Nha Trang Cake

Almost every year, I go back to my hometown, Nhatrang for Tet (Lunar New Year) for at least a week to meet old friends, family and also to eat and relax. This year was a bit different compared to the last couple years because I had to work in between. It was very interesting wandering around with my clients and proudly talking about my hometown's amazing food. And for sure, I showed my clients all of my favorite places. Now they have some of my secrets.


One of my favorite dishes is called Banh Can. I ate it many times during my 2 week holidays for both breakfast and dinner. I love the way they cook the cake with either egg or seafood or mixed together. There are a number of people who don't really like this dish very much but I think its kind of unique. The rice flour batter is poured into little clay cups over a hot brazier, a quail egg is broken onto the top, sometimes a whisked chicken egg. Also I have enjoyed the cake with squid or shrimp steamed on it for a little while. The dipping sauce can be a challenge for some people; but I love "Mam Nem" a fermented fish sauce with a milder flavor than "Mam Tom". Added to the sauce is shredded green mango, stir fried spring onion, chilli and minced pork balls are served on the side. I love the rich and spicy taste of the dipping sauce and the smokiness of the grilled cake in my mouth. It creates a great flavor combination. This dish is not available in Hanoi. Perhaps that's a good thing as I would probably eat far too much of it.

Salamanca

Two nights in Salamanca wasn't enough and I wish I could stayed longer. I totally love this town especially the main square. Every night after 8pm, the lights are turned on and everyone gasps. Each night we were there, we had dinner in the square and listened to the traditional student bands in costume singing songs from the region. There were 2 groups singing on opposite sides of the square;  I preferred the voices and personalities of the younger group and of course, I bought a CD to support them.

During the day, we did a walking tour of the town's main sights. The old town was amazing with a beautiful church and lots of small gorgeous shops around.

Of course, we kept coming back to the main square for coffee, drinks and meals and the illumination of the lights at night. The restaurant and bar located in the corner of the square is one of the best places to eat in town. It could be a bit expensive but it worth the money for the friendly service and great food. Their sangria also was superb!!!! If you don't want to have dinner, you also can go upstairs to their great bar, which is busy serving tapas and has nice table settings looking over the square.

We were lucky with our hotel choice, choosing one with comfortable rooms overlooking a park just off the corner of the main square. Typically, as we'd discovered in Madrid, Spanish people party until the morning and this was a university town so it was pretty noisy at night once the clubs closed down. By This stop on our tour of Spain, we realised that we either had to get used to it, get earplugs or get out there and join the party.

Madrid

I was in Madrid for three nights right at the beginning of our recent trip to Spain and Portugal. It’s a city which doesn’t seem to sleep much at night. They must have unique body clocks though one thing they do have in common with Vietnam is the afternoon nap. The only difference is that the people in Madrid have their siestas later than in Vietnam. The shops and businesses open again late in the afternoon. 

But I love the idea of starting dinner at about 9pm and partying until 5am even though I’m getting a bit old for that kind of timetable. I suppose people in Madird just get used to it. I stayed at the Francisco Hotel located in Sol district, a vehicle free area with lots of public squares, shops, restaurants and night clubs. Every evening, the locals come out for a walk before heading to restaurants to eat and later to bars and nightclubs to party. The noise happens when they go home in the early hours of the morning. I could hear them very clearly. They take a long time to go home! This may have been the reason why I wasn’t able to adapt to the timezone that quickly this time. I kept waking up. One night, I fell asleep at the table and my friends woke me up. How embarrassing!!!!!

 My drink of choice in Spain was sangria which is great for a hot day, a bit sweet but not quite as strong as bubbles and prosecco. I drank sangria almost everyday – even at lunch – as well as a few glasses of cava every now and then. 

 I can't complain about the food in Madrid as most of the local places we ate at were great and not that expensive. Pickled octopus, prawns and mussels in vinegar and the jamon ham was the best. I love them all. One dish I especially remember was a brilliant baby mushroom stir fried with ham, yum!!!!! 

I used the hop-on, hop-off bus to get an overview of Madrid and then we walked for the rest of the time. The architecture in Madrid is fabulous with impressive old squares, early 20th century buildings along the Gran Via Street. There is a great feeling of space here which is very different to the big cities in Asia.

In the next episode, I visit Salamanca to the west of Madrid.

Tho Ha Village

Recently departed friends from Hanoi invited me on a trip to Tho Ha Village, Bac Giang province. It was a really nice experience to discover another new place that I've never been. It's about 40 kms aways from Hanoi and it took us about 1.5 hours by car. It was a pleasant trip even though the weather wasn't the best and I was concerned about my motion sickness background but we had great conversations during the journey.

I had heard lots about the traditional culture in this village, a famous place for making Gốm Sành (pottery without glaze fired with dry grass and then firewood and coal) and producing rice paper and raising pigs.

When we arrived our tour guide directed us for a few minutes along a lane of very interesting and beautiful old houses before taking us on a ferry over the Cau River. What I found amazing was the fact that many families maintain their traditional trade and they are actually making rice paper for a living.

Strangely, our first stop was at the home of Mr Viet, a local man who can play four different musical instruments. He played a song for us then he helped us to practice the instrument as well and it was rather funny. I don't have much talent so I let my friend Viv and her family make fools of themselves while I sat down enjoying the music. After the music lesson, we moved onto the entrance of the house and Mr Viet's wife was ready to instruct us on the finer points of making steamed rice pancakes. It wasn't that easy but we managed it very well.

