Angus Nguyen

Angus Nguyen Hi there! Name's Angus. I’m a Vietnamese-Canadian guy who loved sharing recipes and inspiring others to have fun with cooking!

06/17/2026

Kohakutou - Japanese Crystal Candy 🍬

If you’ve seen people buying the Silky Gem brand of these candies…I need you to know how cheap it is to just make them yourself at home. Recipe below!

Ingredients:

½ cup water
1 tsp agar agar powder (3g)
1 cup sugar (215g)
Flavor (e.g. lychee in this video)
Food coloring

1. Dissolve agar agar powder in water and bring to a simmer and stirring til dissolved.

2. Add in sugar, stir until dissolved and then mix in your desired flavouring. Simmer (small bubbles) for about 5 minutes until it thickens into a syrupy texture. Be careful not to over boil (it will spill over and make a mess).

3. Pour into a square or rectangular heat resistant container (or into candy molds) and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Add food coloring into whatever design or color scheme you like.

4. Cool in fridge for 2-3 hours until completely set, then remove from the container and use a knife to cut into whatever shapes you like. Tip: pile up any cuttings to form unique clusters.

5. Place on parchment paper and let dry on the counter for 4-7 days. As it dries the moisture leaves the surface and causes the sugars to crystallize, forming a crispy exterior while keeping a jelly like consistency inside!

Store in airtight jars. This is a fun one to make with friends and family!

06/13/2026

Cinnamon Pork Belly 🔥🍖

This recipe was inspired by cinnamon pork (Chả quế) and the auto-rotating pork belly on charcoal at many night markets in Vietnam.

Ingredients

* 2 lbs pork belly, cut into 1½-inch cubes
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 shallots, minced
* 1 tbsp fish sauce
* 2 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
* 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
* 2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

Glaze

* 1 tbsp honey
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tsp fish sauce

Instructions

1. Combine all marinade ingredients and toss with the pork belly until evenly coated.
2. Marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
3. Thread onto skewers or place in a grill basket.
4. Barbecue over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 25–35 minutes until the fat has rendered and the pork is deeply golden.
5. Brush with the glaze during the last 5–10 minutes of cooking.
6. Continue cooking until caramelized and lightly charred around the edges.
7. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

The cinnamon and five-spice give this pork belly a flavor somewhere between Vietnamese chả quế and Chinese BBQ pork, while the barbecue creates crispy caramelized edges and juicy, tender bites.

FYI, the auto rotisserie I’m testing in this video was gifted to me by Roto Q!

06/11/2026

Sweet Poke Sauce 🍣 🥗

Sauce Ingredients:

* 3 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tbsp mirin
* 1 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
* 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
* 1 tsp rice vinegar
* ½ tsp grated ginger
* Optional: ½ tsp ponzu sauce for brightness

Whisk together until smooth.

For 1 lb (450g) salmon or tuna

1. Cut the fish into ½-inch cubes.
2. Toss gently with the sauce until evenly coated.
3. Add:
* 2 green onions, thinly sliced
* 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
* Optional: 2 tbsp finely diced sweet onion
4. Refrigerate for 15–30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Tip: If serving over rice, reserve 1–2 tbsp of the sauce before mixing with the fish and drizzle it over the bowl just before serving. Top with avocado, cucumber, edamame, seaweed salad, crispy lettuce, and mango for the ultimate homemade poke bowl. 🍣🥑🥭

06/10/2026

Black Sesame Butter Mochi 🖤

Chewy, bouncy, coconutty, and packed with nutty toasted black sesame flavor. Black sesame is also traditionally prized for supporting healthy hair, so consider this self-care disguised as dessert. 😉

Ingredients

• 1 bag (400g) glutinous rice flour (Mochiko)
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 1 cup toasted black sesame seeds, finely ground
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 large eggs
• 1 can (400ml) Aroy-D coconut milk
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Toast the black sesame seeds until fragrant, then grind into a fine powder.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, coconut milk, melted butter, vanilla, and ground black sesame.
4. Add the glutinous rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until completely smooth.
5. Pour into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
6. Sprinkle evenly with the black and white sesame seeds.
7. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is all golden brown. **If any part of the mochi rises or bubbles up, simply use a skewer or toothpick to poke and release the trapped air.
8. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Save this one for the black sesame lovers. 🖤

