Vietnam - Food Delights

Grilled corn cobs outside the Cu Ci Tunnels not far from Saigon.

The pho, unique from Vietnam, for the soup concoction, graced with rice noodles, aromatic herbs and chili cuts.

Breakfast tasty - egg omelette laden with ingredients of your choice and can include mushrooms, sausage bits, shallots and more.

Grilled meats, satay or skewer styled, here shown above held with wooden utensils, served at the Restaurant 96 in Ha Noi's bustling Old Quarter on a Wednesday evening in early November 2012.

A bird's eye view of street food in Hoi An, central Vietnam - sauces, greens and wraps accompany the ubiquitous grilled meat sticks.

The best Hainan-styled deep fried spring rolls as discovered at the Green Chili Restaurant in Hoi An's Old Quarter.  The owner spoke to us on his careful and dedicated approach to ensure a really crispy batter outside with a fulfilling tasty bite inside.

Above picture captures two women busily holding court in a road corner stall in Hue selling the favourite pho noodles.  We sat on really low plastic chairs and downed our piping hot noodles with a yogurt also provided by these ladies.

Vegetarian delights provided by monks at a monastery in Hue (photo above) and a delightful  outcome of a fruit and vegetable carving demonstration aboard a cruise ship at Ha Long Bay  (photo below).

The omelette, right in picture above, wrapped fillings in a traditional Vietnamese snack - taken in Hue.

Star View Restaurant, Georgetown - Penang

Duck slices served in a crusty edible cup holder, above, was an unusual creation I came across at the Star View Chinese Restaurant in the middle of Georgetown CBD not far from Burmah Road and next to the food court at the New World Park.  Petite and tasty, it served as an attractive bite-sized idea.  The Star View has been building up a reputation in Cantonese inspired dishes on the island of Penang and the challenge is to maintain the energy and reputation for discerning diners.  Mum and family members recently had lunch there on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

We chose traditional favourites like marinated pork ribs, looking red as they should be. What caught my eye initially was the so-called dry version of the stir fry broad rice noodles (hor fun in Cantonese).  I must say it tasted to me like fried char koay teow and yet it did not rise to the oomph of Penang's top hawker stir fry. Maybe I was too entrenched in the delights of the hor fun with a gravy laced with gooey egg and smooth texture.  The Beijing duck came served with northern Chinese styled buns (the man tou) - picture below.

The prawns (photo above) with the dessert of tong sui (body nurturing ingredients like longans and gingko in a mild sweet soup (photo below) wrapped up the course meal.  The lunch was not overbearing and moderate in pace.  I enjoyed the quiet pace in the restaurant, sans the noise,crowds and clutter that can characterise most Chinese restaurants around the world

Hue, Vietnam - Motorbike Tour

A well renowned Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, hailed originally from this city in central Vietnam - Hue.

This hub which served as the political base of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, also boasts its so-called royal cuisine, which tends to be spicy and emphasises on small servings, including the well known white rose dumplings.  Hue is also located near the infamous DMZ, created after the French colonists lost the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954.  The national dress of Vietnam, the ao dai, originated from Hue, based on royal clothing styles.  Together with the Champa ruins in My Son and the nearby multicultural town of Hoi An, Hue is also a declared UNESCO heritage site, focused on the imperial Citadels, royal tombs, elephant versus tiger fighting arena and a strong underlying Confucian and Buddhist culture.  It is currently the administrative capital of Tua Thien Province in Vietnam.

Above picture shows the dragon head of a boat moored on the Perfume River in the evening we arrived, and below is a detail reminiscent of China's Forbidden City in Beijing.

The Hue Citadel ( Dai Noi) has recently experienced a restoration effort, with a royal compound open to visitors (above) and an impressive facade outside, surrounded by a moat.  You can see clear damaged walls from the significant fighting in the sixties between the US forces and the Vietcong. In the past, the royal families actually lived inside this area, with specific buildings dedicated for major purposes - including the  Mieu temple and  the Hall of Supreme Harmony.  There are several gates.  Hue was the capital of a previous unified Vietnam, before the recent reunification of the country in 1975 with Ha Noi as its capital.

The Thien Mu Pagoda complex in Hue sits on a hill beside the Perfume River ( Song Huong) with a large compound, including the main shrine and prayer hall, a monastery and independently standing pavilions, including one that provides the names of scholars who achieved attainment of passing Vietnam's royal examinations (held in the same spirit as the Chinese ones further up north).  Such honoured names are inscribed on a tablet held by a stone turtle ( second picture below).

My group's motorbike tour also included visits to a previous American bunker area overlooking the Perfume River (picture below), which has now been re-vegetated with planted flora and used mainly now by courting couples.  Above, the joss sticks with colourful handles made in a village that specialises in this handicraft.