🛒 Shopping List — Block 37–40: Southeast Asian

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Where to shop: A Southeast Asian grocery (or combined Asian supermarket) is ideal. You need: fresh wide rice noodles, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, dried shrimp, shrimp paste (terasi), kecap manis, palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, unripe green papaya, laksa paste or spice ingredients, and fresh herbs (Thai basil, Vietnamese mint, laksa leaf).

⚠️ Equipment Check

[ ] Wok — essential for nasi goreng and pad see ew; cast iron acceptable but wok preferred
[ ] Mortar and pestle — for som tam (clay mortar preferred for Thai salads)
[ ] Pressure cooker or Instant Pot — for pho gà (Tue Block 40) and pho bò (Tue Block 39)
[ ] Bamboo skewers — soaked 30 min before grilling (satay Sat Block 39)
[ ] Fine-mesh strainer — for pho broth

🥩 Proteins — Block 37

[ ] Shrimp — 1 lb, peeled (Mon Pad Thai)
[ ] Beef bones with marrow — 2–3 lbs (Tue pho broth)
[ ] Beef brisket or eye round — 1 lb (Tue pho — cooked brisket slice + raw thin-sliced for bowl)
[ ] Chicken thighs — 1 lb (Sat satay)

🥩 Proteins — Block 38

[ ] Beef or chicken — 1 lb, thinly sliced (Mon Pad See Ew)
[ ] Whole chicken — 3.5–4 lbs (Tue Pho Gà — break it down yourself)
[ ] Pork belly — 1 lb (Wed Banh Mi — marinate + roast or braise)
[ ] Beef chuck — 2 lbs (Fri Rendang — cut into 3-inch chunks)
[ ] Eggs — 1 dozen (nasi goreng, banh mi egg, various)
[ ] Extra firm tofu — 1 block (laksa Fri Block 39; optional pad Thai Mon Block 39)

🌿 Fresh Southeast Asian Aromatics (Asian Market)

[ ] Lemongrass — 4 stalks
[ ] Galangal — 1 small piece (or substitute ginger; not the same)
[ ] Fresh ginger — 1 large piece
[ ] Kaffir lime leaves — 1 pack (fresh or frozen)
[ ] Thai bird's eye chiles — 1 small bag (very hot; use with care)
[ ] Fresh turmeric — 1 small piece (or use 1 tsp ground)
[ ] Lime — 12 (used every day)
[ ] Thai basil — 2 bunches
[ ] Vietnamese mint / perilla — 1 bunch (pho + banh mi)
[ ] Cilantro — 3 bunches
[ ] Green onions — 2 bunches
[ ] Unripe green papaya — 1 (Sat Block 37 som tam; must be rock hard)
[ ] Cucumber — 6 (sides + banh mi + various)
[ ] Bean sprouts — 2 bags
[ ] White onion + red onion — 4 each

🥫 Southeast Asian Pantry (Asian Market)

[ ] Fish sauce — 1 bottle (Tiparos, Red Boat, or Megachef)
[ ] Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) — 1 bottle (nasi goreng Wed Block 39)
[ ] Fermented shrimp paste / terasi — 1 small block (nasi goreng; laksa rempah)
[ ] Coconut milk — 4 cans (satay marinade, laksa, rendang)
[ ] Desiccated coconut — 1 cup (rendang kerisik — toast until dark golden and grind to paste; this is what makes rendang rendang)
[ ] Tamarind paste (or block) — 1 jar/block
[ ] Palm sugar — 1 block (or substitute light brown sugar)
[ ] Oyster sauce — 1 bottle (Pad See Ew Mon Block 40)
[ ] Soy sauce (light) — 1 bottle
[ ] Hoisin sauce — small jar (pho tableside)
[ ] Sriracha — 1 bottle
[ ] Sambal oelek — 1 jar
[ ] Dried shrimp — 1 small bag (som tam, rempah)
[ ] Peanuts — roasted, unsalted — 2 cups (pad Thai + satay sauce)
[ ] Sesame oil — toasted
[ ] Prawn crackers (krupuk) — 1 bag (nasi goreng garnish)

🍝 Noodles and Rice

[ ] Flat rice noodles, thin (sen lek) — 1 lb (Pad Thai Mon Block 39)
[ ] Wide rice noodles, fresh (sen yai) — 1 lb (Pad See Ew Mon Block 40) — buy day of if possible
[ ] Pho rice noodles (medium width) — 1 pack (pho Tue both weeks)
[ ] Jasmine rice — 5-lb bag
[ ] Glutinous rice (sticky rice) — 2 lbs (Sat Block 37 som tam always comes with sticky rice — eat it with your hands; also served with satay)
[ ] Rice already cooked and cooled for nasi goreng — cook night before

🌿 Banh Mi Components (Wed Block 40)

[ ] Daikon radish — 1 small (pickle)
[ ] Carrots — 4 (pickle)
[ ] White vinegar — for pickle
[ ] French baguettes or hoagie rolls — light, crackly crust mandatory
[ ] Pork liver pâté or store-bought liverwurst — for classic banh mi
[ ] Vietnamese chili garlic sauce (Huy Fong) — for banh mi

🌹 Pho Aromatics

[ ] Onion — 2 (charred for pho)
[ ] Ginger — charred for pho
[ ] Star anise — 4 pods
[ ] Cinnamon stick — 2
[ ] Whole cloves — 4
[ ] Cardamom pods — 2
[ ] Rock sugar or regular sugar — small amount (pho broth finish)