Thursday, January 31, 2013

day eight: dec 23 Huè






Bánh Bêo




We'd scheduled a tour with our guide to the Tomb of the Emporer Minh Mang (1820-1849). The temple was a short drive from town but it was a world away from the hustle of Huè. The land surrounding the temple had been well-kept. The lawns were well manicured and a dam which surrounded the temple had been dug by hand. The Emporer's remains have been entombed somewhere beyond a heavily closed door at the top of a huge flight of stairs.

Thien Mu Pagoda can be accessed by dragon boat or car. Our guide took us to the Buddhist pagoda which was beautiful. Afterwards, a dragon boat took us up the Perfume River where we disembarked (rather unconventionally) through muddy grass on the bank of the river.

We were headed to Lac Thien - a restaurant of the Deaf and Mute (commonly described in guidebooks) for Bánh Bêo and phở for lunch.

Hué pancake (Bánh Bêo) is similar to the Bánh Xeo of the south - served with a huge plate of greens - lettuce and herbs. Unlike the Bánh Xeo we ate in Saigon and Hoi An a peanut sauce is the accompaniment and it is served without rice paper to roll it.

The phở was distinctly different to its southern soup of the same name. The stock was spicier and heavier. We were given greens to eat with the phô but no lemon, bean shoots and although the greens were varied their was no Vietnamese mint which gives the phô of the south it's characteristic freshness.

P made her first 'friend' at Lac Thien. The wife of the owner must have known the way to her heart - and she offered P a prawn which P gladly took. The woman and P didn't exchange words but they made a connection and P was more than happy to have cuddles while we ate.

Lac Thien - Restaurant of the Deaf and Mute
6 Dinh Hoang, Hue, Vietnam

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

day seven: dec 22 Hội An - Huè



Citadel

The three hour drive from Hội An to Huè over the mountains and along the coastline can also be done by train. Oh - and if you're crazy that way inclined you can do it on bicycle (we met people who were). Either way you'll travel through Đà Nẵng, across the Hải Vân Pass, "Pass of the Ocean Clouds" which was once under the control of the US military and for centuries has marked the distinct border between north and south Vietnam. The trip is spectacular.

Once in Huè we checked in to the Camellia Hotel. With the slogans, "beyond expectations" and "we serve everything with heart" and smoking permitted in the foyer I had the feeling this wouldn't be our favourite stay. Smoking was also allowed in the breakfast dining room (and people did, while we ate). The staff were attentive but the lobby, pool area and 'oriental' over-styled rooms, desperately need a modern makeover. Some rooms included a plastic fantastic, and very dusty, bamboo garden in the corner of the room. Thankfully we required a larger room so ours came without.

The best thing to do when the hotel is bad is to get out! We attempted to walk from the hotel to the citadel but with broken paths and excavating of drains we opted for a rickshaw ride which was fabulous!

* Note: if you're heading to Huè be sure to have a rickshaw tour of the Old Town on your arrival. We left it to our last day but we should have done it on our first. The tour (depending on your guide) will give you invaluable insight into the America War according to North Vietnamese but, just as significantly, give you the bearings of this city.

We ate dinner at the Dong Ba Market. Whenever we've travelled in the past we've made certain we've learned a few key phrases. This time, probably because we were so focused on a relaxed flight (is there such a thing with children) we didn't but that didn't mean we couldn't make ourselves understood.

We watched a few stalls and noticed numerous take-away dishes being taken away by motorcyclists to nearby homes as well as diners frequenting this restaurant so we pointed at what the locals were eating and this is what we were served.  The ladies never left their foot-high stools as they grabbed at the prepared food at their fingertips. They assembled these dishes for us - pork skewers and peanut sauce, beef and noodles (chilled) with peanut sauce and you can see the stacks of fresh salad!

It was good and it was cheap.


