For the Foodies

We seem to have eaten our way through Vietnam … from South to North. Tuan introduced us to the floating market’s Pho and the outstanding land market with every conceivable thing that lived, walked, swam or grew … and then some. (I did draw the line at that bowl of eyeballs). See Floating Market.

In Hanoi there were two types of Pho … the one everyone thinks of (noodles, broth, meat and veggies) but also one specific to Hanoi (more on that later). There were spring rolls and crunchy fried dumplings to die for … mounds of crisp noodles smothered in slivers of beef and greens …. your very own sizzling wok on a portable gas ring with a heaped plate of sliced and diced meats (chicken, beef, pork, prawns the size of young lobsters), noodles, fresh veggies, hot sauce … you stirfry and mix as desired.

And then there’s Hanoi’s legendary fish dish — Ca Cha La Vong. In this link the first and last photos are best https://www.vietnamonline.com/destination/hanoi/food/5-best-places-try-cha-ca.html#cha-ca-la-vong-restaurant In this link the first and last photo are the best. Delicately marinated chunks of fish with turmeric and cooked over high heat with what seems like an impossible mountain of dill, cilantro, mint and green onions … ladled onto bowls of vermicelli noodles then sprinkled with roasted peanuts, thin slices of chili and a secretly blended fish sauce. Magnificent with glasses of fresh sweetened lemon juice. Good thing we had a long walk home!

Of course there were times when we craved some Western comfort food, and luckily there was an excellent Japanese/Italian restaurant right across from our favourite beer hangout (they do an exceptional craft IPA, with seats facing the street, perfect for watching the world go by). We tried three different meals at Pura … the Margarita Pizza and Spaghetti Ragu were definitely noteworthy — in fact considerably better than any we managed to find in Italy! The Carbonara/Creamy Mushroom pasta not quite the same standard, but still good.

For our last day in Hanoi – a street food tour. Just us and Huan our guide … a very personable young man. Twenty-two years old, and although his grandfather, father and mother were all in the medical profession, that was not the life for him, so he graduated from university (Tourism) and now enjoys guiding people around his favourite Hanoi food places. Starting with breakfast … paper-thin rice pancakes steamed and rolled with egg and other fillings dipped in a delicate fish sauce to which herbs, chilis and vinegar were added. Wonderful. Round the corner – second part to breakfast – Bahn Mi. Bahn generally means pancake, but not in this instance – this is the iconic crusty French bread stuffed with pate, meat, pickled veggies and cilantro. Perfectly crisp on the outside, soft and flavourful inside.

Next stop was … a paint shop?? No, walk through the paint shop into the back for the Hanoi-style summer Pho. Broth and noodles served separately (the owner would have been dreadfully put out if one dared to mix the two. She gets up at 4am every day to simmer the chicken for 6-7 hours to get just the right flavour. The noodles are served cold with home-made soy sauce, chunks of chicken and fresh herbs. One is allowed to blend the noodles with broth … but only in the mouth!

The history of Hanoi was really eye-opening … from the narrow corridors between buildings in the old quarter … you would never notice them until pointed out. Here were living quarters. After the Vietnam war the government gave men who had participated small pieces of land in the city … unfortunately, 51 years later, the owners still do not have a document giving them title to the property … so it cannot be sold or rented … and with tiny slivers of land in central Hanoi going for more than a multi-story building outside the city, it’s easy to see why people hold on hoping for change. These are dark, shoulder-wide tunnels with little or no natural light … a communal cooking area and bathroom between three or more families … some rooms on the ground floor, others above – with access by the steepest of staircases … or a ladder!

Huan also provided an explanation for the small plastic stools used by all street food stalls. (a) they are an anatomically comfortable height (perhaps not for really tall people), (b) they are easily moved and stacked when the place is closed (or the police arrive to shut things down) and (c) people became accustomed to using them during bombing raids, when they had to take shelter in underground tunnels … it was more comfortable than sitting on the floor for 6 hours or more, and lying down would have taken up too much space.

Next course … crispy Bahn (pancakes) … fried with chicken filling, cut into pieces and layered onto rice paper with fresh lettuce, rolled tightly and dunked into sauce. These were spectacular. We were filling up fast! Time for an egg coffee. Egg yolk whipped with condensed milk and spooned on top of strong coffee … these were almost too pretty to drink … but were delicious. Finally a dessert of sticky rice in a mildly sweet syrup/sauce. We couldn’t possibly eat another scrap and will have to waddle home.

Considering the French influence, many of the bakeries we’d encountered when arriving in Hanoi were distinctly disappointing … until we found Anh Hoa French Bakery 3 blocks from our apartment. https://wanderlog.com/place/details/1077711/anh-hoa-french-bakery Owner Mr. Le Quang Hoa trained under the Metropole Hotel for 8 years before opening his own store. The baguettes were everything a baguette should be … we tried pineapple and blueberry flaky pastries … and then there were the chocolate doughnuts! Light, fluffy rings of golden dough smothered in a REAL chocolate coating. Oh my goodness … if I lived here I’d be 50 pounds heavier! Tiny interior, but counter and shelves bulging with breads and pastries … one has to shuffle back and forth so customers/staff can move about. There is always someone who speaks English to help with your purchase.

And one afternoon as spirits were flagging and feet were tired, an ice cream just fitted the bill. A Mulberry Sundae … absolutely delicious.