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spudandemdotravels-blog · 6 years ago

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Vietnam - Episode 1 - Hanoi, SaPa

Hullo!

After deciding that Thailand was our favourite country of the trip so far, we were both sad to be leaving and excited for the next leg of our journey. Thailand has really been amazing, and although we had to forego Nepal we feel lucky to have been able to explore the north and south of the country. Spud in particular found himself eating humble pie early on after his preconceptions of Thailand being super touristy and too ‘western’ were swiftly quashed. Em approached with a more open mind, but was also pleasantly surprised at just how welcoming the people were, how good the food was, and how beautiful the country was in general.

After our last breakfast with Drew and Carol we jumped in our taxi that was to take us to what was a very confusing Phuket City International Airport. Thankfully our driver was a patient man and after circling the airport trying to decide which terminal we needed we checked in and boarded our flight to Bangkok. All went smoothly up until the point that our luggage didn’t arrive for 45 minutes after we reached baggage collection. Seemingly the porters had decided to leave all rucksacks until last, which resulted in us having to sprint through the airport to check into our next flight on time. Emily did a double take when the hostess at checkout said the gate closed at 3pm and the watch said 5 past! With 5 minutes since the gate closed, we pushed our luck as we were REALLY HANGRY and picked up a milkshake and some sandwiches before boarding. Nevertheless we boarded by the skin of our teeth (Em blamed Spud for this after he boldly ordered a toasted sandwich which we had to wait for) and were finally on the way to Hanoi!

We arrived in Hanoi old quarter at around 7:30pm, and we could tell straight away that we were going to enjoy ourselves here. The old quarter is a hive of activity that has a friendly atmosphere where tourists and locals mingle together. We were fairly tired from the days travelling, so after checking into our Lantern Dorm hostel we nipped out for a DIY BBQ beef dinner and a beer before calling it a night.

The next day was put aside for walking the city. We chose to cover the old quarter and some of its markets, as well as the Imperial Citadel which was kind of a heritage site cross war museum as it was used as a strong hold during conflicts. We covered about 13km of the city, which was plenty given that you seriously have to have your wits about you to preserve your life when crossing a road because of all the traffic heading in basically all possible directions (including the pavements...who says you should wait at a red light anyways!?). We finished our day with a meal at the New Day restaurant which was recommended to Em by her friend Rachel (top tip!). We ended up in a room with no windows and only cushions on the floor with a low table, which added to what was a really nice experience.

On our final day in the city we targeted the French quarter and had considered a couple of the museums, but unfortunately early on our card was swallowed by an ATM. We had a mini panic and then pulled ourselves together and arranged collection upon our return from Sapa in a few days time. It wasn’t an ideal solution but the bank was closed given that this was on a Saturday, and we had to come back to Hanoi anyway before moving on to Halong Bay. We were feeling a bit down by this point, but had spotted a good deal for a camera lens that we had been considering for a while. So, to cheer ourselves up we treated ourselves to an early Christmas present and then spent the rest of the day walking the French Quarter before a water puppet show in the evening. The water puppet show was fun but pretty bizarre - different rural scenes are portrayed with puppets who are basically in a small swimming pool.

After the show we spent an hour taking in the huge sense of community in the walking areas near Hoan Kiem lake. It was a Saturday night and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, happy watching groups skipping rope, performing circus skills, dancing and drawing. We couldn’t imagine people in the UK doing stuff like this on the weekend, and although weather is a factor it made us think about how much alcohol is a big part of social gatherings back at home. Here, there were no signs of trouble, drink or drugs to be seen. We found the whole thing slightly alien, but left liking Hanoi that little bit more.

We woke at 5:30 the next morning to catch our bus to Sapa. The coach journey was uneventful and we reached our destination by lunch time. What a contrast to Hanoi! The place felt just like a European ski resort with its alpine chalet type buildings, numerous cosy looking restaurants and stunning mountainous backdrop. It of course had an Asian twist to it though! We were met immediately by a group of 5 native Red Hmong tribe women who were charming but wanted us to buy either clothing or their services for a trek and proceeded to follow us for the next half an hour. So, we dodged into a nearby restaurant for Pho (noodle soup) and a coffee before hiring a scooter so that we could find our Homestay in the neighbouring Cat Cat village. Once we had checked in to our cosy little private room, the temperature had dropped to around 5*C so we wrapped ourselves up in hats, gloves and down jackets and went into town to find some dinner. We ended up eating in an Italian restaurant after the place we had scoped out was closing early for some reason, but the food was great and we had a table next to the wood burner, much to Emily’s delight!

(Below: Our home stay in CatCat Village)

The following day we put our little 110cc scoot through its paces and ventured into the Cat Cat valley to Su Pan, which although is only about 15km away took us the best part of the morning to get to. We stuck to the national roads, but the surface was similar to Laos (mainly non-existent) and was pretty tough going (in particular for Em’s ass sat on the back!). At one point we had to scramble our way past a lorry that had got itself stuck in the middle of a very muddy ford. On the other side Spud was commandeered to ride a French lady’s scoot back across the ford, and after the good deed he was awarded with putting his left foot in ankle deep mud....Once we had got used to the sketchy roads again we enjoyed the day. The scenery was fantastic and we had lunch in a little alpine style restaurant looking out over the mountains. That evening we booked ourselves on a two day trek with a company called Sapa O Chau before returning to a little restaurant Emily had spotted earlier called Good Morning View restaurant, where we had the most amazing meal of local slow cooked home-smoked pork, and sizzling duck accompanied by a local beer for Spud and some delicious plum and apple rice wine for Emily.

