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| Read introduction of Viet coffee culture here - Đọc bài giới thiệu về cà phê cóc |
Highlights of Hanoi street food
12/28/2011
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my readers!
I've just spent several wonderful days in Hanoi and thought I should share my eating experience there with you all. I have been to Hanoi countless times before and needless to say, Hanoi cuisine is one major thing that keeps me going back. This time I was hosted by a true Hanoi girl who took me to amazing food places, some even unknown to the local. Therefore I think this entry is gonna be useful to not only tourists like me but also to those who call Ha Noi home.
Generally, food in the north is mild, while it is hot and spicy in the central, and sweet in the south. I've noticed that the best food shops in Hanoi are located in very small places, or on really narrow pavements. I thought that the way to banh xeo Ba Duong in Da Nang was extremely small, but really it's nothing compared to some food shops in Hanoi. It is a common thing to see gentlemen dressed formally sitting in low chairs, in dark and seemingly unclean places to have a bowl of pho for breakfast. A very interesting, very Hanoi style of eating.
You've probably heard of Hanoi's famous dishes such as bun cha, bun oc, bun dau mam tom, nem cua be... Well, you can find them all (I mean, all 60+ of them) in this incredibly small road in front of Dong Xuan market (opposite 87 Hang Chieu). This place mainly caters for people working in/visiting the market, thus has the same age, opening and closing time as the market (30+ years old, open 7am to about 5pm). Most of the food stands here only have capacity for less than 5 people. We tried 4 Hanoi classic dishes: bun oc, bun cha, nem cua be and bun dau mam tom which were all very delicious.
You've probably heard of Hanoi's famous dishes such as bun cha, bun oc, bun dau mam tom, nem cua be... Well, you can find them all (I mean, all 60+ of them) in this incredibly small road in front of Dong Xuan market (opposite 87 Hang Chieu). This place mainly caters for people working in/visiting the market, thus has the same age, opening and closing time as the market (30+ years old, open 7am to about 5pm). Most of the food stands here only have capacity for less than 5 people. We tried 4 Hanoi classic dishes: bun oc, bun cha, nem cua be and bun dau mam tom which were all very delicious.
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| Bún chả - the black stuff on top is bò lá lốt (mince beef rolled in betel leaves) |
Lu cafe: cosy, awesome coffee
12/17/2011
I'm quite picky when it comes to café. I only go to cafés for the following purposes: to talk with friends (50%), good coffee (20%), live music (15%), and others (i.e. to discover, food, ...15%). I don't like loud cafés where I have to shout to my friends, I don't like to go to crowded cà phê cóc just to watch motorbikes and kill time, and I don't like cafés with horrible music (60%+ of cafés in Vietnam have crappy music). Which leads to the fact that I don't have a very good knowledge of cafés in Danang, and keep going back to a few certain cafés all the time. Lu café is one of those.
Recipe #18 Tau hu nuoc duong (silky tofu in ginger syrup)
12/14/2011
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| Tàu hũ nước đường - Silky tofu in ginger syrup |
1 night in Hoi An, 8 dishes and 1 bar
12/12/2011
Hoi An, one of Vietnam's 7 world heritage sites, is home to amazing landscape and cuisine. In the past, Hoi An, Da Nang and Quang Nam used to belong to "Quang Nam - Da Nang" province until 1996 and 2008 when Da Nang and Hoi An became independent cities respectively. As a result, the 3 cities share many original dishes such as mi Quang, banh trang cuon thit heo, bun mam... However, interestingly, there are some dishes that are trademarks of Hoi An only, despite the history as well as close geographic distance between the 3 cities. And this entry is going to introduce just that.
I've been wanting to write about Hoi An cuisine for ages but hadn't got a chance to. Therefore, I eagerly agreed to become a food tour guide for some of my Hanoi friends coming over to visit Da Nang and Hoi An. The challenge was that I introduced as much about Hoi An cuisine as possible within one night and within the limit of our own stomachs. So we set off by car from Danang at 4:30 pm (get to Hoi An by bus), arriving in Hoi An 40 mins later and left Hoi An at 9pm. And somehow we did it: 8 dishes, 1 bar and some quality city discovering in just 4 hours!
Ok, let the food journey begin.
Bao Nam Tran cafe: traditional architecture, excellent Mi Quang
12/03/2011
Bao Nam Tran is a popular high-end cafe in Da Nang. Located in the heart of the city, this spacious cafe is perfect for both the eyes and stomach.
What's special about this cafe lies in its décor which gracefully combines "Nhà Rường" (Wooden House) and "Nhà Vườn" (Garden House) traditional housing styles. "Nhà Rường" is a distinguished architectural trademark of the formal imperial capital of Hue originated around the 17th century. It is built entirely in core structure relying on rows of timber columns with dove-tailed joints to permit easy removal. Nha Ruong is constructed based on eatern philosophies, which holds that all things originate from a single source and expand in all directions; this is why before constructing a Nha Ruong, the owner must first determine the center point, which establishes the location of other parts of the house and their direction (source).
Recipe #17 Bun mam
12/02/2011
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| Bún Mắm (Nêm) - Rice vermicelli with roasted pork and anchovy fish sauce |
Click here to see an introduction of Bun mam. Đọc bài giới thiệu về bún mắm ở đây.
Click here to see how to make roasted pork belly. Xem cách làm thịt heo quay ở đây.
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