Sunday, January 27, 2013

day six: dec 21 Hội An (Mỹ Sơn tour)





We were desperate to get out of town and jumped at the suggestion of our guide to visit Mỹ Sơn "a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa" (wikipedia, n.d.)."

The site itself is beautiful and even if you have a few spare hours in your schedule I'd highly recommend a visit. The architecture is not dissimilar to ruins I've seen across Asia - reflecting the dominant religion over various periods - Buddhist, Hindi. Across Mỹ Sơn are those tell-tale craters - where the US forces carpet bombed during the war.




Back in Hội An we feasted on the local noodle dish, Cao Lau, although I think B was still dreaming of his toasted sandwich!


Silk lanterns



Later I had the final adjustments made on my tailored clothes at Yaly. And, for the record, they are worth every Australian dollar I spent on them. I've worn all three dresses and it won't be long before I wear the blouses too.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

day five: dec 20 Hội An








There's plenty to see in Hội An and one thing that we missed seeing (and I wished we had have) is the town's well. The water from the wells is used to make authentic Cao Lau noodles.

What better way to broaden a culinary adventure and take home Vietnamese cooking techniques than to attend a cooking class? Red Bridge Cooking School is one of the two famous cooking schools in Hội An. We mentioned, in our booking, that we'd be bringing our children so they gave us the afternoon class. That way our kids didn't get in the way of other attendees and the staff could watch our kids when the kids lost interest in watching us cook. 

The Red Bridge Cooking School class began in the town where we visited the Hội An Cho (market) with a guide who talked us through the produce and some equipment used in Vietnamese cooking. I can just see and smell and dream of those fresh, fresh herbs!

From the market we took a boat along the river to the cooking school which is situated in superb, lush grounds.

We made 
  • Seafood salad with Vietnamese herbs (from the garden) served in half a pineapple - Goi han san trong thuyen thom 
  • Fresh rice paper rolls of shrimp - Chà giò tuoi
  • Fresh rice paper - bánh uot (though, like so many things, it would be far easier to buy these than repeat the process of making, cooking and drying for two days.) 
  • Hội An pancakes - Bánh xèo
  • Vietnamese eggplant in clay pot - Cà tím kho tô
  • Food decorations - trang ti
We were also given the recipes for sweet and sour sauce (sõt chua ngot), peanut sauce (sõt tuong dâu) and fish sauce (nuóc mam). 

An early dinner was served with a beer and the kitchen brought out a steamed ocean fish (cá hãp Viêt Nam) on a bed of fresh vegetables (even better than it sounds) once we'd devoured what we'd made. The setting was magnificent with the river flowing on one side and being enveloped by tall palms.

The meal was very satisfying, especially knowing we would take these recipes home to make later. We sipped our beer and rubbed our bellies and our children, still mildly interested in Lego, built towers at our feet. *Sigh* This is the life. 

Oh, except that when you have children most things don't go the way you think they will. B suddenly jumped up and starting running towards the river so I did too, towards him. All of a sudden he stopped and there, at the entrance to Red Bridge Cooking School, with its fine ornamental vases (and prefect lawns) he peed

___________________________________________________________________________________

The thing about having tailor-made clothes is you are required to revisit the tailor for fittings so J suggested that after the cooking school he'd take the kids back to the hotel so I could visit the tailor. 

I was told later that when J ordered room service of toasted sandwiches and hot chips B exclaimed "Dad, this is the best dinner ever!" 

As I wandered through Hội An the town became dark and the streets buzzed with activity. It was later that night that I discovered the convenience of a rickshaw but I was happy walking. I came across a great shop, Metiseko. It was the fabric that caught my eye and drew me in.


Metiseko is owned and run by a French couple - she designs the prints but all are made in Hoi An - and each piece is made from natural silk or organic cotton certified Global Organic Standards. As well as clothing and accessories (the quilts were so beautiful but too heavy to take home - they do deliver) they sell fabric by the metre but beware, according to the owner (his name escapes me but he was lovely) their workshop closes at 5pm. It's "not a sweat shop.... And that's a good thing!"

