Wandering Adventure Party

Really don’t care for cabbage. My mom always said it smells like pig slop, not that I’ve ever smelled pig slop. But yeah I never liked it and I think that had something to do with it lol.

I feel a bit guilty eating instant noodles too, so I usually eat them whenever I happen to have leafy greens in the fridge to make it more balanced.
If you’re interested, there are lots to choose from at your local Asian grocery store (here’s a good list). Many varieties of cabbage, bok choy, spinach, mustard greens, etc. that go well in soups and hotpots. Or blanch and eat them on the side (when lazy, I just season with soy sauce, or save a bit of the hot water and mix in some chicken bouillon).

Other than that, I like adding kimchi.

For protein, yeah I just throw in an egg.

Sometimes I add mustard if I want some acidity in the broth. My dad turned me on to this. It works surprisingly well lol I think it’s more interesting than vinegar.

Does bouillon count? I tend to use that in place of salt (I think salt is boring) so it goes in almost everything. Other than that, it’s a tie between black pepper, garlic, and onion powder. I don’t use that much in spices actually lol rather use the whole ingredient.

Well I wasn’t gonna say anything So right off the bat I’m seeing bell peppers(?), garlic, and lemongrass which do not go in pho. Don’t use cooking wine/sake - if it’s for acidity, using lime is typical. Rice noodles instead of glass. Needs herbs like basil and cilantro. Also this is nitpicky, but gà literally means “chicken.”
But you know, OP gets away with it because they said “inspired” and made with ingredients they had

Comfort food indeed! I always associate congee with foods you eat when you’re sick. Like the equivalent chicken noodle soup. Blame my parents. xD

Shredded chicken, ginger, fried shallots, and cilantro go well together too

Hmm, I’ll try the happy music someday. I’m usually listening to metal lol. xD

Non-music but my trick is to breathe something herbal, or this is really bad, but breathe an alcohol pad lol. Instant dome to the head in dire situations. Helps a looootttt.

I’m sure it tasted great! Plus it’s always awesome when people cook your cuisine:) The spices and aromatics look good, it gets the core flavor down. It doesn’t hurt to throw in a couple extra cinnamon sticks and star anise. Also add cardamom. I also like adding bean sprouts myself

For Asian recipes in general, I usually look up youtube videos. Bonus points if it’s not in English (but hopefully translations provided). You get very authentic recipes that way, instead of recipe articles where you don’t know who heck wrote it lol

Oh, I had no idea about the central version! My family is from the south so lemongrass sounded really wrong to me, like bun bo hue territory lol. I’m going to Vietnam in a few months actually — will be fun to explore more of the country and try all the regional dishes and variations.

I die inside when I see people peel off perfectly good fish skin lol. Like dude don’t waste, give that deliciousness to me