Our first day of trekking took us to the villages of Suoi Ho, Matra and Ta Phin which are home to the Hmong and Red Dao minority tribes. We covered around 10km and the trails were great. Not too challenging but off the beaten track enough to satisfy our needs. Similar to the previous day the scenery was amazing, but it was slightly unfortunate for us to miss out on seeing the rice crops before they were harvested in September.

Our Homestay was in a rural part of Ta Phin, and was very authentic. We were greeted by Mr and Mrs May and offered green tea, then it was onto bath time! The Red Dao (local tribe) specialise in herbal medicine - and in particular herbal baths. Having spotted the large wooden tub in the corner of the room, the group were a little trepidatious about who would a) go first and b) go last...it was very clear whether the water was going to be changed in between each person. However, in pairs, Spud and I were ushered into the wash room where two tubs of steaming herbal bath awaited us, so we stripped off and climbed in! Wow, it felt amazing to get into a bath (albeit in a crouched position), letting the steam swirl around us, after 15 minutes, time was up and we made room for the next couple - to their relief the water WAS changed between each person! We were surprised at how un-homely the house was; it had a very utilitarian feel to it and the evening was spent around the basic fire made up on the floor which doubled up as a cooking pit. Traditionally the Red Dao do not use chimney systems in their houses as the smoke helps to dry out rice stores that are kept on the first floor of the property. You can imagine how much we all smelled of food and wood smoke the next day!

(Below: bathtubs ready for healing herbal hot water)

The second day was far easier than the first however we still felt as though we were heading to Sapa ‘the back way’. After a breakfast of more banana pancakes than you could possibly eat and some coffee we watched a bridal procession walk up through the village before heading home from the wedding the night before. We covered approximately 10km with a relaxed lunch stop 3/4 of the way through. We were picked up below Sapa at around 2pm with plenty of time for us all to get back and move onto our next stops. We booked a 4pm bus back to Hanoi which would land us at around 10pm and we decided to stay in the Lantern Dorm again since it had been good the first time and because it was familiar to us. The journey was smooth bar a bum clenching moment where our driver skilfully dodging a bus heading the other direction which veered into our lane. Our driver believed that the other driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. It was at this point that we vowed not to use night buses in Vietnam again!

In some ways our lost card was a blessing in disguise, as it meant we could spend more time in Hanoi. We were able to get our card back early on so had time to visit the Women’s museum, get hair cuts in a tiny barbers on the edge of the Old Quarter, visit a couple of cafe’s to catch up on life admin, and to see the famous street train. We have no idea how people live with a train passing so close to their homes, let alone without barely any warning of the train arriving. We were under a meter from the carriages as it passed by us, and to the locals this was all very normal! Our day was finished with a meal at La Vong restaurant which has allegedly been serving the same recipe for grilled catfish with dill and rice noodles for over 100 years (although we avoided the purple-brown fermented shrimp dipping sauce). It was great to be finishing our time in Hanoi with traditional north Vietnamese cuisine.

Next stop Halong Bay, and then onto Phong Nha national park.

Spud & Em x

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unabashedtacocrown · 3 years ago

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Asia is full of great places to eat, after all the area is home to some of the best cuisines in the world. Every country you visit here has its own mouth-watering specialties based upon local ingredients that will blow your mind. Of course not all cuisines are created equal and while the food is consistently excellent, there are a few countries which really stand out.

Vietnam has some of the most consistently excellent food in the world. With strong Chinese influences it has created a delicious blend of noodles, rice and mouth-watering soup. You will find the usual fare of fried noodles and rice, yet you should concentrate on Pho, a beef broth soup which is made with delicious fresh rice noodles: this lovely dish is fragrant, filling and, if you add some chili, very spicy. Vietnam is also known for its baguettes, indeed, the colonial influence of France lives on here. Roadside vendors sell incredible sandwiches stuffed with familiar and unexpected items that are well worth it for a quick meal.

Malaysia is an incredibly diverse place - this has left it with an amazing cuisine which blends Indian, Chinese and Malay influences. Fried rice and noodles are incredibly popular while treats like Satay and Roti Canai are great for roadside snacks. Roti Canai, a dish consisting of fried bread and curry for dipping, is particularly noteworthy. You can also sample some great fusion in the form of Noonya food which combines Malay and Chinese influences to create delicate curries that will astound you. The Indian food is also very good here, and if you travel to this country you should definitely spend an evening sampling a curry or eight.

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lonelypond · 7 years ago

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MoonLight Becomes You, Chapter One

Howdy! This is my @lovelivesecretadmirer2018 gift for @nico-nasty.The prompt was “Your Favorite AU” so here we are. No spoilers, you’ll have to read it to see, although there might be some guesses. It got more involved than I expected so I’m posting the first half. I hope that’s okay and you enjoy this, @nico-nasty. I tried to make it more Eli-centric than usual for me.