From Metiseko I was pointed in the direction of another meal. I was getting hungry so I asked after a place, not too touristy, but with great, affordable Vietnamese food. Only a stones throw from Metiseko is Mai Fish. The owners (who also own Green Mango and Mango Room) want to serve good Vietnamese food - not street food and not fine dining - somewhere in the middle. This restaurant isn't like most 'restaurants' we frequented. It was far more Westernised - very comfortable with mood lighting but just what I was after.

Although it was now dark, it was still warm and humid so I ordered a fresh coconut and a mojito. Most places in Hội An have half price happy hour each day so the mojito was cheap but I resisted having two.

My duck curry came with an accompanying baguette. The curry was just perfect. It was fresh, the duck melted in my mouth and it was the right balance of spice and sweet. The only thing that left a sour taste in my mouth was knowing that J was having to get the kids through that messy part of the day (getting ready for bed) and that he wasn't there to share the meal and drinks with me.

Metiseko
Address: 03 Chau Thuong Van, Minh An
Telephone: 0510 3929278
http://www.metiseko.com/en/index

Red Bridge Restaurant & Cooking School
Address: Thon 4, Cam Thanh
Hoi An, Viet Nam
Tel: +84 510 3933 222
Mobile: +84 905 452 092
Email: info@visithoian.com
http://www.visithoian.com/redbridge/

Mai Fish
45 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai

Thursday, January 24, 2013

day four: dec 19 Ho Chi Minh to Hội An



Lunch at Hội An markets.



Hội An Cho (markets) where you can buy anything from trinkets and souvenirs to meals, fruit, veggies, fish, freshly carved meat (slightly off-putting at the end of a hot day) and offal.


Hội An is beautiful. It's a ancient town making a living by catering to tourists and it does it well. You can see Hội An on foot or hire a cyclo rider to take you around for a small fee. Be sure to barter. I reduced the fee of one cyclo rider by two-thirds by bartering.

Prior to leaving for Vietnam I'd decided I wouldn't have any clothes tailor made. J had a bad experience in Thailand where he wasn't happy with the end product and consequently never wore his suit which eventually ended up at the op-shop. You can read scores of bad experiences online about tailors in Hội An.

So when I changed my mind (its hard when, in Hội An alone there are over 400 tailors) I decided I wouldn't compromise. After all if I was going to spend a portion of my holiday time at the tailor I wanted the best. I asked around in our hotel and a woman recommended Yaly Couture.

It wasn't going to be the cheapest place to have clothes made but I knew it would be cheaper than Australia and costs usually does reflect quality.

According to the recommendation Yaly has a 'label' (and she was literally referring to Yaly sewing their own label inside the clothes) and have operated in Hội An for thirty years. Yaly has three shop fronts and I went to Yaly 2. Once I showed interest in having clothes made I was shown a tower of magazine clippings and from there I literally tagged a few designs I liked, chose fabric, they took measurements and I was on my way. I was paired with Rebecca who was attentive and competent. Each time I visited (four times over two days) Rebecca would be there to take onboard suggestions for example the collar on the silk blouse looked much better in the magazine and was removed and replaced with a low cut round neckline in an hour.

I came away with 2 silk dresses, 1 chiffon dress, two silk tops and a cotton skirt for $280 AUD. All are fully-lined and the best thing about the silk is that I can wash it in my machine on a gentle silk cycle.

47 Nguyễn Thái Học, Hội An, Quang Nam province, Vietnam  
+84 510 3910 474

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

things you need to know about travel to Vietnam (with kids)

Things you need to know about travel to Vietnam with kids

*It seems okay to talk about the 'American War.' Our last day in Vietnam was the day that the North celebrated forty years since America concluded their bombing campaign over Ha Noi. Not unlike our soldiers, fathers and uncles have suffered horrendous PTSD as a result of war and people seem comfortable discussing how its legacy is captured in today's Vietnam.

