Ha Dong - Silk Village

Took my friends from Saigon to Ha Dong on a hot day for a shopping tour. Ha Dong is a very peaceful village with lots of small lanes and silk shops. People seem quite soft and friendly, and their silk and produce from silk is also not very expensive.

Nowadays, Ha Dong is getting busier and busier because of the number of tourists coming for shopping and looking for a relaxing time in a peaceful village. Silk shops have opened for trade and are giving the local people more work to do and higher incomes. You can see a variety of silk products suitable for men, women and kids.

Ha Dong is a traditonal silk trade village that still retains lots of small silk factories and houses which make silk stuff. They also have some show rooms for tourists to come and see the different types of silk and silk worms of different colors. This is an amazing place that's good for a one day tour and it's not too far away from the centre of Hanoi, only 15 mins by car or motorbike and the transportation fare is cheap and easily found.

Hope you guys have a great day sightseeing and shopping.

Fish Rolls, Hoang Ty Restaurant

My sister and her friends took me to this place and I was confused about the name because on the sign it said Trang Bang and I don't know what Trang Bang actually is. At this very busy local restaurant they serve a variety of food but by the way people were ordering, I reckon steamed snake head fish rolled in rice paper with over 10 different veggies is the most popular dish here. They also serve a special long round noodle with pork or pigs feet or normal noodles with Thac Lac fish.

The food was good but as usual with local restaurants the atmosphere was really noisy. I think it was worse than usual because it was June 1st, which is Childrens' Day in Vietnam. Lots of screaming kids running around.

At the finish of our meal, we only paid 270.000Vnd for six people, which included a few beers, soft drinks and dessert. I thought they had made a mistake but it was right. Another good thing about popular local food shops like this is that you don't need to make any reservations :)

Banh Canh Tan Hoang Ty
106 Cao Thang Dist 3
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel:84.8.8332077

CD Lady

Yesterday was a hot summer's day in Hanoi. After breakfast, I went to buy some Cds next door. The Cd shop in Hang Phen street has a lady owner who was playing very load dance music. I asked her to turn it down because it was giving me a headache and making the heat seem hotter. Her husband, who was sitting reading the newspaper, agreed with me. But she said to me " I love dance and hip hop music". I was really surprised because she looked about 60 years old and she is Vietnamese. God, what a weird day and a weird woman :)

What do you think about this?

Ho Chi Minh City's Cafe

Coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City are very big and all look expensive due to the huge competition down there. Cafes try to outdo each other with decor to attract customers. The owners think that if they don't have the best shop then nobody will come.

In Viet Nam, people eat quite fast in restaurants or at home but they spend hours in coffee shops chatting with friends. Saigonese not only drink coffee when they go to coffee shop, though. They have plenty of options to choose from, including mixed juices, heavy liquor and cocktails. Some places make really good cocktails and some places make good juices. I can’t drink coffee a lot so that I usually choose fresh passion fruit or lemon juice.

In Saigon recently, I drank lots of coconut juice because the naturally sweet coconuts don't seem to be available in Hanoi and they cost triple the price. I love to simply drive around and stop at a coconut stall right on the street, ask for a cold one and drink it 100% in one go, and keep driving. Such a good summer drink.

@ Cafe, Napoli cafe, MTV cafe, Highland cafe… are the most popular in Saigon at the moment. They’re all in good locations and beautifully fitted. Some of these cafes also serve good value office lunches.

Super Chef

Whenever I come down to Saigon, I always enjoy eating whatever my sister, Hang, cooks. She cooks very well and she knows what I love. While I was there recently, she spoilt me. So many times, Hang made a quick visit to the market near her home, and thirty minutes later I'd have one of my favourites in front of me. Some of her best dishes are sweet and sour broth with Bong Lau fish, stir fried prawns with pork, steamed mixed vegetables and some eggplants. Sometimes she makes really good beef steak to eat with rice instead of French fries and salad.

She varies what she cooks very often, which impresses a lot because I can eat something delicious and different almost daily. My sister and I both love tennis and we play every night whenever I come down to Saigon. I join her club to play doubles which gives me a good chance to practice my doubles skills. Usually I only play singles in Hanoi.

Spending time with Hang was good fun as always. I love Ho Chi Minh City and I'm thinking about moving down here to live at the end of this year. Let’s see.

Viet Nam House

Viet Nam House is a very nice restaurant located in the most expensive location in Saigon, Dong Khoi Street. But you will be surprised because the food is excellent it's not expensive at all.

Live traditional music is on almost every night,which creates quite a nice atmosphere. The staff are great. I love to see people smiling when they work.

While looking at the menu, I got recommendations from the staff and they were all good. the Papaya salad with pork and prawns was a great starter, fresh and tangy. The Grilled beef in La Lot leaves and stir fried mixed vegetables with tofu and mushrooms were also knowledgeable choices for my main course. I think the fish in clay pot had an amazing rich sauce but the fish was a bit over cooked.

Viet Nam House
93-95Dong Khoi Street
Tel:(84).8.829.16231
Ho Chi Minh City

Architecture in Thanh Hoa Province

The architecture in this sea side resort town, Sam Son, is a bit hard for me to describe. The styles are all over the place with some influence from the French and a lot of modern hotels wich are a bit ugly.

