Eating my way around Vietnam

I've got a lot to tell you about my culinary adventures in Vietnam and Cambodia so I've decided to take it from the top, chronologically, starting with my first breakfast in Hanoi and, an excellent seafood meal in Halong Bay.





Seafood feast, Halong Bay, Vietnam




Vietnam is a country of regional specialties, drawing on what's fresh, readily available, and flavorful. From spring rolls to noodles to rice dishes to desserts, each part of Vietnam plays on the classics to make them their own. In Hue one finds a style of making spring rolls that differs from the rice paper classics of Hanoi. In Hoi An, Cau Lau noodles are made with water from the Ba Le well, an ancient water hole hidden away in surprising spot, behind some very suburban houses. In Saigon, Quang noodles are as commonplace as popcorn at the movies. Can Tho is a city abuzz with flavors and exotic species of the Mekong River. Exploring what each region had to offer was a non-stop tease of my senses, a workout for my palate, and a necessary locking away of "unknown ingredient" fears.

Getting to Hanoi at night meant that our first meal would be breakfast and I couldn't have been happier about that. Cà phê sữa, or Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk is the chosen drink of the Vietnamese and I couldn't wait to get some. Luckily, our hotel served excellent breakfast that included phở, bánh xèo (vietnamese pancakes with and without filling), fresh fruit, and baguettes as well.





Banh Xeo (vietnamese pancake) with warm honey and cà phê sữa gave me my first Hanoi morning start



























My friend and I spent a day on Halong Bay and because ours was just a day cruise, we had an entire boat, and feast, to ourselves. Most people spend a few days on the bay, taking in beaches, kayaking, and cave exploration but that didn't really appeal to us.

The meal started with a large plate of prawns, steamed with a few strips of carrot, pepper, and onion for flavor. To eat the prawns, we simply removed the heads, peeled the shell, and sprinkled with sea salt and a squeeze of lime. Divine! However, turns out we were doing it wrong... you're supposed to squeeze the lime into the dish of salt and sliced chiles, making a dipping paste. Oh, even more divine!

prawns with lime, salt, and chile













The second course was a crab cake served inside of the crab shell. The crab was sweet and mildly seasoned with spring onion as not to take away from the sweetness of the crab. The entire thing was wok fried, to be eaten out of the shell. It was so good I wanted to lick the inside of the shell but my manners got the best of me and, I didn't.

too excited to take a good shot













Next came plates of steamed rice, vegetables, french fries (yup, in case we American's couldn't hack the authenticity of the feast), and delicious spring rolls made with mushrooms, glass noodles, spring onion, carrot, and a bit of fish. Just a note though, the french fries were awesome... fried in some kind of oil that make them crispier than any french fry I have ever had.

would it be wrong to ask for the recipe?













The piece de resistance was a whole steamed fish with tomato, carrots, onions, peppers, and chiles. The fish was not only beautifully presented, it was deliciously light, and fresh. The meat peeled away from the bones to reveal snow white flakes steaming with flavor. If I could tell someone what the ocean tastes like it would be the taste of this fish.





honoring the ingredient with beautiful presentation and perfect preparation