Feed me; lazy afternoon at the restaurant

Lazy afternoon at Don Khon, one of the many Islands on the Mekong river in Laos. Ideal for a drink or an afternoon snack at a local restaurant. The area is known as Si Phan Don or 4000 Islands.

Fennel Soup

Ingredients; 2 medium sized bulbs of fennel, chicken stock 30 cl, coconut milk 15 cl, light soy sauce 1 tbsp, fish sauce 1 tbsp, kurkuma 3-4 tsp, palm sugar 2 tsp, juice of half a lemon, oil 2 tbsp, chili oil 1 tbsp, fresh ginger 2 cm (peeled, cut in big chunks), tom yam paste 2 tsp (or 1 tom yam stock cube).

Trim and slice the fennel, keep the top green for dressing. Heat a wok, add oil. Stir fry the fennel on low heat until almost soft (add a little water to keep it from burning). Add chicken stock, tom yam paste, ginger and coconut milk, bring to the boil. add soy sauce, fish sauce and kurkuma.
Add the lemon juice and sugar. Taste and add more lemon juice or sugar to your liking.
Serve and dress with the finely chopped green from the fennel and some chili oil.

I add a few shrimp dumpling a few minutes before serving.