Much Ado About Fooding

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City is quite huge. There are various areas that may be called differently in the city and as my family began to wind down from our journey, we went to Saigon but stayed in the Chinatown area called Chợ Lớn. The funny thing is that I didn't even know we weren't officially in the heart of Saigon until my dad mentioned it the day we were going to leave; this whole time I had thought that I was in major Saigon! It made sense, however, because most of the places we went to had Chinese people and Chinese signs. Perhaps I was just too brain-dead from idleness to pick up on the differences.

So for food, we actually had some Chinese-Vietnamese food but nothing out of this world. The area wasn't famous for anything either but it was fun seeing what types of foods were around for trying out. Did you know that KFC is quite prevalent in Saigon? They also serve ice cream and fish nuggets! They weren't too shabby either.

I finally had some good phở bò the first morning we ate out. Everywhere else that I had had phở bò for the month was quite lacking in "umph" and delicousness. However, this restaurant had decent prices ($2.00 per bowl) and great food. The service wasn't bad either; keep in mind, though, that this is just comparatively. Most restaurants had utterly terrible service. Something that I discovered whenever we had phở was that the noodles used are flat and thicker than what I am accustomed to. It was a shift in pace but did not alter the dish too much. Overall, it was the soup that mattered and this place had excellent soup.

Because we were in a Chinese-y area, my parents wanted to get some dim sum. There was one restaurant we went to that served some - it wasn't anything special nor was it cheaper than dim sum back home. All in all, Chợ Lớn gave a small peek into the international food types that were around Saigon but it didn't give me a full scope of what the big city had to offer. I hope that if I come back to Vietnam, I'll spend more time in the big city to see what makes its citizens' stomachs full. By the way, stay away from this drink pictured below unless you like black licorice/star anise-flavored soda...

One of the things that I had known to prepare for in Vietnam was the heat and humidity; these were the reasons for cutting my hair short. However, seeing as it is a whole country, it obviously had areas that were not subject to the severity of most sections. When my family decided to travel to Dalat, they told me that I would need a jacket but I ignored the advice (still had a jacket fortunately) because it was hard to believe that after a few weeks of constant sweating. On our way to Dalat though, it became apparent that it was in a mountainous region that had a nicer, cooler climate. I had checked it out on Wikitravel to see if there were any specialty foods in the area but all I noted was their artichoke tea, which I did buy some bags of. Other than that, the foods in the area were basically fairly widespread but with an emphasis on noodle soups, preserved & candied fruits, milk, and their wines. Who knew that Vietnam had wineries? As for restaurant food, the only good places we went to were a noodle soup place ($1.50 per bowl) and a higher class-looking restaurant ($5+ per plate) near the night market.

My brothers and I were actually quite excited when we saw familiar-looking candied fruits because they were delicious. They were typically heavily sugared and full of juiciness. I also tried one of their wines there and was disappointed. It was lacking in a lot and ended up being slightly vinegary at the end (not a good sign). Luckily I hadn't been expecting much. As for their city's own milk production, the milk was pretty light in comparison to the one in the States but I enjoyed the chocolate milk tremendously. Also, I didn't get as severe of a stomachache as I usually do when I drink milk (milk intolerance)! That's always a plus.

There were several "exotic" meats that I saw on menus but my parents said to be wary of these because they could just be faked considering the amount of tourists around. Alas, no porcupine or anteater for me. However, the food was pretty decent in Dalat; their specialties were quite delicious aside from the wine. Check out their offerings if you're in the area!

My family left Châu Đốc and headed up north to beachy areas. The first place we stopped at was Mui Ne. Because it was only for an afternoon, I won’t make a full post about it but the hotel where we stayed had an interesting boardwalk-like area where vendors were selling their wares. One of the interesting things was that there were these old women who got seafood straight from the waters (you could walk down to the beach right outside your hotel balcony/patio) and would cook whatever you wanted in front of you. I was most intrigued by the whole octopi that one woman was roasting but my mother made us steer away from such “dangerous” food, as she called everything she didn’t trust. Before we had reached Mui Ne, though, we had driven through dragonfruit country. I have some vines in my backyard of the stuff (wonderful fruit really and quite beautiful when growing) but there were fields and fields of these. I even got to see different types – did you know that dragonfruit comes in white, fuschia, and yellow flesh? They get sweeter in that order as well.

We didn't stay long at Mui Ne before we headed to Nha Trang, the most famous beach resort town in Vietnam. My brother (Conan) and I had looked up places to eat there through Wikitravel and despite our pushing and nudging, the only places our family visited were a bakery called Hoa Hung and a chocolatier called ChocoCiao. The bakery was pretty good actually (the red bean cakes were divine!) but the chocolate was quite mediocre. I'd chalk it up to the kind of chocolate that you get from off-brand companies during the holidays wrapped in foil as Santas or neon pink hearts.

What I want to speak more specifically about in this town with its beachy wonder and aside from the awesome night scene is what my mom and aunt said was famous there: nem nướng (grilled pork skewers). The place we went to was so packed that we had to go to their second location which was several stories high and also quite packed! However, it was all quite warranted as the food was delicious. We got the grilled pork with rice paper to wrap, fried rice paper, various greens, mango and cucumber, and the appropriate dipping sauce. I loved it! Conan and I also tried the three different Saigon beers they had to offer - nothing special from these unfortunately.

