Stop Five, Hanoi 25/04/2015 - 31/05/2015
(Written by Him)
(Written by Him)
Ok, we have been in Vietnam 7 weeks+ now. We have travelled the length of the country from Saigon to Hanoi. You have travelled with us, seeing what we see and experiencing the culture through our eyes. Its time to discuss the taste sensation.....food blog ahoy!
Every worldly-wise author, Joe Bloggs tripadvisor etc. mentioned in one form or another that the food in Vietnam would be amazing. On reflection, I am not sure that many (if any) travel writers have ever admitted that the indigenous cuisine of any country is terrible, to be avoided, and visitors should simply hope they can find the local McDonalds. That just isn't done, is it. Anyway, based on such glowing references we were very optimistic and eager to try the local delicacies.
Giving Vietnamese food a very fair try, we have eaten everywhere from the knee high plastic chairs of street side Bun stands to the french fusion gastronomy of the fine dining nha hang. We've paid everything from 0.50 cents to $15 for a meal. We have sampled pork, beef, fish and shell fish, vegetables, noodles of every variety and of course plenty of rice. Lamb does not feature, a woolly jacket in the Vietnamese heat....it would be animal cruelty.
So what is the verdict after such rigorous experimentation???
The food is; 'grand like'.
(We say this so often it has become a running joke). While we acknowledge that we may be difficult to impress, there is no denying that we have been wholly underwhelmed since our arrival. Nevertheless, let me recap on some of the highlights:
So what is the verdict after such rigorous experimentation???
The food is; 'grand like'.
(We say this so often it has become a running joke). While we acknowledge that we may be difficult to impress, there is no denying that we have been wholly underwhelmed since our arrival. Nevertheless, let me recap on some of the highlights:
| 1. Our first day in Saigon we ate fresh spring rolls at Bến Thành Market, softened rice paper wrapped around fresh vegetables, shrimp and pork with a tasty dip. It was fresh and the setting exciting and the flavours good. |  |
 | 2. We continued with fried Mekong Catfish on the bone. I had no idea what to expect when I ordered this and what arrived was a simple, whole, fried fish with pickled lemon peel or something similar and tasty dip. I cleared my plate and enjoyed the meal but it was a simple fried fish |
| 3. In Da Nang, we ate whole baby squid (head and all) fried, served in a light sauce with vegetables and noodles. Memorable, different and very fresh! We also tried "beef porridge" here which again was....different?! |  |
 | 4. Also in Da Nang we visited a restaurant famous for its clay-pot rice, in fact that is the literal translation of the restaurant's name. We both ordered a portion in mouth watering anticipation. Rice baked in its own steam in a clay-pot. If the rice had arrived on a simple plate I cant swear I would have noticed any difference |
| 5. In Hoi An we sampled the local specialties of Cao Lau (pho with croutons) and White Rose (noodle ravioli with shrimp and pork). They certainly looked great and were both very edible but I felt the flavours were restrained and there could have been more to it. |  |
 | 6. We completed our first cooking course in Hoi An, making spring rolls and Banh Xeo (a savoury pancake of shrimp, pork, mung bean and green veg). Once again all very acceptable but the difference in flavours simply did not reflect the distance we have travelled from home. |
| 7. In Hue we of course had to try the famous Bun Bo Hue (beef noodle soup with chili). It was again very agreeable but tasted like standard pho with a little added heat, no more. |  |
 | 8. In Hanoi we have been making every effort to get around the food zeitgeist.... Banh mi, quintessentially Vietnamese, this street food is a mixture of French and local styles being a fresh baguette filled with the specific vendors specialty. I have had a three meat Banh Mi which included pate, very tasty (recommended), and a BBQ pork skewer style, again very acceptable. |
| 9. Pigs trotter pho, I had high hopes for this dish having sampled fabulous trotter dishes both at home and in Paris. Disappointing. Plain boiled trotter chopped into pho. Nothing special had been done with this unique ingredient and I am quite sure I was overcharged for the pleasure (double to be exact). A bad taste left in the mouth on every level. |  |
 | 10. Dry beef pho, a novel experience and well worth trying. I was pleasantly surprised by a Bun Bo Nam Bo consisting of lightly fried beef pieces, greens, noodles and a spike of lime juice with some dried onion & shrimp. Certainly worth a try but not mind blowing either. |
The Vietnamese are fiercely proud of their cuisine to the extent that one young woman told me even though she had moved to Hanoi for University she would always want to move back to her home town (a mere 100km away) because the food there was so much better. Of course they are right to be proud, the food is local, very fresh and often traditionally prepared. These are the gastronomic traits most of us in the West now go out of our way to achieve in an era of convenience foods and GM produce. Having said that I find myself with a new respect for the better restaurants in our own Isle. The "authentic Asian" place down town is certainly not far from the genuine article and our exposure to such tastes at home has perhaps reduced many of our experiences here to "Oh ya, that's exactly like what we get from that place back home".