Hotels and government company buildings are built not following any specific design and some of the color combinations are awful. I was surprised that there were so many hotels and guest houses in such a small area and not much thought about planning.

I think some of these buildings follow the Soviet style and have been there for years and it's interesting to know that some people still prefer that style instead of new modern tall buildings.

Lush In Saigon

If you go past in the day time, you wouldn't recognise Lush bar, one of the nicest bars in Saigon. Simply decorated and nicely lit, Lush has a cool feeling and great music.

I say this because I was there twice with my friends while I was down south recently. I was impressed by the staff, the drinks and the price - not expensive at all, compared to other bars in Saigon but you will get the same quality of drink, maybe higher service quality and a better atmosphere. You can choose a seat inside both down or upstairs with air conditioning or outside with a fan. Another pleasant thing about this place was the lack of prostitutes hanging around. I was surprised. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

Lush Bar
Ly Tu Trong Street- District 1
Ho Chi Minh City

Sam Son Beach - Thanh Hoa Province

I was woken up at 4Am in the morning when everything was still dark and quiet. It took me about 10 mintues to get from home to my work place by taxi where all my colleagues were waiting. We left Hanoi at 5.15 Am and we spent about 4 hours on a big bus to get to Sam Son beach in Thanh Hoa province. Everyone seemed very excited to be having a short break from work where they have to work hard everyday, serving hundreds of people who come to enjoy Vietnamese food.

We all went to the beach after lunch and hanged out for a few hours, swimming and playing football together. Our meals were great, with lots of seafood such as crab, squid, prawns and fish every day. I gave a compliment to the chef because we all enjoyed the food so much that we ordered extra seafood during all of our meals.

Everything seems quite cheap here in Thanh Hoa. I took a xich lo tour for 30 minutes for just 15,000Vnd (1USD) and the driver was a woman. She works in the afternoon and her husband works in the morning and evening. They earn about 100,000Vnd per day which is good but this is pretty hard work for a woman. The xich lo is a popular form of transportation in this area where most tourists come for a weekend or a few days in the summer.

The beach is clean and full of people for the whole day. I wouldn't call the beach beautiful but it is acceptable for swimming, and for sunbathing. The local people seem very friendly here and they also try their best to sell their stuff by following tourists for hours. the most common street businesses are selling dry squid and live crabs and Cay cakes.

The most annoying thing was the people selling things along the beach in the evening. Everytime we bought something, we were cheated. My colleagues went back to their store to complain but they said to us, that's the way it is and they didn't care about that. I bought a flashing light ball for my dog Misa. It worked at the shop but 10 minutes later, it was not working. On the way back to the hotel, I saw a police man and I told him about that but he said nothing. He just smiled and some other girls working as street police said to us "that's the way the street business is here and many people have complained about that before but we can't change it. Why didn't you go to the real shops in the city?" What can you do?

Anyway, been there, done that. We did have a good time together, time to get to know the other staff and about another place which is good.

Grilled Tuna In Banana Leaves

Another day and another recipe from my colleagues at Wild Rice. This is one of the most popular main dishes at the restaurant. If you follow the recipe carefully, you can make your meal special.

Ingredients:
Tuna: 250g (1 slice)
Eggplant: 500 g
Okra: 20g
Garlic: 10g
Red chili: 1 chili (chopped finely) & 2 others for grilling
Chili paste: 2 teaspoon
Sugar: 1.5 teaspoon
Chicken powder: 1.5 teaspoon
White pepper: 1 teaspoon
Cooking oil: 2 teaspoon

Method:
- Cut eggplants into half horizontally, then cut into half lengthwise
- Put tuna, eggplant, okra, red chili, chili paste, garlic, prepared red chili, cooking oil, chicken powder, sugar, white pepper into a large mixing bowl, mix well then marinate for 15 minutes.
- Grill the eggplant, okra and tuna over a hot flame for 5-7 minutes on each side.

This dish is served with rice at the restaurant. But of course, it's always nice to order or prepare some vegetables or a salad, too.

Pavement Pounders - Saigon II

Laying on the sofa right next to the window at my sister’s house I heard so many people walking past trying to sell their stuff from sticky paper to catch rats to tropical fruit like durian. My daily snack or desert while I was there was Agar which only costs 1000Vnd and the lady’s very friendly. She also sells creme caramel. She told me that she earns 50,000Vnd everyday by selling those sweets, having started her business 5 years ago. She starts at 8am and continues until she's sold everything, walking through every alley trying to finish her day as early as possible.

Every time she came around, I couldn't resist. I just have to buy one, sometimes two or three!

Xich Lo

I am not a big fan of the Xich Lo because I feel a bit mean sitting there looking around while there is an old man using all his energy to pedal the thing.

While walking along the street on my recent trip to Saigon, I was starting to feel exhausted when an old Chinese man rode past and asked if he could show me around. I refused twice but I then agreed after he told me that he would take me to a very good Hu Tiu(noodle soup-Chinese style). I talked to him about a variety of things, about the city and the people. The xich lo driver also told me about himself and how his income fluctuates everyday but remains low compared to other jobs. This is really hard work and the charge is usually dependent on the distance.

