Ingredients: (serves 10) Longan Coated Lotus Seed Sweet Soup - Fresh lotus seed: 300 seeds    - Longan: 2kg  - Sugar: 700g                         - Vanilla: 1 tube  - Pineapple leaf: 100g              - Water: 2 litre Preparation: - Remove the lotus seed shells and then take their score out. - Steam the lotus seeds for 15 minutes over low heat and add pineapple leaf to create the flavour. When the lotus seeds become soft, take them out and leave them to drain. - Cook sugar with water and pineapple leaf and then filter by sieve. - Remove the longan shells and pits and put one lotus seed inside one longan. Put the longan into the prepared syrup and cook for five minute. Add the vanilla. - Scoop the mixture into small bowls and freeze them before serving. Address:     La Thom Restaurant 778/45 Nguyen Kiem, Ward 4, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (08) 8445500  Story by Thinh Phat - Photo by Kim Son