Love Live, NozoEli, NicoMaki, 5.7K, 1/2

Things Take A Turn

Eli Ayase, tall, blonde, quarter Russian, smarter and smoother than whoever’s standing next to you, was used to being stronger and faster and taller and hotter than everyone else. Part of why she had started hanging out with her housemate, Nico Yazawa, small, sable haired, dynamic, impossibly cute, was that Nico refused to be impressed or awed by any of it. Eli would wander into their bungalow’s kitchen and instead of drooling or dropping a dish or delivery a cheesy pickup line, Nico would just chuck a towel at Eli’s head and say, “Hey, Blondie, your turn to dry”. It was refreshing.

They’d met at Northwestern, both dance minors, and in the time honored tradition of Making It Big™, had moved out to LA together after graduation. The most serious disagreement they’d ever had was when Eli had discovered pineapple pizza and used their weekly take out splurge money on it. Eli was no longer in charge of dinner, ever. All food choices had to be approved by Nico via text or hand written note. Besides their Monday night indulgence, they took turns cooking, which led to their brightest idea, the Popcorn and Pelmini Podcast, where they talked movies and food, reviewing movies and describing the foods they’d cater based on the movies. LA was a hungry town in many ways and movies were everywhere, so Popcorn and Pelmini took off. Takeout went from once a month to once a week.

Tonight, Eli had strict orders to stop on the way home and grab pho and spring rolls, for a light Spring dinner, so she was was enjoying the walk through their Silver Lake neighborhood, after the afternoon at her part time job writing grants. While she lived for her chances to perform as a dancer or an actor, the solid job with the local performance academy allowed her to take a break and just focus on paperwork and meeting deadlines. It was soothing.

The afternoon had been bright, but suddenly there was a change in the wind and a bank of clouds raced in, darkening the day as Eli felt the wind push against her. Suddenly, her scarf whirled away, twisting down an alley Eli wasn’t familiar with. Her scarf twisted around a bike rack in front of two tiny storefronts, one had a sign with Cyrillic letters promising Tasty Foods, the other a crystal ball that mostly looked like a disco ball, painted by someone who’d never seen either. It was somehow a charming muddle, especially as it came with a whiff of rye, garlic, horseradish and dill from next door. Eli’s mouth watered at the thought of borscht or zharkoye, but before she could step into the store, a woman came out of the crystal ball shop. Tall, voluptuous, dark hair with an intriguing purple tint -- that was the only word Eli could think of to describe the curves the flowing fabric of a floral dress hung on, with turquoise eyes that caught Eli staring.

“Oh.” The woman put her key back in her pocket, “Are you here for a reading. I was about to close up?”

Sure, Eli thought, a reading, I can read books, you’re pretty, then realized that her mouth hadn’t actually opened, which considering what her brain had fumbled to was probably a good thing. Just stop at the first word, “Sure.”

“I’m Nozomi.” Her laugh almost tinkled, the smile was a soft, warm breeze and every waft of spiced air made Eli think dinner was cooking in her grandmother’s kitchen. She wasn’t sure she hadn’t slipped into the best daydream ever.

“Cool. I’m Eli.” Eli followed Nozomi into the store. Bookshelves, filled with knick knacks, books, candles, fabrics that looked hand dyed, and boxes of Tarot cards. Ah, now the reading offer made sense.

Nozomi led the way to a small low, wooden table in the back, two pillows on the floor, Japanese style. Eli was having a day where all of her ancestors were visiting. She hoped it was a good omen.

Nozomi knelt, putting both hands on the table, “So what brings you in for a reading?”

Eli was still taking in all the small details, so she answered Nozomi while twisted around, trying to read the book titles closest to her, “The wind.” Eli turned back to the table and now, Nozomi was watching her curiously so Eli smiled, “I like your shop.”

“The wind.” Nozomi reached under the table and pulled out a deck, “This is my oldest deck, I don’t use it much, but the wind rarely blows in such a…” Nozomi paused, “distinctive face.”

Eli took the deck, unsure if Nozomi had complimented her.

“Shuffle and think about what you’d like some insight about. Do you have a question for the cards?”

“Can I have your owner’s number” was not a question the cards could answer, Eli suspected. She wondered if there was going to be a change in the ordinary, orderly progression of her days. “Just some general advice.”

Nozomi’s face gave very little away but Eli might have guessed she was puzzled. Eli shuffled the cards expertly, Nico’s insistence on a monthly poker night had sharpened her skills.

“Place the top 3 cards face down in a row.”

Eli followed instructions, putting the deck aside.

“Now turn them over.”

Eli had, of course, seen Tarot cards before, but never really paid attention to the details. The first card was a man with a staff, holding off a group. You could only see the ends of their weapons. Cute little leaves were growing out of the staves, Eli wondered if that meant anything. She glanced up at Nozomi, whose face was once again difficult to read. Nozomi tapped the middle card, “We need to see them all together.”