International Cuisine
Stop Five, Hanoi 25/04/2015 - 31/05/2015
(Written by Her)
(Written by Her)
We have been in Vietnam for far longer than the average backpacker and as such the food novelty has perhaps become a little bland. On numerous occasions we have decided to branch outside the traditional Vietnamese menu and try dishes from other exotic parts. In fact, we found that the choice and quality of international cuisine, particularly in Hanoi, is exceptional. While this sounds very positive, unfortunately little miss expensive tastes has fallen in love with some of the more luxurious restaurants in the city, often leaving our wallets a little worse for wear! I am always happier paying $0.50 for dinner even if it means sitting on tiny plastic chairs in the middle of the footpath. Anyway, I will let her take over & run through some of her favourites!
French
Fine French dining in La Verticale, hidden deep in the French Quarter. We couldn't resist the set lunch menu of 3 courses for as little as $15 per person. Just think what we would pay in France (at least that's what I was saying). He had pork belly and I had a meaty tuna steak with passion fruit sauce with a cheese plate to finish. Delicious food, a very grand French villa, polite wait staff and air conditioning = Heaven.
Fine French dining in La Verticale, hidden deep in the French Quarter. We couldn't resist the set lunch menu of 3 courses for as little as $15 per person. Just think what we would pay in France (at least that's what I was saying). He had pork belly and I had a meaty tuna steak with passion fruit sauce with a cheese plate to finish. Delicious food, a very grand French villa, polite wait staff and air conditioning = Heaven.
French Fusion
Again, fine french dining but this time with a Vietnamese twist. Luckily for me, the nicest French Fusion restaurant in Hanoi (Green Tangerine) is located directly across the road from our hotel in a beautifully restored colonial house. Diners sit around an outside cobbled courtyard adorned with stone carvings and pretty flowers. We had delicious seafood, duck and vegetarian dishes here. I have even dined alone, savoring new dishes when himself was otherwise engaged with students (Shh don't tell him that). The restaurant has won numerous certificates of Excellence and the standards are equal to that of Paris and London.
Again, fine french dining but this time with a Vietnamese twist. Luckily for me, the nicest French Fusion restaurant in Hanoi (Green Tangerine) is located directly across the road from our hotel in a beautifully restored colonial house. Diners sit around an outside cobbled courtyard adorned with stone carvings and pretty flowers. We had delicious seafood, duck and vegetarian dishes here. I have even dined alone, savoring new dishes when himself was otherwise engaged with students (Shh don't tell him that). The restaurant has won numerous certificates of Excellence and the standards are equal to that of Paris and London.
Japanese
I think most people are aware that Japanese food has to be in our top five favourite foods, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to try the Sushi Bar in the Tien Trang Plaza. Offering sashimi, hotpots and various kinds of sushi, we didn't delay in filling our boots. We have returned a number of times and never fail to eat too much! That said the sushi, while delicious, still does not quite meet the standards of Taikichi in Limerick (which is a real credit to the city).
I think most people are aware that Japanese food has to be in our top five favourite foods, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to try the Sushi Bar in the Tien Trang Plaza. Offering sashimi, hotpots and various kinds of sushi, we didn't delay in filling our boots. We have returned a number of times and never fail to eat too much! That said the sushi, while delicious, still does not quite meet the standards of Taikichi in Limerick (which is a real credit to the city).