06/09/2026

Northern-Style Chicken Pho (Phở Gà Bắc) 🍜

Broth:
• Bones from 2-3 chickens
• 1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
• 2-3 shallots
• 3 thick slices of ginger
• 1 pho spice packet (or: 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 black cardamom pods, 4 cloves)
• 3 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp rock sugar
• Fish sauce to taste
• 6-7L water
* Quẩy (Chinese style fried dough sticks)

1️⃣ Char the onion and ginger until blackened in spots. Lightly rinse.

2️⃣ Cover bones with cold water, boil 5 min, then drain and rinse well. Clean the pot.

3️⃣ Toast the pho spices in a dry pan for 1-2 min until fragrant.

4️⃣ Add bones, onion, ginger, spices, and water to a large stockpot. Bring to a gentle simmer and skim foam for the first 30 min. Avoid a rolling boil.

5️⃣ After 45 min, carefully lower in the whole chicken. Gently poach for 35-45 min, or until cooked through. Remove and ice bath for 10 min to keep the meat silky.

6️⃣ Continue simmering the broth for another 3-4 hours. Season with salt, rock sugar, and fish sauce, then let everything simmer together for another 20-30 minutes so the flavours meld.

7️⃣ Remove the bones, aromatics, and spices, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. The broth should taste slightly saltier than you’d drink on its own and be primarily chicken-forward.

8️⃣ Prep the toppings: slice or shred the breast and thighs, and finely chop onion, green onion, and cilantro.

9️⃣ Blanch pho noodles and divide into bowls. Top with chicken and the chopped herbs. Ladle over hot broth and serve with quẩy, lime, and chilies.

💡 Using dried pho noodles? Soak them in warm water for 1 hour first, then blanch in boiling water just until tender. This helps them cook evenly and prevents a gummy texture.

⭐ in Vietnam this is often also served with sliced chillies and pickled sliced garlic!

06/08/2026

Breaking down a whole chicken 🍗 🐓

It’s really not that hard, I promise!!

06/07/2026

Spicy Honey Garlic Pork Belly 🥓 🥬 🔥

All cooked in one pan/pot too!

Ingredients

* 1 lb pork belly, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
* 6 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 tbsp gochujang
* 1 tbsp sriracha
* 1 tbsp honey
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tsp dark soy sauce
* 1/3 cup water

Instructions

1️⃣ Place the pork belly slices in a cold non-stick pan in a single layer. No oil needed.

2️⃣ Turn the heat to medium and cook until both sides develop a deep golden crust and the pork has rendered some of its fat.

3️⃣ Add the crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4️⃣ Stir in the gochujang, sriracha, honey, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and water.

5️⃣ Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6️⃣ Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce reduces into a sticky, glossy glaze.

Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with rice and a side veggie or with lettuce to make lettuce wraps!

06/05/2026

Deboning chicken to save money 🍗 🔪

Deboned chicken thighs are usually 2-3x the prices of bone-in and skin on chicken, so doing it yourself can be a great way to save money! And you get to keep the bones to make a delicious bone broth for pho or soups!

Lemongrass Chicken Recipe:

*3 lbs of boneless chicken thighs
* 3 tbsp minced lemongrass (about 3 stalks)
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 large shallots, minced
* 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
* 3 tbsp fish sauce
* 2 tbsp oyster sauce
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 3 tbsp brown sugar (or white sugar)
* 1 tbsp honey (helps with caramelization and tenderness)
* 1 tbsp neutral oil
* 1 tsp black pepper

06/05/2026

What has your Pizza “Hut” turned into?? 🍕🛖

One of the huts here in Ottawa, Canada has turned into a Kawartha Dairy, which is an iconic Ontario/Canadian ice cream brand (from Kawartha Lakes).

These buildings are scattered across the globe like “relics” of the recent past - when Pizza Hut dominated the industry before take out and delivery ex ploded letting other players take their slices of the pie.

I’m curious: what business took over the Pizza Hut in your town? 👇

Address

Ottawa, ON

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