Midweek gems #59

Viet book fest + a Chinese American classic + what the heck is a combi oven?

I’ve yet to fully acclimate to daylight savings time. Have you? If anyone has tips for how to adjust smoothly, please share them! I haven’t gotten a decent good night’s sleep since the time change. I initially blamed it on post-menopause but Rory said that he also had not slept well since we had to move our clocks forward. We know it will pass.

Meantime, Vietnam does not adhere to daylight savings time. My brother, Dan, is vacationing there right now and this morning (his late night), he sent this video of a Hanoi bánh cuốn rice roll vendor:

That is the old school method. It’s tricky and you have to make the rice batter just right and have a special pot rigged up for steaming the batter. The egg is a novelty filling from northeastern Vietnam. Typically, the filling is pork and mushroom, or veggie. My workaround is a much easier rice paper hack published in my book, Ever-Green Vietnamese (see page 77); my mom hailed that bánh cuốn recipe as a game changer.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted Midweek Gems and I’ve been collecting some fun things for your consideration.

💎 Meet me at Viet Book Fest!

Twenty years ago when I wrote my first book, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, no one organized Vietnamese American authors. That’s drastically changed, thanks to a younger crop of authors and events like the annual Viet Book Fest in Santa Ana, California. I’ll be speaking on this afternoon panel:

Knowing my fellow authors, it will be a spicy conversation. Join us if you’re nearby.

Check the Viet Book Fest’s full schedule for the full day’s run of show. Organized by the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA), Viet Book Fest is FREE but please reserve a ticket through Eventbrite.

💎 Eng’s, a 2026 Beard Award Classic

Speaking of Asian American heritage, many of us were introduced to Chinese food through mom-and-pop restaurants serving up Cantonese dishes. Those spots fed us quickly, affordably, and deliciously yet they often are unnoticed and under appreciated.

This year, the James Beard Foundation announced that it is awarding an American Classic award to Eng’s, a 99-year-old Chinese American restaurant in Kingston, a small town in upstate New York.

What is a Beard Classic award about? It is given to longstanding, beloved restaurants that have enhanced their communities. The restaurant business is hard and longevity is rare. If you last for decades, you deserve a medal, at the least.

Operating since 1927, Eng’s was Kingtson’s first Chinese restaurant. Over the years, it has moved and expanded locations and is currently owned and operated by Tom and Faye Sit. They are the parents of a friend of mine, Jennifer Sit.

Tom and Faye Sit of Eng’s. They look fit and youthful for folks who’ve been in the business for over 50 years. Source: James Beard Foundation.

Jennifer is one of the best cookbook editors around. But she still has time now and then to put in a shift at Eng’s to help with the dinner rush for dine-in and takeout orders. Her parents are aged but they remain engaged with the business, she’s told me.

Eng’s restored midcentury dining room, “smorgasbord” buffet, and signage harken back to a different era. There’s even live music nowadays to draw diners in for sit-down meals. Source: Eng’s restaurant.

What makes a Chinese American classic menu? So many things. For instance, Eng’s menu includes a pu pu platter and tropical chicken on skewers. There are also Cantonese sub gum stir-fries, which feature a main protein supported by a colorful melange of other ingredients. “Sub gum” is similar to the Vietnamese notion of thập cẩm (a well-curated assortment of flavors, textures and color). On modern Chinese restaurants menus, subgum has been replaced by phrasing like “chicken and mixed vegetable stir-fry'“ which lacks pizzazz.

Seeing Eng’s get the national spotlight warmed my heart so much. There are countless restaurants like it all over the country. They make a difference in their communities by keeping flavors and traditions alive.

Read more about Tom Sit from the Beard Foundation’s awards page and check out Eng’s Restaurant if you’re in the area!

💎 What is a combi oven?

Many of you have expressed interest in multi-use compact kitchen appliances. I’ve been thinking about combi ovens because some of my chef friends adore how they cook with steam (wet) and conventional (dry) heat, or both. Professional combis are expensive but Ninja makes a good, affordable unit for home use. Last week, I purchased one and have been playing with it. There are fourteen (14!) functions so my evaluations will take time.

The Ninja Combi and my focaccia test (I baked one in the combi and the other in my regular oven).

This combi oven is quirky but it shows promise. I’m impressed after a week, though Rory is on the fence. I like the baking and air-frying functions, thus far. I just wrote up my preliminary experiences and made a couple short videos to show you how the combi oven works. Learn more about the combi oven and weigh in at the website.

I hope you’ve been thinking about nước chấm since last weekend. Coming this Sunday is something to enjoy with your Viet dipping sauce!