Korean BBQ
This DIY experience was probably the most daunting that we have encountered to date. With little English spoken by the staff, we were very much in the dark about what exactly we were ordering (as it turned out - a hell of a lot of food). Choosing the safest option, we went with the set menu for 2. In the end, our meal consisted of 16 dishes of vegetables (refilled each time they emptied), 3 plates of meat all barbecued at our table - very novel, hence all the photos! After some gesturing and laughing we finally realised that we were to fill large lettuce leaves with rice, beef, vegetables and sauce, then roll (like a spring roll) and enjoy! 'Rat ngon'
This DIY experience was probably the most daunting that we have encountered to date. With little English spoken by the staff, we were very much in the dark about what exactly we were ordering (as it turned out - a hell of a lot of food). Choosing the safest option, we went with the set menu for 2. In the end, our meal consisted of 16 dishes of vegetables (refilled each time they emptied), 3 plates of meat all barbecued at our table - very novel, hence all the photos! After some gesturing and laughing we finally realised that we were to fill large lettuce leaves with rice, beef, vegetables and sauce, then roll (like a spring roll) and enjoy! 'Rat ngon'
Fine Vietnamese Dining
Owned by the same Chef (Didier Corlou) as La Verticale, This restaurant Madame Hien is a tribute to his Vietnamese wife's grandmother and the Vietnamese style of cooking. The dishes represent the best of Vietnamese flavors served a la fine dining. Again we opted for the significantly cheaper set lunch option (dinner can go for up to $45 pp - expensive by Hanoi standards). We ate some Vietnamese classics such as; Banana flower salad with papaya, fresh spring rolls, seafood, pork and banana bread with ice-cream. Again, the setting was very atmospheric with a closed courtyard (complete with outdoor kitchen). The dining room is in a huge colonial villa, once owned by the French architect of the Hanoi Opera House. It even hosted the King (bet you didn't know that!).
Owned by the same Chef (Didier Corlou) as La Verticale, This restaurant Madame Hien is a tribute to his Vietnamese wife's grandmother and the Vietnamese style of cooking. The dishes represent the best of Vietnamese flavors served a la fine dining. Again we opted for the significantly cheaper set lunch option (dinner can go for up to $45 pp - expensive by Hanoi standards). We ate some Vietnamese classics such as; Banana flower salad with papaya, fresh spring rolls, seafood, pork and banana bread with ice-cream. Again, the setting was very atmospheric with a closed courtyard (complete with outdoor kitchen). The dining room is in a huge colonial villa, once owned by the French architect of the Hanoi Opera House. It even hosted the King (bet you didn't know that!).
Early Morning Feasts
To finish off this foodie blog, it's only fair to mention some of the amazing breakfasts we have had since we arrived. Given that most mid-range hotels throw in breakfast as part of their package, we weren't expecting too much. However, from home-stays to 3* hotels, we have been seriously impressed by the variety and standard of breakfasts across the board.
| Pho is the standard option for most Vietnamese locals. It has been on all the breakfasts menus to date and on the street it is served from 6:30am until 9am. However, it is a little filling for Western stomachs so we were glad of alternatives. |  |
 | Our hotel in Da Nang offered us fried eggs, Banh Mi and soy sauce! We were skeptical at first but soon realised how delicious a combination it really is - so much so that I have gone out early in the morning before breakfast, bought my own banh Mi (baguette) and ordered fried eggs with soy sauce so that I can make my own! This is one I'll take home with me! |
The famous banana pancake. I say famous because we have been offered banana pancakes (no other variety), every morning in our Hanoi hotel! There are two methods of cooking; one where the banana slices are actually mixed with the pancake batter and cooked on the pan, the other where banana is simply placed inside a cooked pancake. The former is the more delicious by far.
 | Fresh Fruit has been on offer in every hotel. Most buffets consist of at least 50% fruit. Well, certain kinds of fruit; pineapple, watermelon, passion fruit and dragon fruit, oh and of course Bananas! Funnily enough we have never been offered apples (we saw them in the supermarket, but we have never seen them used). Cian reckons if he ever see's pineapple or watermelon again it will be too soon!! |
| Finally, our Hoi An hotel (Thanh Van 1) offered an amazing variety of breads, from chocolate bread to croissants. From custard pies to dough filled with rice. Really interesting flavours and plenty to go around - sometimes filling us until dinner! Anyone who spends a little extra on finding higher end accommodation in Vietnam is certainly in for a treat when it comes to buffet breakfasts! |  |
RSS Feed