“Makes sense,” Eli flipped the next card, which had a red devil dog person laying across the top of a clock that made no sense, staring at her, upside down winged creatures scattered at the corners of the card. Not even looking to Nozomi, she turned over the third card, still trying to make sense of the muddle she’d uncovered in the middle. Third card was an open fellow with a flower in his hand, setting out to travel.

Eli felt a little nervous. She’d never met the cards or Nozomi before, but she suddenly felt as if she’d let a secret slip out. But she had no secrets...well, except the big one, but if that came out in a Tarot reading, Eli would think Nozomi was the FBI agent monitoring her smartphone mic. Nozomi was now touching the center card with the tips of fingers, her other tapping on the table, “Not an easy read, Eli.”

“Does that mean I’m going to fly away, carried by upside down angels?” Eli really had no frame of reference for any of this, but was driven by an urge to see if she draw another bright laugh from the woman across from her.

Nozomi snorted instead, “The card is upside down, not the creatures. They’re all out of various mythologies. There’s so many hints woven together in each card. This is the Wheel of Fortune and reversed, well,” Nozomi hesitated, then rested her hand gently on Eli’s. Eli jerked a little at the contact, but did not pull back, “you may be due for some unpleasant changes and challenges as you roll through the cycle, but the seven of wands indicates you’ve conquered difficulties before so remember your strengths.”

“That sounds sensible.” Nozomi was giving Eli advice that could cover anything, but with the connections she was making with the images on each of the cards, the reading seemed less fabricated than Eli had expected.

“Expecting me to say you’ll meet the love of your life tomorrow at 3 p.m. and she’ll have…”

Eli cut off Nozomi, “No, I’m not that silly. I know divination, whatever your mystical beliefs, is a tool to sort through the things a person may be worrying about.” Eli reran in her head Nozomi ‘s last sentence, surprised at the “she,” but maybe Eli being a complete pushover about the reading had giving Nozomi a cue about her gay weakness for curves and sensuous smiles. “Besides, I’d rather have meeting the “love of my life” be serendipitous.”

“A romantic?” Nozomi took her hand from Eli’s and shifted the last card slightly.

Eli shrugged, “Not really. I just” and Eli grinned, letting her eyes do what she hoped was twinkle in a friendly fashion, “have expert level planning and organizational skills, which are great for work, but dating, dating should be something different...surprising, startling...serendipitous.”

Nozomi laughed. “You also have a distinctive mind, Eli-chi. This last card suits you, but don’t take offense at the name. It’s The Fool. It’s the bold start of a new journey, confidently stepping out to deal with whatever comes your way.”

“I like that.” Eli leaned forward, taking another look at the card, “He’s enjoying the air.”

“Maybe it’s a nice breeze full of Russian spices.” Nozomi swept the cards back into the deck, shuffling.

Eli chuckled, “Ah, you noticed I wasn’t checking out your shop. My grandmother is Russian. I miss her kitchen.”

“Today’s special is zharkoye. You should take some home to…”

Eli shook her head, “My housemate doesn’t let me deviate from plans since the day I decided to try pineapples on pizza. She’s expecting pho.”

“She’ll be wanting zharkoye, you know she will. She won’t mind. Just give her a wink.”

“You haven’t met Nico. My charms have no effect on her.” Eli stood, “but well made zharkoye might. It is technically soup with beef, vegetables and spices, and I bet they have dumplings so dinner wouldn’t be so far off from pho and spring rolls.” Eli reached for her wallet, “How much do I owe you for the reading?”

Nozomi waved away Eli’s offer, “Consider it a trial run. Just stop by again. Wednesdays they make an excellent zelyoniye shchi and everyday there’s borscht, of course.”

“You really like your Russian foods.” Eli shoved her hands in her pocket as Nozomi stood.

“It’s a very distinctive cuisine that has attracted my attention.” Nozomi opened the door for Eli. “Stop by when you figure out what the wheel’s turned to.”

Eli almost said “looking forward to it” then remembered that Nozomi had said “unpleasant changes and challenges” so nodded her head with a “Thanks, Nozomi” as she planned a dinner menu that would make Nico not mind the change in plan.

Eli returned to their small bungalow with two bags of food, having been lured by childhood favorites into spending more money than budgeted. Nico would go ballistic, but then she’d taste the food and downgrade her disapproval to minor grumping.

“Hey Nico!” Eli kicked the door shut. She could see Nico moving around in the kitchen, and then caught something out of the corner of her eye. Slouched on the couch, laptop propped on one of Nico’s impossibly pink pillows was a woman, red hair contained by a gray baseball cap tilted to the side with Refuse To Conform in a circular logo, dressed in green and purple striped board shorts and a black muscle tee. She glanced up casually, gave Eli a slow once over with extremely disinterested lavender eyes and snorted.

Eli put the bags on the counter, pointing over her shoulder as Nico moved to see what Eli had been diverted by this week, “Your stray looks feral.”

Nico snort was an echo of the mystery woman’s on the couch, “You should talk. That’s Maki.”

Still no help. Eli didn’t really like random strangers staring holes through her back so she pressed for answers, “Nico.”

Nico watched as Eli unpacked things that weren’t from their usual Thai place, “What did you do, Eli?”

