Eat Local Miami 

3458 Southwest 8th Street
Miami, FL 33135-4108


Over the weekend my friend Wendy took me to the yummiest Vietnamese restaurant ever!

Besides the delicious freshly squeezed lemonade I had, Hy Vong has a full selection of Vietnamese dishes (rice, noodles, salads, etc). We started with the most crisp and delish spring rolls you'll ever have... Anything but bland, you dip this likeable hand held treat directly into a sauce consisting of fish sauce, sweet vinegar and hot chilies...Definitely order some if you go.

While I was impressed by the rolls, I was also equally impressed by the super high level of service. It’s something you might expect at a nice hotel, but not a Vietnamese restaurant let alone at ground zero of Calle Ocho!

This gem of a "hole-in-the -wall" restaurant serves "classic" Vietnamese food like Pho, the salubrious national soup dish, chock full of any kind of meat your heart desires. Rare beef is king here, as are navel, stomach, brisket and sweet slices of smoked then grilled barbequed pork.

I ordered curry chicken with sweet potatoes and my friend made out like a bandit with this uber delicious pastry wrapped chicken. My God it was sooooo good!
All the dishes are served with passion as this is a family operation. They are especially known for their spicy preparations, such as their beef sate. I am a fanatic for this combination of crispy cooked beef (nice and fatty: read tasty) onions, sate sauce and hot chili peppers.

This little spot gets packed and it can take a bit long to get your food but trust me its worth the wait!

I've begun a new hobby.. veggie gardening.
 
I've tried to grow things before but it would just die. This time however, I'm making sure it thrives!

It all started from a little basil plant I purchased one day. The moment I used its fresh leaves for a recipe I was hooked! The taste was amazing. There is just nothing better than fresh, local stuff!
 
Buying the wood and dirt was the easy part especially since I had my boyfriend make the bed for me! It was actually quite easy and cheap. Those pre-made beds can be a bit too expensive... make it a project and you'll save tons of money and have fun doing it!

Just take a look at mine... The only hard part was choosing what to grow!

After much hard work... we finally got it up and ready... i planted onions, peppers, tomatoes, oregano, mint, rosemary... I'm so happy! If you want to see the construction of the bed, just let me know I have tons of pics!

If you need some advice or help in making a bed of your own, let me know! George can make one for you too! I'm all for helping you get the best eats-- even if its from your own backyard!