Vietnam
Vietnam
March 29th, 2011
After six wonderful weeks in China, I am arriving in Hanoi, Vietnam. I have more perceptions of this place than I did China, for better or for worse. Due to the Vietnam War, all the news, history, media publications, and movies about the subject, it is very easy to come to this country with some preconceived notions…
As far as the food goes, the French have had a presence here since the 1800′s, solidifying the cuisine as something known around the world. It has become incresingly popular in Europe and the US, along with other Indochina cuisines such as Thai cooking. The huge number of Vietnamese French fusion restaurants have made it quite approachable to your average diner.
A few days before my trip to Asia, I was getting rather excited and had to eat some Pho, the truly national dish here-the noodle soup of Vietnam. I went straight to the Vietnamese neighborhood of Chicago, right around Uptown and off of Western Ave. This got me in the mood to come here, making little spring rolls with piles of fresh herbs and greens, slurping up noodles, and drinking Tiger beer (its from Singapore, but close enough…).
So when I arrive here I had a few ideas of what I wanted to see and what I expected.
Day one, my perception is quite different! Much busier, crowded, noisy, built up, and changing than I had imagined. Damn you fancy travel magazines with the polished pictures!!!!
It would have been much more quaint with bycicles, not scooters everywhere, and I really don’t like seeing Kentucky Fried Chicken within the first 30 minutes of getting into a supposed exotic country on the other side of the globe.
C’est la vie!
Needless to say I avoided KFC, and went straight to a little street vendor for some Vietnamese crepes with baby Shrimp and spring rolls…!!
Crisis averted for the moment.;)
Is she organizing a buy or sell of fruit…?? Or is she just chatting with friends?? Either way, those are some nice piles of tropical fruit…And Vietnam has been modernized well beyond what I had previously expected!
Bahn Xeo, the Vietnamese Crepe. Found all over, these are eating with fresh greens herbs and rice paper. Its basically the do-it-your-self cousin of the spring roll. They can be pretty good. This one was on the streets, and had baby shrimp and bean sprouts. Tasty;)
One of my favorite things in tropical places is the local fresh fruit. Everything (as long as its not shipped from Peru or Brazil or something…) tastes more like nature intended it to taste. Its cheap, healthy, and you can normally find it everywhere. I especially look for the fresh smoothie carts…
When choosing a beverage of choice, definitely avoid the fake sugar water and imported stuff. Things like fresh coconut water and sugarcane juice are SO delicious. Good for the heat as well! I love the little sugar cane carts with their rolling presses. Amazingly flavorful, with all the good nutrients a stuff, and not too sweet!
Fresh coconut. I have one a day for good measure….