“First explain Maki.” Eli hoarded the foil containers, enjoying the rich scents and knocking Nico’s prying hands back.

“Fine. You remember Nico was giving an interview to the Rice and Ramen cuties?”

Another snort from the couch, a burst of typing and as Eli looked back, Maki was sliding headphones over one ear.

“Yeah.”

“Well Maki was there. Turns out she does all their awesome music.” Nico hopped up to lean over the counter and blow a kiss in the direction of the couch, “So Nico talked her into doing some pieces for ours. It’ll take us to the next level.”

“NICO!” Eli knew her next statement would sound hollow when she’d just overspent their takeout budget on a nostalgia fix, but she said it anyway. “We can’t afford that.”

“She’s not a horse or my teenage brother so we can afford to feed her a few meals.” Nico opened a container and sniffed, “What is this?”

“I got blown into a weird corner with a Russian restaurant and a Tarot reader next door. She said they had zharkoye today and I couldn’t resist.”

Nico pulled out a spoon for a tasting, “Wow. Really rich stock. Nice. Nico almost forgives you.”

Eli unwrapped the steaming package of varenyky, “First you try the cabbage and mushroom, then later, the cherry and you’ll love me.”

Nico brought a stack of plates to the counter, “Hey Maki, you care what I put on your plate?”

“No.” There was a pop as Maki achieved full headphones.

“Is she actually composing music for us?” Eli ladled soup into three bowls.

“Yeah, she’s sharp, smart and really talented. Nico’s impressed.” Nico rubbed the end of her nose, “Plus, truthfully, Nico doesn’t mind the scenery.”

“Ha!” Eli was salivating, impatient to dive into dinner, but since Nico had drifted to that conversational lane, she confessed, “I met someone impressive today too.”

“Is she a Russian cook, because color Nico surprised.” Nico’s sardonic nature was a refreshing splash of tonic water in a world full of people outsmiling each other.

“No, the Tarot reader.” Eli sat on the stool, and started with the soup, having sampled the varenky earlier, “Her name’s Nozomi. She seems about our age. Not what I expected. Practical.”

“Practical.” Nico popped a varenky in her mouth, taking a moment for a brief murmur of enjoyment. “So what kind of package is practical wrapped up in?”

“Curvy.” Eli admitted, slightly adorable when abashed, not that Nico would publicly concede that.

“See, this is why we will always be perfect roommates,” Nico picked up the tray she’d loaded with bowls, plates and silverware and headed around the end of the island, “You like curvy and Nico likes...:”

Hungry as she was, Eli couldn’t resist the cue, “I’ve always wondered what Nico likes.”

“An audience.” Nico winked. Eli half turned on the stool to watch as Nico slid into the couch next to Maki, tray on the table in front of them. Eli was surprised to catch the redhead smile shyly when Nico was too preoccupied with food placement to notice. Maybe they were getting free music after all.

Eli had left her futon in the couch position. Usually, she went through her ballet exercises in the morning, but she had an audition tomorrow. She never enjoyed auditions...too many nerves, too many memories. Tonight, Eli felt especially jittery, almost feverish. A long session at the barre would help exhaust her enough to sleep. She’d be losing enough sleep tomorrow night.

Eli swept her long hair up into a ponytail, met her own eyes in the mirrored wall. Fierce determination looked back, a hint of sadness in the blue. Yes, tonight’s dinner had been a warm reminder of a time in her life surrounded by love, but it was also a time in her life when she’d been through the harshest of wringers, struggling to keep up with other children, other dancers, pushing down the queasiness as she stepped out on stage in front of a judging panel, desperate not to disappoint. Reaching a hand out to the barre, Eli breathed in, centered her weight and prepared to do her first GRANDE PLIÉ.

Nico had been lying in bed, a little restless. Maki had fallen asleep over her laptop, after Eli disappeared into her room so Nico had covered the composer with a blanket, sipped tea until the snoring started and went into her own bedroom with the door open. Sleepwear for new, cute, nice, if mostly inarticulate potential friend crashing on the couch? Nico had decided on fun SHORT sleep shorts with cartoon bunnies and a pink camisole. Why not be prepared for late night chat and sharing about music or dreams or professional aspirations. Nico fell asleep wondering what else Maki had composed music for and if Nico had run across her work during a voice acting gig.

“AAAAHHHHHHHH….no….get away from me!” Nico woke up, fuddled, heart racing, hair falling in her eyes. That wasn’t Eli’s voice. Nico sprang out of bed, hitting the light switch in the living room as she raced toward the scream. Maki was sitting up on the couch, staring around her, one of the glass doors next to the kitchen island open.

“Maki? Are you all right?” Nico shut the door, listening for anyone else in the house. Where was Eli? No response from Maki, so Nico moved back to the living room, sat on the table in front of where her guest was still looking panicky on the couch, hands gentle on Maki’s shoulders to command the redhead’s attention. Nico’s voice was soft. “What happened?”

Maki almost shuddered, “I...I think something sniffed me.”

“Hell…” So much for calm and softness. Nico snapped around and made for Eli’s bedroom. Sheets on the floor, no Eli, bathroom door open showing an empty room.