Next up we visited the amazing old Doan Minh pagoda and a very nice communal house. I loved the Doan Minh pagoda with its many statues. I thought it looked a bit similar to the Defence Pagoda in Hanoi(Chua Tran Quoc). We spent about 40 minutes wandering around the pagoda before walking back to the banks of the Cau River for lunch. During our walk through the market, I saw people grilling pig's feet and lots of children playing around. They were very friendly and happy which is a great thing to see when you visit a place.

We had lunch at a cafe on the third floor overlooking the Cau River. They served way too much food including deep-fried spring rolls, omelette, tofu with tomatoes sauce, chips, deep fried fish and a broth. I love eating in the countryside as people cook with their own authentic recipes. I felt a bit exhausted so I took a ferry back to the car while my friends keot walking through the village.

It was a great day. I had a fabulous time and I would definitely go back there again for a day. Thanks so much Viv, Sue and Michael for a brilliant day.

Venice, A Wonderland

On my trip to Europe at the end of 2010, arriving in Venice was just as magical as what people say about it. I don't think anything can prepare you for this amazing city in Italy. There I was, walking alongside the main canal in Venice looking for hotel rooms. We had arrived on a busy Saturday afternoon and most of the hotels were fully booked as Italians go to Venice for weekends with their friends and family and of course there were thousands of tourists just like us. As we expected the hotels were very expensive but luckily we found the Biasin Hotel right on one of the many canals. The owner, a feisty 85 year old, was a very clever business woman but a little bit eccentric. Her hotel was fully booked as well but she offered a partitioned off section of the attic, which we shared with several backpackers. We didn't mind as she had promised us a room across the canal in her other hotel, with actual views over the canal. because we were staying four nights, she gave us quite a good deal, too. In the hotel, most staff were students from around who had come to Venice for study were working here part time. The young receptionist who looked after us was actually from India.

I have to admit that Venice is gorgeous; no traffic, nice shops, great food and ice cream!!!! The Italians make the best ice cream in the world, I reckon. Another thing I have to admit is that, even though it was almost winter, I ate at least one ice cream each day we were in Italy.

Over the four days in Venice, we walked around town and it was like a difficult game of chess with the walkways, bridges and canals making it hard to get back to the hotel - or anywhere else for that matter. But I absolutely loved it. We took so many photos and checked out lots of beautiful shops for Venetian specialties like carnivale masks, they are brilliant!!! I kind of regret that I didn't buy one even though I know it's just another dust-collector. Next time!

We decided to visit Murano Island, famous for its glass, which is about 20 minutes by ferry and it was truly worth the effort. The beautiful scenery from the ferry - seeing Venice from a distance - was another time to say "Am I really here in Venice?". I bought some champagne stoppers and other small souvenirs for my friends and they were pretty cheap and very special. We wandered around this small village for an hour before visiting the other islands of Burano - famous for it's incredible coloured houses and Torcello, a more peaceful and spiritual experience.

Back in Venice, we visited the incredible San Marco Square and cathedral. My friends took a trip to the top of the building while I walked around the square and nearby promenade taking photos of the pigeons and gondolas. There were also people dressed in opera costumes trying to sell tickets - it was a pretty special atmosphere, even though it was cold and raining. On the way back to the hotel, we walked over the Rialto bridge and watched the boat traffic as the skies got dark. We used the city's great vaporetto system to get around as well as walking. Seeing Venice from the water is important, I think.

Four nights in Venice was not enough for me as there is still so many things to see and discover but that means I have a reason to come back.

I still have to pinch myself to believe I've been there.

Cafe Anh

I have been going to this cute cafe for the last 7 years but not regularly. Last week with my friend's son, I went back to Anh Cafe and enjoyed the experience and very much.

Right opposite Thien Quang Lake, this is a great place for people-watching. The big trees in front provide shade for the customers and a nice breeze from the lake blows across, which is a blessing in the heat of the Hanoi summer. The coffee isn't the best in town but it passes the test on a morning when I am a bit slow to get going. I take my coffee with a slightly bigger pour of condensed milk and ice. Of course, in summer, hot coffee is out of the question - though sometimes my street food tour customers still prefer that.

Perhaps the best featyre of this cafe is the owner, a skinny old man who wanders up and own the line of customers sweeping up the discarded sunflower seed husks and collecting the money. His cafe is really a part of old Hanoi, I guess and that's reason enough to come back again and again.
Cafe Anh
70 Nguyen Du - Hanoi

Luang Prabang 2012

Heading back to Luang Prabang this time brings back so many good memories. I can't believe I haven't been here since 2007 but somehow it seems so familiar, as if I was here only last month or last year. On the surface, it's like most things have stayed the same; the Laos people are very sweet and the scenery, both in the immediate surrounds and in the hills beyond the river, are as beautiful as ever.

In the evening, wandering around the night market is a good thing to do before or after dinner. It must be one of the quietest markets in the world, with little of the hustle and bustle of other markets I've visited in my limited travels. Walking the markets and streets of Luang Prabang is one of the most pleasant things to do in this town, in fact its the best way to experience it. just keep coming back to the main street for a cold Beer Laos or fruit shake every now and then to keep yourself from dying in the heat. For me, the heat is much like where I live in Hanoi so I can cope but at this time of the year there are not that many western tourists around.

Of course, the food is always a highlight. I think Laos food is a bit similar to Thai food; quite spicy but with more herbs and veggies. The dishes I especially enjoyed this trip were kao soy, a kind of rich tomato and meat sauce served on noodles and my favorite laab, spicy minced meat salad. On the vegetable side this time, the highlights were snake beans eaten raw and water cress both in a salad and a soup.

Coming over just for a weekend is not enough but there are many reasons to come back.