwang Da Ge. The lamb stew, seaweed pancake and 芡粿 (qian kueh, a traditional Green Island snack) were so delicious!
電話：089-672625
089-672469
source: guide.
After dinner, we proceeded to Chaori Hot Spring (NT200 per person), one of only three salt-water hot springs in the world. The temperature here stays between 53 and 90 degrees, changing according to the tides. The hot spring gets pretty crowded at night. It was quite an experience having hot spring under the stars, while taking in the cooling sea breeze.
Green Island Day 2: snorkeling at Da Bai Sha 大白沙 (NT400 per person). As you can see, snorkeling in Taiwan is one of the safest activities. We have to wear a full protective suit, with protective shoes and life jacket. A licensed person will be leading us along the snorkeling trail too. It was amazing! We saw alot of stunning coral gardens and too many colourful fishes to mention.
Green Island first served as an isolated spot for political prisoners during the Kuomintang single-party rule (especially during the White Terror). Those red roof top buildings were once the prison site.
We had two hours to kill before our ferry ride back to Fugang Harbour. Hwang Da Ge took us to an isolated cave for picnic (again!)
It was fun as we experienced man’s most natural way of life for a few hours!
I even walked out from the cave to catch us some fishes. The outcome? Failed BIG Time!
Back to Taitung and went to this “water running up” attraction. The water in the 1.8 km irrigation channel from Dulan appears to flow upwards. Beside the channel, a stone tablet inscribed with the word “Miracle” has been erected due to this mysterious phenomenon.
Dinner at 鲨鱼馆 (Shark’s Museum)。The owner of this restaurant is a well respected fisherman in Taitung. He has been keeping and preserving most of the shark bycatch (accidentally caught) along the coastal line. We were so impressed by some of the shark specimens displayed at the restaurant!
Dinner was great, as usual. We had tuna sashimi, grilled mullet roe (few slices costs RM 100+, so rich and creamy!), lobster miso soup, and some fishes.
breakfast – wild lobster porridge!
Nanan Waterfall @ Yushan National Park.
This 7-story waterfall is really magnificent. The water pressure was so strong that even from a distance, we can feel waves of cool mist. We sat at the bottom of the waterfall to get an “aqua-massage.”
It’s time for a real treat after we got wet at the waterfall! We drove up to Liushidan Mountain 六十石山 to have a picnic (yes, again!). Hwang Da Ge and Hsu Da Ge brought along mini stoves, foldable chairs and a hell loads of food – bakuteh soup noodles (serious!), steamed chicken, pickled vegetables, hot spring egg, chocolate brownies, ice cream, sugar cane, pineapples, mangoes, etc.
Dining with a View!
The Little Swiss of Taiwan!
group photo with the rest of Facing Sun B&B’s guests
Dinner was a simple but tasty fare at Taitung town.
Drove another 3 hours to Kaohsiung. Lunch was at this very popular Japanese BBQ restaurant – Tanzuomali 碳佐麻里
A 10 course set costs about NT 1500 per pax. It was very reasonable, given the amount and quality of food given to us. Highly recommended if you are planning to make a visit to Kaohsiung.
碳佐麻里（高美店）
Add: 高雄市鼓山區美術東四路562號, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Tel: 886 7 552 6555
Getting Here:
5 minutes walk from Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
Tea at friend’s place at Kaohsiung. They bought us some premium mangoes and lychees. *cries*
Kaohsiung Love River.
The riverbanks were beautified with greenery works and developed to be park areas, decorated with pillars chained with iron rope. The area becomes a romantic place for lovers to date with each other, therefore, the river was reputed as Love River.
Dragon and Tiger Pavillions at Lotus Lake
Spring and Autmn Pavillion at Lotus Lake
Popo Ice 婆婆冰- famous for it’s mountain tomatoes with special ginger dipping sauce. We bought 10 boxes!
Add: No. 135號, Qīxián 3rd Road, Yancheng District Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 803
Tel: 07-561-6695
Website: .tw/
Getting Here:
5 minutes walk form YanChengPu 鹽埕埔 station
Dinner at this very unique no name restaurant. The bosses are fish monger, butcher, vegetables seller and property agent by day. It also means that patrons will be having the best cut and the freshets seafood and vegetables here. Sometimes one does get free advises on property purchase too!
And true enough, it was the best meal we had in taiwan!
高雄市楠梓區軍校路923號
Tel: +866 988 129265
Checked into Four Seasons Love Motel. From the drive through check in counter, we drove in, directly into the basement where our room is. The rooms inside Four Seasons Love Motel range from luxury business hotel through to the full blown exotic type with pool and themed decoration. For only RM 300+ (published rack rate RM 700+), we got a 1200 sq ft room equipped with jacuzzi, indoor garden, living hall, 50 inch LCD tv, etc.
Four Seasons Love Motel
No. 1789號, Yùchéng Road, Gushan District
Kaohsiung City
Tel: 07-552-3322
There’s eve spa and a mini pool inside our room. No joke!
We stopped by Chiayi while driving back to Jiufen. Chiayi is famous for its “fen yuan” (grass jelly ball ice) and turkey rice. It is also a famous stopover for tourists flocking into Alishan.
Our friends took us to their favourite teppanyaki restaurant in Taiwan.
紅花鐵板燒 Hong Hua Teppenyaki
Add: 嘉義市大雅路二段412號
Tel: 05-2784682
For only NT1500 per pax, the food was easily the best Teppanyaki we have ever had! Just thinking about the jumbo size Hokkaido scallops and tiger prawns makes me drool.
It was already 7pm by the time we reached Jiufen. We went up to our friend’s cafe and saw the gorgeous view which brings back a lot of memories. This is our third time at Jiufen and we were so glad that we get to know Hsu Da Ge and Chen Jie who runs Windsor B&B. We became good friends since then, and they have been visiting Malaysia every year!
It was our third time staying here and our room – 日光涵馆1. Here’s some which we stayed in year 2009.
Hsu Da Ge took us to
Lin’s Music Cafe 林老師鋼琴咖啡屋 @ Jinguashi at night. There’s life performance every Saturday night, do drop by if you happened to be around Jianguashi/Jiufen. It is a great chilling place.
林老師鋼琴咖啡屋
Tel: +886 2 /+886
Good morning Jiufen! View from our room at Windsor B&B!
Breakfast at Windsor B&B’s cafe! Met and talked to three lovely Taiwanese ladies.
Jiufen, our favourite place in Taiwan. Read more about
Lunch at Windsor B&B’s cafe!
Sun set at Jiufen!
Hsu Da Ge cooking up a farewell feast for us! *sniff*
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