Nico walked slowly back to Maki, who quickly averted her eyes when she realized she’d been staring at Nico’s shorts. “Did you see her?”

“Her, who?” Maki was more and more confused.

Nico put her hands together, in prayer position, dropping her head into them and blowing out her frustration. She spoke slowly, “Was it a dog?”

Maki couldn’t read Nico’s attitude, “Maybe…”

“About this high?” Nico held a hand out, halfway between waist and breast height.

“Not sure.” Maki rubbed her cheek, “Just felt something damp and cold press against me.”

“Oh, Eli.” Nico muttered, ignoring Maki and heading back to the kitchen. The trash had been knocked over and bags from tonight’s dinner had been scattered, “What happened to you?”

Maki was standing behind Nico, suddenly close, “What happened to who?”

Nico turned, lip downturned, her face close enough that she seemed to be searching Maki’s eyes and decided to shoot off a question. “What’s your stance on cryptids?”

“Cryptids?” Maki had absolutely no idea what this conversation was about or why Nico was so intense or why she couldn’t stop staring at the tiny tiny flecks of deeper ruby flicked across Nico’s irises.

Nico stepped back, rubbing her forehead, then counting things off with her fingers, “Vampires, Big Foot, Yeti, Jersey Devil, Loch Ness Monster...werewolves…”

Maki tentatively decided to try breaking the mood, “Nessie always takes good pictures.”

Wrong move. Nico threw up her hands, stormed to the glass doors and a rant slowly gained volume and speed, “Wakes Nico up by scaring the life out of her, doesn’t bother to notice who sniffed her, then decides to be funny right when Nico has to figure out what to do…” Nico leaned forward, her hands on the doors.

Maki was having even more trouble than usual processing thoughts, due to being startled awake, events that made no sense, Nico’s rant continuing sotto voce, a craving for donuts and/or coffee, and being unable not to stare at the muscles of Nico’s legs as the hem of her shorts brushed them. “I’m…sorry.”

Nico stopped muttering and turned around, “Huh?”

Maki twirled a strand of hair, managing to almost look Nico in the eye, “I’m still a little fuzzy, maybe still partly asleep. I can help more with coffee.”

“Nico doesn’t have time for that.” Nico grabbed a bag scrap off the floor, “Dawn’s only a couple of hours away.”

“Dawn?” Maki guessed that had something to do with the cryptid comment, but it was only a guess.

“Nico has to get dressed. And play detective.” Nico dodged around Maki, heading to her room, but Maki’s hands were suddenly on her waist, spinning her.

“Explain. Please.”

Once again, Nico’s face was so close that Maki nearly stopped breathing, caught in a fierce scrutiny.

Nico gently removed Maki’s hands. “How about Nico promises to explain later after she finds her roommate?”

Maki’s turn to take a moment to consider what she could read from Nico’s face. Mostly worry, determination, some concern that seemed directed at Maki. Maki decided to trust Nico. “If you let me help.”

Nico nodded, then shoved a torn off part of bag at Maki, “Do you know where that is?”

Maki read the address, “Oh yeah, it’s pretty close to a few clubs I know. I didn’t know anything new had opened there.”

Nico tilted her head, recalibrating, “And Nico thought you spent all your nights on other people’s couches. Not out dancing.”

Maki decided not to answer as she calculated the best way to get there.

“Nico will be back in two minutes. Grab a snack out of the cabinets next to the fridge. Sorry about the coffee, we’ll stop if we find a place.” Nico paused and glanced back, “Pull some raw meat out of the fridge, there’s chicken. Storage bags to the left of the sink.”

Food would help Maki makes sense out of this morning. Being woken up by some kind of animal -- who has a ‘cryptid’ crossing in their living room -- hadn’t been pleasant, but watching Nico crisis solve in her pajamas was kinda fascinating. Maki didn’t mind following along for the ride.

Nico was driving, telling Maki to look out for a fluffy greyhound type of dog, nearly three feet tall, very light fur. They parked a couple blocks off the restaurant's corner. Wind was starting to whip up a bit so Maki zipped her hoodie, chasing after a Nico who was moving nearly as fast as the car had been, head snapping from side to side. Maki found herself listening, but it was still predawn enough that the birds hadn’t hit yawning yet so the air was a mix of distant cars and rustling leaves, with the faint thump of a bass line amped somewhere to the west. Maki pulled out her Tascam and hit record as she walked. It might fit nicely into a set when she wanted to slow down the mood for the night.

Nico stopped, which Maki only realized when she nearly caused Nico to fall, drawing a hiss from the shorter woman.

“Sorry.” Maki pocketed the recorder, wondering what caught Nico’s attention. A moving white animal seemed to be rustling in a pile of trash.

“How did she do that…” Nico muttered, walking quickly, but careful to stay calm, “Hey, Eli...it’s Nico. We need to get you home. It’s almost dawn.” Nico opened the bag of raw chicken. “C’mon.”

Eli. Maki just stood there, watching Nico approach the……...dog? Cryptid? Creature? Quick inventory, four legs, tail, not hunched over and tearing a spine out of someone, wait what if it started tearing the spine out of....Maki found herself slow running to catch up to “NICO!”