* The term 'restaurant' is used loosely in Vietnam. It can be used to describe anything from a fine dining establishment to a room, decked with foot-high plastic stools (that you wouldn't trust with your weight if to didn't have to) and where you throw your rubbish onto the floor at your feet.

* In the towns and in the cities everything is done on the streets. Late into the night. Drinking at a bar (room and street consisting of plastic chairs); children are out late at night, families selling wares and produce, on every corner a vendor with her cart - selling pho, noodles or pork rolls. Houses are modest - unlike Australia where the houses are where most activity occurs

* A car is out of place in the streets of Vietnam especially from a cyclo. There is an abundance of motorbikes and bicycles are more common still than cars. Footpaths are not exclusive to pedestrians. If the quickest way from A to B is around the corner, on the footpath, then that's the way its done.

* Crossing the road takes confidence. Before we left for Vietnam a friend had remarked "you won't be able to cross the road in Vietnam," suggesting it wasn't advisable. Crossing the road came from necessity. Unlike our ordered (but congested) Sydney roads motorcyclists know to ride around you. I can't imagine slowly inching across Military Road in peak traffic. I'd probably be sent to prison but because this is how its done in Vietnam everyone has a regard for the way it works. People didn't seem to get frustrated by crossing pedestrians (or impatient) and they also seemed to be far more aware of their surrounds - not solely focused on their own need to get somewhere quickly!

* It is totally ok to pick your nose in public and not just a little 'pick around the edges' kind of pick. That's right- I'm talking the 'full finger pick.' Numerous times we'd be talking to someone when, in the middle of conversation, while still looking at you they'd start to forage in their nasal cavity. Don't be put-off. It's just how it is!

* If you know where you want to be at a certain time (we wanted our trip to be more planned than when we'd travelled in the past - kids do that) book accommodation ahead of time. Half the hotels we stayed in gave us a free upgrade because we'd given them plenty of notice of our arrival.

* Inspect your accommodation on arrival. Especially when travelling with children it is best to send one person (this was me!) to check the room before you agree to it. The space in rooms vary so much and twice we had to ask for a larger room to accommodate the four of us. The children slept together but most times they had placed a  single bed in the room which wasn't enough space for the kids.

* You can barter for just about anything. Our guide advised us that, when visiting shops, the prices are inflated by about 60% so bargaining is expected. My best buy was a small Banh Xeo frying pan and a specialised grater for $2.50AUD. The seller was happy with the price as was I.

Other than the usual luggage we packed: 

* An inexpensive stroller and our bushwalking Macpac backpack. The stroller worked a treat and handled a fair amount of rough n tumble on the domesic flights. It was good for me as I didn't want to carry a load. The Macpac backpack was ideal! It has a compartment for a lot of stuff (so we didn't need a daypack) and the children alternated between the two (and walking). In retrospect it would have been more practical taking another backpack or our Ergo Baby carrier though I would have risked hurting my back.

* Lego! Truly- if you are travelling with children and wondering what lightweight 'toys' you can take I couldn't recommend Lego more. Each morning the children played Lego in our hotel room while we got ourselves organised for the day and when we had periods of waiting (in airports, hotels, restaurants) the children played too. The beauty of Lego is that it can be broken down, packed up and rebuilt.

* Antiseptic handwash (no washing required). We usually take this when we travel. It became a constant in our routine before meal times and I do think that this helped for the four of us to avoid getting sick.

*Snacks. Eating is as much about the smell and look as it is the taste. Our children tried most foods with little fuss but almost-four B was overwhelmed on occasions by the differences in meal times. We rarely sit in cafes on the street in Sydney and, in fact there's no comparison. Almost-two P ate like a champion. She loved the noodles but all she saw was 'food' not everything else that was going on around us. One night, when I was out at the tailor in Hoi An, B was tucking into his room service (cheese and ham toasties with chips - the most Western meal he'd had in five day) when he announced "this is the BEST dinner ever, Daddy!!!" We took snack food for the plane and for the rest of the trip. I figured if the children ate some food they recognised it would help them adapt to the traditional cuisine on offer.