Overall, there were a lot of international restaurants in the area but it was unfortunate that we only stayed there two days and didn't have time to check the places all out. Nevertheless, if you're in the area, check out that nem nướng place!

Oh Châu Đốc, my dad’s hometown. Aside from the few hours we stayed there after getting picked up from the airport and the giant wholly roasted pig we took to a temple (see picture below), we spent about two days in that city. Our food mainly came from one restaurant across the street from our hotel that was considered one of the better places to eat, at least by my cousins’ word. What I remember most is the very cheap bánh mì we got at less than 50 cents per; these would be baguettes stuffed with pâté, giò lụa, and other slices of meat products.

Something interesting is that nighttime food that is available. My mom said that Châu Đốc had some pretty good thit bo vien, or meatballs, and so we went off to get some that was apparently only available at night. So we braved the mosquito infested areas of the night time and settled on a cart that was by a temple (though there were plenty of carts that were in dark alleyways). Partnered with the meatball cart was a sugar cane juice cart, or nước mía, so we had some freshly made sugar cane juice. I love that stuff because it’s just so naturally sugary and refreshing. The next afternoon, we went to a coffee place that my cousin had said was pretty good and cheap (he went there the whole time we were there). I recall that an iced coffee with Bailey’s was barely $1.25 and pretty tasty. Unfortunately, I had ordered the coffee with rum and when I got the shotglass of rum, it was pretty sketchy smelling. I eventually tasted some because I didn’t want to mix something unknown into my coffee, and it was a definite no.

So for Châu Đốc, I couldn’t get a big grip on the food there either. It’s another one of those cities where you just have food and not a signature dish, as are many cities in America as well. However, perhaps I would need to stay there longer next time (if there is one) to get a better grip on the city’s culture. Perhaps I missed a crucial dish after all! If you’ve been there before, let me know what I missed out on, if anything.

After landing at the Saigon airport, my family and I were pleasantly greeted by our family members. It was interesting because I think I was the first one to spot them frantically waving amidst the crowd of eager Vietnamese people looking for other relatives/friends leaving the terminal. My aunt and uncle had rented a driver (you pay for the whole shebang altogether) to take us to Châu Đốc first which is where my dad grew up. That drive went on through the night but after we had done our thing there (my dad wanted to pay his respects to his mother’s grave first), we drove to Ha Thien where my mom’s side of the family lived.

Ha Thien is interesting as it is a port town. The town thrives on the business of fishermen from what I saw. It’s fairly close to the Cambodian border (we even had plans to go to Cambodia briefly but the red tape for traveling over there as U.S. citizens with single-visit visas was too complicated), and my grandparents’ house was just overlooking a bridge. You could see the fish and meat markets from the doorway and all the floors; the house was 5 stories tall as most houses are built upwards. The city itself isn’t actually famous for any particular dish, just cheap seafood and fruits everywhere. I certainly had my fill of purple mangosteens, rambutans, and the like. I thought it was neat that everything was so organic and fresh; they even had banana bunches straight from the tree to be chopped down when you picked one! The markets were interesting to walk through and look at but “browsing” is not looked upon favorably.

My mother was quite paranoid that everything we ate would get us sick (though she was the only one who got food poisoning). She didn’t trust street vendors (despite the fact that they always had the best foods) but it was pretty normal to get food from them so our breakfasts were usually delivered by street vendor runners. I thought it was pretty neat that the food would be brought by bicycle by someone from the food cart without the expectation of tip; the food would also come on plates that had to be returned so the person would come back for payment and dirty dishes. One of my favorite foods to have was bánh ướt which we got pretty frequently. The other huge hitter, particularly for my brothers, was cơm tấm. Believe me – it’s been quite a change to revert to having cold and small breakfasts rather than entire hot meal plates (and for only $1 too, on the pricey side!).

Not related to food but somewhat to nutrition, a lot of the people around walked, biked, or rode motorbikes. Cars weren’t that prevalent unless they were taxis. I think that it’s great that so many walk and bike because it seems healthier. However, it also makes traffic a bit frightening. I biked with my brothers and cousin to the beach (it felt so far!) one of the evenings and biked back; the morning after resulted in a sore behind but a good feeling of being active. It was also fun to learn how to drive one of the motorbikes and while I did drive in traffic sometimes, it wasn’t preferred due to the chaotic way that people drive. Imagine riding in a town without traffic rules...yeah.

Despite the exercise and walking that we did, I’m pretty sure I gained a few pounds because my grandmother reveled in the fact that there were people home to feed (see where my mom and I get it from?). Most of my food was homemade (but from local ingredients of course), which was something to be grateful for considering the unsanitary conditions of most of the establishments. I even got to help make dinner one night when I wrapped what seemed to be a million wontons.