Nico didn’t turned but waved Maki back, which Maki ignored. They were approaching the two storefront corner now and the...creature...paused, sniffing. Then a light went on in the storefront without weird partly Greek writing and Nico and the creature turned, the creature with a single bark.

“Can I help you?” A tall woman with purple tinted hair loose around her shoulders stepped out of the door.

Maki glanced to Nico, who sighed, “Hi, new person.” Nico pointed, “Nico needs to get her into my car.”

Maki, hand on Nico’s shoulder, watched as the creature slowly, skittishly sniffed the newcomer, who knelt and smiled, hand out “That’s a popular hair color on this block, recently.”

“No it’s not.” Nico zoomed in, bag under the nose as the creature whined and stuck her snout in and started chewing. “Come on, E…” Nico coughed, “come back to the car, you. Nico needs her beauty sleep.”

Hopping backwards, Nico seemed to be successful in her attempts to lure as they were getting closer to her car. Maki jumped ahead to open the back door, which they’d left unlocked for quick grabs, then stepped to the side. Nico tossed the bag into the back seat with an urgent, “You can do it, get the treat, c’mon, do it for Nico.” The creature stared at Nico for a moment, then climbed into the seat. Nico shut the door and leaned back against the car. No way the chicken and drool stain was coming out easily, but that would be Eli’s problem, not Nico’s.

“Thanks, person Nico does not know. Sorry to disturb you this early.” She stood, “C’mon, Maki.”

Maki was pretty sure she should be offended that Nico had used that same tone of voice on the creature, but she slid into the passenger side as Nico tried to get around the new person. The creature had settled into the back seat and was licking its paws so Maki rolled down her window a bit.

Nozomi held her arms akimbo, “It’s no problem, Nico, right? I’m Nozomi. I was just up to go to the temple I volunteer at. That’s a beautiful dog.”

“Thanks.” Nico grumped, “She always attracts attention. And now I really have to get her home.”

Nozomi was confused by Nico’s brusqueness, which didn’t slow Nico down at all. She was in the car, turning the key in the ignition and giving Maki orders before Nozomi managed to say “Have a nice day.”

“Grab the blanket out of that bag at your feet and toss it over Eli, please.” Nico hit the accelerator. If it had been a manual, she might have shredded the clutch.

Maki unzipped the bag, “Okay, why? And why were you so rude?”

Nico turned from the road to grit her teeth at Maki, “Nico is always charming. But Eli is going to be a naked blonde woman in another couple of minutes and I know she’d prefer we all spare ourselves that sight.”

Maki shrunk a little, suddenly reminded this wasn’t an ordinary lost dog hunt and Nico still had a lot to explain.

Nico reached out a hand and patted Maki on the knee. “Thanks for helping out, Maki. Nico has to solo too often. It’s nice to have company.”

“Yeah,” Maki yawned as she dropped the blanket over the seat. She was ready to fall asleep again, as uncomfortable as Nico’s couch had been.

Something thumped into the back of Maki’s seat with a whimper, followed by a brief howl whine. Nico was holding her breath, hand frozen on Maki’s leg, “Eli?”

“Nico?” Rustling noises now and maybe some crying, but Maki didn’t want to turn around. She sensed that that would not be a Nico approved choice.

“It’s all right, Eli. We found you. You had a Russian food craving.”

“Why did I…” Eli’’s voice shook, fearful…”was that Nozomi?”

Nico’s hands were now both on the steering wheel, knuckle white grip, while her voice spilled comfort. “Yeah, but she just thought you were a lost dog.”

“Nico…” Another cry.

“Don’t worry about it, Eli. We’ll figure it out after we get home. Is your head hurting?”

“Yes.”

“Nico brought some aspirin, Maki’ll get it out of the bag for you, please, Maki.”

Maki nodded and Nico smiled. The pill and water bottles were easy enough to find. Maki handed them over the seat to Eli, whose eyes were red and almost as runny as her nose.

“Here you go.” Maki cleared her throat. “You don’t have to worry about me. I don’t talk to people. It’s just...well, Nico obviously needed help.” Nico snorted.

Eli nodded, her voice a tired mutter. “Thanks. Nico does a lot. She’s pretty amazing.”

Maki grunted. Nico crowed, hands loosening on the wheel, “Nico has a fan club now. Let’s hear some cheers, pretty girls.” One hand flew up to her temple, “Nico Nico Ni.”

Silence greeted that initiative but Nico couldn’t throttle back her cheeky grin. Which Maki couldn’t resist echoing. Eli just moaned, curled up in the blanket, miserable, head throbbing from trying to run wolf senses through human circuits. Nozomi had sounded so kind.

Maki had settled back in on the couch, Eli had gone to shower and Nico was making coffee. She wasn’t getting any more sleep and she doubted Eli would. Maki had been silent when they hit the house, yawning and stretching out under the blanket, still in her hoodie. Nico wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or worried by how noncommittal the redhead was. But that wasn’t the immediate problem. The immediate problem was that Eli only ever turned one night a month and last night wasn’t it. Or else Maki would not have been on Nico’s couch. Tonight, tonight, Eli would have been prepared. Tonight, no one would be on the couch and Eli would be sedated and sleeping it off like a bad hangover.

