Chris and Danika, the couple who are famous for quit their jobs, sold everything in San Francisco - all to travel the world.
During the trip around our world , they visited Vietnam , spent 3 weeks to go from north to south , visited some big cities such as Hanoi , Halong , Hue , Hoi An , Ho Chi Minh City and the West. Not only go sightseeing beautiful places , they also have a food tour eveywhere they go to enjoy the characteristic taste of each region .
Below are a few Chris and Danika’s tips for eating in Vietnam:
I love the creative ingredients, and that mix of sweet, sour and spicy flavors. No matter where we went, we were able to find vietnamese staples like Pho and Bun Cha, but we were surprised by the variation from one city to another. We felt lucky that over the course of three weeks, we'd have the chance to try the food from so many different parts of the country so we can feel this flair and distinction.
The Pho you order in Hanoi is almost completely different from the Pho you'll get in Saigon. In Hanoi, the north of Vietnam, the places we ate were basically street food stalls. In the central region of Vietnam, things were a little more developed, and we found a broader selection of traditional restaurants. In Saigon, Vietnam's largest city, we were able to find everything from amazing street food to fine dining all on the same street. We realized that eating in traditional Vietnam restaurants is very different from eating in restaurants in Europe and America .
Be adventurous: Many restaurants in Vietnam (especially Hanoi) don't always look like traditional restaurants in the US or Europe. Sometimes, the "restaurant" is the front room of someone's house, and they serve food to you in what is essentially their living room. Sometimes the "restaurant" is just a grill setup over an open fire on the sidewalk. If you see people sitting on little plastic stools, go ahead and order a meal like them, and had amazing meals.
Learn from locals: This golden rule of eating in a foreign city applies anywhere, but especially for Vietnam. If you look into a place and see nothing but wide eyed westerners looking back at you, run away. Often times this tactic does mean that you will end up going into places that may appear to be less than "100% sanitary", and they most likely will not have a translated menu for you. Find someone who is eating something that looks good and point to it when you order. Odds are you'll get delicious, authentic food, and for a fraction of what you'd pay in a restaurant that caters to foreigners.
Don't always expect to get a menu: Many places we ate in Vietnam only served 1 dish. You basically walk up, grab a stool, and within 30 seconds someone walks over and puts down a bowl or plate of what ever it is that restaurant makes. It could be skewers, bun cha, pho, or something.
Drink beer:
It's hot in Vietnam, and nothing helps cool you down like a glass of beer.
You'll see it for sale everywhere. We bought some from an old lady
selling it out of her house, and we sat with her on little stools on the
sidewalk and drank a few bottles.
However, don’t try only beer , you better drink Bia Tươi, literally means fresh beer. It's brewed each the morning and is sold later that day! Don't be turned off when you see it served with large amounts of ice. It's surprisingly refreshing and when it's hot and humid
Our favorite food
Hanoi:
Bun Cha, Morning Glory Salad, Phở, Bánh mỳ, Che Thap Cam
Hoian:
Cao Lau. Banh Bao Vac, Com ga
Hue:
Banh bot loc, Banh beo. Banh khoai
HCMC:
Bun thit nuong cha gio, Pho, Ice coffe.