In terms of interesting food, I think the different kinds of seafood were intriguing. I tried a few that I hadn’t tried before. Though I’m not a huge fan of shellfish, there were certain clams that I enjoyed having. I don’t know what they’re called but in Vietnamese, they were referred to as “one finger clams.” I also ate some Melo Melo sea snail which had a crunchy exterior, weird pattern, and slight spiciness as an after-thought. We also ate this weird shrimp/praying mantis-looking crustacean frequently but I was not too partial to it.

All in all, the best food on the trip was from Ha Thien for several reasons – I had a lot of homemade food, the food was cleaner than other places we visited, the prices were cheaper overall, everything was fresh and authentic (almost humble, really), and service was fair and respectful. I also managed to stock up on a lot of bar and kitchen equipment for cheap so hopefully I can move forward with expanding my knowledge of food and drink!

I love traveling but when I do, one of the first things I try to do is taste the famous local foods of the area. Before I came back to Duke for the fall semester, I flew to New Orleans where my roommate lived. We were going to drive up to Duke from there. I was excited because of all the culture in NOLA and the FOOD! Dear goodness…I only had 2 real days there so I had to get cracking on a million and a half things. I’ll go over them really quickly though just so you can go hungry over it…and know what to try!

1. Beignets

First thing that had to be had – beignets from Cafe Du Monde. The line was long but typical and it was hot but we had some street performers doing a piece to keep us occupied. Almost everyone was there for the beignets so it was quick in-and-out though we still sat down. I got the powdery goodness…and it rocked. It was also nice and cheap (under $3).

TIP: Don’t breathe out when you bite into one because you’ll just get it all over the place like I did.

INFO: Beignets are similar to doughnuts as they are deep-fried pieces of dough. They’re stacked on top with powdered sugar…delicious!

2. Gator on a Stick
We went to the French Market afterward to check out all the goodies there. I saw a sign for Gator on a Stick and decided “Why not?” I’ve had alligator before at a fondue place but it was NOLA and gator seemed appropriate.

My only dismay with my purchase was that it wasn’t a chunk of meat that made me think of the rough-and-tough nature of alligators. I was hoping to get the stick and have to rip chunks off of it with my teeth. The place had actually ground up the meat and put it in a sausage format…making me wonder if I was really eating gator or not. Either way, it was good and full of spices. I had to take a breather sometimes because I’m weak when it comes to spicy stuff.

3. Muffuletta

This here was definitely my favorite of the things I had in NOLA. I should’ve figured that out ahead of time though because it IS Italian, and I LOVE Italian food. This really hit the spot; it was also enormous so I got to have some later. I got the small one too…

So what’s in it? The bread makes it rocking – Sicilian sesame. Yum yum. Breads have my heart. That bread is slathered with some marinated olives (the place where I got mine had a tad too much since it soaked through my bottom layer). Then it is layered with capicola, salami, mortadella, emmentaler, and provolone. *drool*

It was giant. It was delicious. It was perfect. Oh and I had some gumbo there too because I knew I wouldn’t have time to get some later. GUMBO is essential to a trip to NOLA and I regret not going to a place that specialized in gumbo…but muffulettas? PERFECTO.

4. Homemade Dumplings

Alright this isn’t a part of NOLA culture but I had to share it because it was fantastic. One of the things that I was excited about doing when I got to NOLA was help my rooomie’s mom make dumplings for one of our dinners. She made everything from scratch, including the wrapper. I got to make bad looking dumplings (because I’m not a crafty, delicate person) and roll out the wrappers eventually. They turned out deliciously albeit ugly when it came to the ones I contributed.

5. Po’Boy

NOLA is famous for its po’boys (sub sandwich on Louisiana French bread). How could I resist getting one? I tried a shrimp one and beef one. I have to say…the shrimp one was the better of the two and boy was it GOOD. I guess everything in NOLA is quite big because I had to save some of the sandwiches for later as well. Both of them were fully “dressed,” as they’re called with all the condiments and veggies on. I’m not sure what more to say on the topic of po’boys. Their origin is complicated because of the various stories about them; I don’t know which to believe. I’ll just believe that they rock.

6. Snowball

My roomie said that I HAD to get a snowball when I got to NOLA. It was basically shaved ice with lots of syrup but the ice was so finely shaved that it was light and nearly fluffy. We went to a small hole-in-the-wall place between neighborhoods that was small and dinky; however, it was great. I had a blackberry creme kind and she had banana foster with pralines & cream on top. I enjoyed it…especially in the August weather.

7. Daiquiris

These stores were everywhere. Think of slushy machines…but with daiquiris. Now imagine a whole store dedicated to 20+ flavors of daiquiris. That’s all these places had…and I enjoy a Hypnotiq one on my last night in NOLA.

8. Pralines
I don’t have a picture of this but pralines are wonderful. They’re basically chunks of carmelized sugar and cream with almonds. I had samples from the French Market but that’s about all I’d have because they were very sweet. I can only take so much.
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Yes…a long post but I shall definitely have to keep in mind more personal food tours. Definitely go with locals to get food when you’re traveling to make sure that you’re getting the best of the best and not just tourist traps…even though some of these places were touristy like Cafe Du Monde. It was a fantastically fattening trip and I’ll make sure to watch my diet a little better the next time I’m in NOLA.

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