I told people that I have been sticking to one-pot dishes because as a college student, I don’t have that much time for cooking and laying out food dishes. I need food that’s convenient for on-the-go meals, can be stored for a few days in containers, and doesn’t take more than 1 hour to prepare + cook but is still healthy.
My classic combination contains three elements: a Carb base + a protein + sauce. For example, I choose rice, chicken, and terriyaki and I can just make teriyaki chicken rice with boiled spinach and pack them into lunch boxes. I also really like fusion food, so my flavors and food is a good mix of many cultures.
Where do I get inspiration for my food? I have a few YouTube and Instagram chefs that I love and have tried multiple dishes recommended by them. Here is a list of them:
This guy seems to be a Vietnamese International Student, studying and living in Melbourne, Australia. Actually, he might be working in a well-known restaurant there now. His videos are ASMR and sometimes you have to watch the whole video to see what ingredients you need for the food. However, they are very short, aesthetic, and easy to follow and to make, so that’s not a huge con for me.
Today I actually made Vietnamese panfried chicken (fried chicken with fish sauce) by following this video. The dish tasted amazing and reminded me so much of Vietnamese tastes!
Marion’s videos are very well done and professional. I think she has a whole crew behind every single on of her video. Being half white and half Thai and having a mom who is great at cooking inspired her to explore the fusion aspect of food and bring out many creative recipes.
I will forever remember the time that I put peanut butter in my udon dish with doubt and how amazing the food turned out to be!
I knew this account because LL recommended it to me. I have never tried any of these dishes (because they are so hard to follow and they require a ton of ingredients), but they are super authentic. I saw how the food is made and the kinds of ingredients she bought and I thought to myself that I would pay 50 for a meal cooked by her with a generous tip.
The other day I saw a video of her preparing a ton of Vietnamese fresh spring rolls for her daughters to sell at school!
Hopefully one day I can convince DN to make these dishes with me and we will have a feast together!
Trang "Tee" Nguyen 