Inspired by Joshua Nguyen
By Brandon Vu
The first time I made
Thịt Kho
I struggled to cut the
Pork belly
So you pushed me aside
And took over
The second time I made it
I struggled to cut the
Shallots and garlic
so you smacked your lips
And pushed me
Again
Miles away, I tried a third time
And I struggled to find
The right ingredients
Okay…
Quail eggs
Because I can’t make
Hard-boiled eggs…
Sprite
Because I can’t find
the Coconut soda…
I ended up burning
The caramelized sugar
And didn’t let it simmer long enough
Because I was too eager
for you to try it
And when you did
You couldn’t help but
laugh.
Brandon Thein An Vu is a Vietnamese-American who lives in the Bay Area. He is an educator who focuses on empowering students through language.
Hot Pot Magazine 