* A well-equipped medical kit. This kit included Oral Rehydration Solution (should we have needed it) and hardcore anti-gastro medication, kids Panadol, kids Nurophen and insect repellent. The most comprehensive websites suggested that malaria is virtually non existent in the cities but you its always a good idea to apply insect repellent if you're visiting areas outside the city, like the Cu Chi tunnels which are hot, humid and the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. If you can avoid a trip to hospital it is always advisable. And you should always make an appointment to see your General Practioner before you go.

Pre-reading:

* Tours. There are a-bazillion tour companies in Vietnam. I met a friend who'd travelled to Vietnam with her sister the year after it was opened up to tourists and it was a very different story. The country thrives on its tourism quaities but it doesn't hurt to have an idea of what you'd like to see before you arrive. Remember to check the fine print. Whilst it might sound like a good idea to head to Halom Bay it is a six-hour round trip by car so it may not be all that practical with two little kids for a day trip. (We removed this from our itinerary). I'd say booking when you arrived in Vietnam is probably more economic. If you want a plan, though, it might be best to book ahead.

* Songs of Sapa by Luke Nguyen

The book is a recipe book but also a log of one of Luke's trips to Vietnam. I began reading it before we left but ran out of time. It's FAR too heavy to take on the plane (not what I'd call light reading) and I wished I had have. As well as recipes (for when you get home and are craving Vietnamese food) and descriptions of Vietnam the book includes recommendations for restaurants.

* Hanoi Street Food by Tom Vandenberghe (Author), Luc Thuys (Photographer)

I took this book to the counter (in a bookshop in Book Street) in Ha Noi hoping to add it to my growing cookbook collection but it was about $25AUD (pricey for Vietnam but reasonable for Australia), they didn't have EFTPOS and I wasn't carrying that kind of cash with me so I left it behind. I did however, get to flick through its pages... recipes, pictures of food and more recommendations for places to eat in Ha Noi. You will find places to eat everywhere, on every street, but sometimes when you're travelling, it's good to know that someone has tried it before you and recommends it.

* An up-to-date travel guide. Beggars can't be choosers. We were given a guide for Vietnam. Published in 1999 it was out-of-date and I wouldn't say always accurate. I guess it pays to buy a new one (or a very recent op-shop one with neatly scribbled recommendations in it!) and have a good read before you leave. We really didn't have time (as we left just a day after J finished work for the year). It also pays to stick to a format you know. We've always used Lonely Planet Guides and because it's what we're used to we should have grabbed ourselves one.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

day three: dec 18 Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) evening

It was after our tour of the Mekong Delta that we had a chance to do what we love when we're on holidays - explore on foot. You seem to get a feel for a place this way. Saigon city was buzzing in, what I expect was its usual way, but with added excitement of the impending Christmas and New Year festivities.

In Saigon's District 1 we headed south east from the Opera House towards Saigon's main river crossing our first major road. The river was wide, tourist ferries lined the shores although we appeared to be the only Western tourists walking along the river and perhaps the only ones who noticed the dead dog floating in a pile of debris near where a young boy was desperately trying to catch fish with a hand line.

With a great deal of bravery we crossed the two-way main road, Tôn Đức Thắng, to head up Hàm Nghi - a spectacular street lined with the world's most expensive (think Chanel) shops and expensive hotels. The street was to be the focus of Saigon's New Year celebrations.

A few blocks away we passed Reunification Palace which is the site that marks the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975.

As the sun set our stomachs began to grumble and we were all getting hungry but there was plenty to see and the sights were a good distraction from our hunger. Our aim was to find the famed Bánh Xèo Mười Xiềm in time for dinner however we were so distracted by the scantily-clad ladies serving at Tokyo Town next door that we had to back-track a block away!

