Columbiyum is BACK! 🥳 Before the school year starts again, we wanted to share some amazing food we've had this summer. And speaking of this year — we have a fantastic lineup of restaurants coming up!

Owen:

The first dish we're featuring is the Iranian dish قورمه‌ سبزی or Ghormeh Sabzi, along with کشک بادمجان (Kashk Bademjan) and bread from a local Afghan bakery. Ghormeh Sabzi has easily topped the charts as one of the best dishes I've ever cooked. Lamb is stewed for hours with a bright-green herb mixture of cilantro, parsley, fenugreek, chives, and green onion, then followed with limoo amani (dried Omani limes) and black-eyed peas, keeping to the north-Iranian style of preparation. (side note if the dish's name sounded familiar — yes! — ghormeh is linguistically related to the South Asian korma)

My second dish is Züri-Gschnätzlets, originating in Zürich. I was lucky enough to try this with family in Switzerland a year ago, and since then have been dreaming of having it again. Although its origins have been traced to Austria in the 19th century, the dish rose in popularity after a 1947 cookbook by Rosa Graf, which labeled it as from Zürich. Regardless of its origins, this mushroom, wine, and heavy cream-based dish is unmatched in comfort. Seared strips of beef (traditionally veal but 🥹) and a crispy rösti to accompany make for a dish able to melt the heart of even the coldest of finance bros.

Quoc:

Re-exploring the streets of Hanoi, the historical city opened up in front of my eyes. I was in charge of my own directions, my stomach leading the rest of the body: phở Bát Đàn, phở gốc cây đa, phở gà nam ngư, bún riêu, mỳ vằn thắn số 9 Hàng Chiếu, bún dọc mùng, bít tết Ngọc Hiếu,… Included here: phở bò sốt vang at Kinh Đô Cafe.

Besides Hanoi, Central Vietnam welcomed me with open arms. The aggressive sun although fuming in day, when night comes the sweet wind, shady clouds, and cool air blow through the landscape. Wide open roads, not yet as busy as the streets of Hanoi, let one flow around organically. Mì quảng, bún bò huế, bánh bột lọc, bánh canh, bánh nậm, chè bột lọc thịt nướng, bánh kẹp Đà Nẵng,… Included here: bánh canh at an open market in Đà Nẵng.