Nowaday, most people who use the Xich Lo are from the older generation or they are kids. Young adults prefer to go by bike or taxi for speed and convenience which is opposite to the old folk who care more about safety and a relaxing ride. Some people use Xich Lo to take their children to school. I think I might use Xich Lo more often because I can see things happening during my trip and also using them will preserve one of the traditional trades and customs in Viet Nam.

Renaissance Riverside Saigon Hotel

Eating in hotels can be a bit boring because there are so many which serve acceptable food in a very formal atmosphere. The Riverside Cafe in Saigon where I went recently with my friends is great, quite expensive compared to other places but worth the money. There are lots of options to choose: salads, main courses and desserts are available from the international buffet. A soft drink and water are included.

Sit on a comfortable chair in the non-smoking area to make your meal more enjoyable. Plates are changed after each serving which is good and the staff are friendly, beautifully attired and well trained.

I also went to an amazing bar on the 5th floor called the Atrium Lounge. I ordered the best Mojito ever at this bar and was really pleased with the very relaxing music. It was a nice surprise. It’s not as expensive as I thought either, and all long drinks and cocktails start from $6. For a special occasion or a drink before a meal, I recommend this place. Remember, it's on the 5th floor.

Check these places out at: Renaissance Riverside Saigon Hotel
8-15 Ton Duc Thang Street
Tel:(84)8.822 0033
Ho Chi Minh City

Swearing Noodle

This is a quite well known noodle shop in Saigon, not because of the noodles, but rather because of the owner. The regulars, including my sister, said that the lady owner swears at her staff all the time and is a bit cold to the customers.

She sells a variety of different kinds of noodles (vermicelli and pho) with chicken and chicken's organs. If you ever go to this place, ask her to leave out the MSG. Because she’s from Hanoi, she adds it without thinking. The soup's good in the mornings and they are open at night, too. Another member of the family takes over to sell sticky rice, noodles and other chicken dishes.

Nguyen Du Street - almost opposite the cathedral.

Ho Chi Minh City

Pacific Airlines

Pacific Airlines is not a new airline, but it is a good competitor for the national airline, Vietnam Airlines. The tickets are cheaper but the service is still quite good, with friendly staff full of helpful information and free pickup. These are some of the reasons that lots of people choose Pacific. They also occasionally have promotions for international flights or throughout Vietnam.

One thing I do want to say is that because the airplanes are not really as new as Vietnam Airlines planes I was a bit scared the first time I flew with them. But recently I flew from Hanoi to Saigon on a big Airbus and the pilot took off and landed perfectly. I just wish the flight attendents would wearVietnamese traditional long dress instead of skirts which would make them look even more beautiful.

I hope the Vietnamese government allows more airlines to operate, so that Vietnamese have more options to choose, the quality will improve and more people can afford to fly around the country instead of using car, bus or train. It would be a further development for the better.

Grilled Beef Rolled In La Lot Leaves

I stopped by this shop by accident due to the heavy rain while I was in Saigon, even though I have been wanting to try this dish since my last trip.

Only 7000Vnd for one serve which includes lots of different herbs, cucumber, banana, noodles and rice paper to make your own spring roll and a very yummy brown smelly sauce which I love. You can choose between grilled beef rolled in La Lot leaves or grilled beef without leaves but this second beef is a bit fatty.

Most of these shops are open from lunchtime till midnight but the busiest time is in the afternoon when people finish work. People sit along the pavement eating this dish and drinking beer or rice wine and I reckon this is one of the best street BBQ dishes in Saigon which is cheap and good.

Grilled beef rolled in La Lot leaves, available on Ton Duc Thang Street.

Vung Tau

While in the south, I took a speed boat to Vung Tau on a hot day and I can't believe that it was already over 10 years since I was there the first time. Everything has changed but I think this small beach town is still missing something. The architecture is very mixed with so many new houses with strange designs and the people are a bit pushy. I walked along the street and there were so many people coming and asking me to do things. I understand that's business but I think they need to leave people alone when they say no. The food in Vung Tau was also not really good except for the seafood.

Vung Tau is a very clean city with lots of greenery along the center of the streets. It reminded me a little of Singapore for some reason.

I don't know what it is but there is something missing in Vung Tau.

Open Mouth

I have eaten in many different restaurants in Viet Nam, from local to high class restaurants just for the very simple reason, to find out about the food and for my blog. I realized that there are differences between Hanoi, where I am living now, and the south. In a high class restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, it’s more expensive than in Hanoi, even though the food is about the same quality. Maybe we are paying more for better service? Another difference is that in Ho Chi Minh City they charge a 5% service charge in most restaurants, which is not very popular in Ha Noi, except in 5 star hotels.

I love to try all styles and I love to eat food all around Viet Nam. The only things that I really care about are service and staff behavior. The hygiene is not really a problem for me - I'm probably immune! - but I'm fond of clean places, on the street or wherever, and a comfortable seat. In Hanoi, I usually eat out at small places and most of them are stalls on the streets and in markets where you get the best food for not much money.