Talong and Makizushi
Though there is a lack of south-east asian grocery stores here, there is a wonderful selection of (what the English refer to as asian) stores. A minute away I have access to a large array of foodstuffs surprisingly missing from the larger supermarkets in town; the best part is the more ‘exotic’ vegetable selection: small eggplant, okra, daikon, and (not my cup of tea:) bitter melon to name a few. The small eggplants I’ve observed the local store stocks have been either the thin variety or the plump ‘egg-shaped’ ones – either lend well for the dish tortang talong. The small rounder ones are more difficult to ‘smoosh’ but can alternatively be butterflied beforehand. The one in this lunch is meatless, though I don’t remember what my parents added to theirs.
Top tier
Top tier: Edamame skewer, tamagoyaki, tortang talong, grape tomatoes, sorrel leaf.
Bottom tier
Bottom tier: Makizushi (crabstick, mayonnaise, sesame seeds, spring onion, sriracha, avocado, carrot), sorrel leaf, edamame.
