FOOD FOR THOUGHT: khapoun

hands down, one of my favorite comfort foods, ever..! this dish is what we call khapoun. it's a savory coconut-based curry + fried chilies chicken and vermicelli noodle soup, quail eggs and bamboo... among a delicate combination of several other herbs and spices; garnished with cabbage, carrots, cilantro and green onions for texture and crunch! mmm... nostaglic complex flavors in this simple bowl :) absolutely divine!

although i've always enjoyed it, i don't think i've ever ordered it from a restaurant that had it on its menu. too easy of a dish to half-ass if not prepared with the love and care it deserves. even if it's "passable," i heart it too much to let anything less than amazing fly when it comes to khapoun in paricular. and like most soups, it's definitely the best serves after a day!

i've seen people adding similar condiments they do for pho - a vietnamese noodle soup - in their khapoun; call me old-fashioned, but i think that's the wrongest thing of all! maybe i've been spoiled all my life, but if made correctly, this dish needs no additional seasonings for it's the fusion of the herbs and spices stewing in tandem with the broth - coconut, fried garlic/chilies and curry - that makes it robust and hearty in and of itself! anything extra, other than a spritz of lime juice, just overpowers it - either that, or it's not good to begin with and needs to be masked. haha, jk. at least that's how i've always had it :) and yes, it's always been that good! mmm.


what's your go to comfort food?