As the name suggests Bánh Xèo (in all its forms) is the star dish at the restaurant. Bánh Xèo is essentially a rice flour  (and turmeric) pancake almost deep fried in its own specially designed pan. A combination of meat and vegetables is thrown in while the pancake cooks. Bánh Xèo is served in half so that you place your chopsticks straight in and then, with a manoeuvre that involves separating the chopsticks, you break the pancake apart before lifting it into a fresh lettuce leaf. There you garnish it lavishly with fresh herbs - Vietnamese mint, coriander, Thai basil, saw tooth herb etc,. It is delicious and washed down with a beer - the perfect meal to end a long day!




I suspect these little mung bean and prawn fried pastries (unsure of their name) find their roots in France. 
They were creamy and tasty but pretty oily especially after feasting on Bánh Xèo.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

day three: dec 18 Mekong Delta (tour)

The Mekong Delta tour begins with a three-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh city past rice paddies, most with the coffins on the fringes of people who once worked on the farm (as villagers are allowed to have their loved one buried on their land). Once we arrived at Ben Tre we were transferred to a boat from which watched people fishing and saw coconut factories as we headed downstream.

Our first stop was a brick factory. This factory turns out thousands of bricks a week beginning with cutting the bricks, various stages of drying, being stacked in a huge kiln and fired. Just to stack the  kiln with the thousands of bricks takes a dozen men (24 hours a day) a few days. The firing process uses rice husks (a cheap commodity) and is manned 24 hours a day for the three weeks it takes to cook the bricks. The oven is cooled before the men can unstack the kiln so the bricks can be transported for building.

Our boat stopped at a Coconut Candy factory where they produced "the best coconut candies in the country" according to our guide. They were pretty good and so was the table of fruits for morning tea.









 Coconut Candies: wrapped by hand.

Coconut candy being made.


Rambutans, dragon fruit, papaya (paw-paw), bananas, pineapple 
all served with chilli salt for dipping and hot tea.



 Fried elephant ear fish which was scaled and torn into pieces for rice paper rolls.




* The Mekong River begins its journey in the high plateau of Eastern Tibet, and after winding its way some 4000+ kms through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, it reaches Vietnam and divides into nine channels and hundreds of tributaries before emptying into the South China Sea.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

day two: dec 17 cu chi tunnels (tour) & phở

We took a forty minute drive out of town with our guide to the Cu Chi tunnels
 which were built by the Viet Cong. This is an incredible site and at first I questioned the authenticity of bomb craters around the tunnels. I was later assured that the craters were genuine remnants from the Vietnam War. Subsequent reading has given me a greater understanding of the role of these tunnels in the war that was fought in the south of Vietnam.

It is said that the network of tunnels stretch over 200 kilometres and some are up to four layers deep. They housed the Viet Cong and so included medical facilities, kitchens, bedrooms and anything that was vital in their fight against the United States' forces.


Upon our return to Saigon (city) we were phamished so we ask Minh if he'd take us for some phở which he obliged. In retrospect it was the best phở we'd eat in Vietnam - a beef soup crammed full of flavour and respectfully accompanied by a pile of the freshest of herbs. It is frowned upon (rightly so) to waste food in Vietnam so when I over catered my phở with chilli the lovely guide Minh stepped in to eat what chilli I couldn't. I'd say I like my chilli mild-hot but even these yellowish chillies (I was fooled by the colour) set my mouth alight. A good strong sip on a fresh coconut helped to illeviate the pain and then I had to get back down to the task of finishing the dish. 

This was my first taste of the saw-tooth herb that Luke Nguyen speaks of and accompanies phở in the south.

Our total bill - 3 (very large) phở, 2 fresh coconuts and 1 tea came to 180,000VD which is equivalent to $9 AUD.




 
Phở Hòa Pasteur
Address: Pasteur, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 
Phone:+84 8 3829 7943