Eli sat down at the island, hair still wet, blue striped dress shirt still not tucked into her pencil skirt; Nico pushed a mug of half hot chocolate, half coffee her way. Eli smiled at the smell, “Thanks for the treat, Nico.”

Nico shrugged, swigging from her own mug, half coffee, half home made vanilla bean coffee creamer, “You had a rough night.” Eli nodded. “Do you know what happened?”

Eli shook her head, then opened her mouth to wave off the heat from the hastily gulped drink. Her throat was now going to hurt as much as everything else today. Cheerful. “I was restless, I didn’t actually think I’d get to sleep…”

“Nervous about the audition?” Nico asked.

Eli closed her eyes with a sigh, “Always. Then…” Eli rubbed her forehead, aggressively, Nico almost considered pulling away her hands, “there were smells and I remembered...someone friendly...and you were there...and I was hungry and wanted to go home???” Eli preferred treating being a werewolf like a sick day spent recovering from outpatient surgery: plan around it, refuse to let it disrupt anything and stay in bed to aid recovery. Very Eli. Control the problem, organize the symptoms.

“Nozomi was there.” Nico mentioned casually.

“I know.”

“Do you think it was because of her? This all started at puberty right, maybe it’s hormones?”

“Oh, and I’m suddenly going to “alpha” and start jumping on anything in heat?” Eli’s voice was scornful and she finished her drink quickly, the better to storm off.

“Eli,” Nico grabbed Eli’s hands, trapping them around her mug, “I didn’t mean that. It’s just…” Nico’s hands were warm, “people act differently when they’re attracted to someone. It’s not rational. And this close to the full moon, it might have tipped you…”

“That’s ridiculous, Nico.” Eli’s voice raised, Nico glanced to the couch. “I am in control of my emotions.” Eli shook off Nico’s hands. “I don’t know why it happened, but I will be making sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Okay, Eli.” Nico deliberately ignored all the screaming alarm flares that Eli did not actually have the situation under control, “Just tell Nico if you need any help. I’ll make sure Maki’s not around tonight.”

“Thanks Nico.” Eli stood, tucked her shirt in, ponytailed her hair, buttoned everything but the top button and became All Business Eli. Nico, a master of presentation herself, was always impressed by how Eli never cracked the polished, professional, emotionless facade. If Nico hadn’t caught Eli sobbing, drunk and vulnerable after a bad breakup, one night their freshman year, Nico might have never known the caring, emotionally clueless, mischievous, sometimes straight up silly person under all the imposed self control. Dancers always pushed their bodies, training their minds to overcome pain. Eli practiced that on her emotions as well. Nico’s job as a friend was to get Eli to ease back on herself, but it was a struggle.

“Are you going to wake her up?” Eli asked, gesturing over her shoulder at the snoring redhead.

Nico’s answer was no, she was going to sneak out quietly and leave a note for the too cute to disturb visitor, then hurry home after her meeting with her agent, but she knew Eli wouldn’t approve of that. So she hedged. “Nico will take care of it.”

“Good.”

It had been a quiet morning at the shrine. Nozomi was back home with a cup of tea, pondering the scene this morning. The small, dark haired woman had been behaving suspiciously with the taller redhead obviously half a step behind on whatever the plan was. They didn’t live in the neighborhood, so their dog must have wandered. Unless it was drawn by the smell of the Cafe next door. Perhaps it was one of those Russian wolfhounds, Nozomi thought, bolshoi, no borzoi. She, Nico had called her a she, had seemed quiet, shy. So not a boisterous borzoi, Nozomi giggled to herself. Perhaps it was drawn by the smell, this morning, there was strongly spiced tea in the air, probably with dense, sweet tea cakes ready to dust your fingers with sugar. Thinking of the menu next door brought back a memory of yesterday afternoon and the tall Russian food aficionado with the twinkling blue eyes. She wondered if Eli liked sweets, maybe she should start keeping them around in case the Wheel of Fortune rolled Eli back into her shop. Ah, but Nozomi stopped herself there, it was no good wishing for tall, pretty, stacked blondes with smart cerulean eyes to return, the Universe didn’t work like that. Although, perhaps a trail of Prague cake slices would work if Eli really did have a sweet tooth.

Nozomi sighed. She obviously wasn’t getting Eli off her mind this morning. She reached for her deck, the same one she’d handed to Eli and dealt three cards. After a minute to center her feelings, she turned them over. Five of Swords. A problem card. Next. Death. Nozomi drew a breath. Change. Upheaval. She rarely drew that card for herself, settled into a routine that brought her satisfaction, if not joy. What would the Future bring. Nozomi stared at the Queen of Cups, blonde hair cascading to her shoulder as she sipped from the cup where her emotions and thoughts gathered. Nozomi tried not to see Eli there, on a throne, graceful hands bringing up the cup to her glistening mouth. Nozomi, startled by the vividness of the image, swept the three back into the deck, discomfited. What did the cards have in store?

A/N: Hi! This was a gift for @nico-nasty on Tumblr. The prompt was Eli, Kanan, Nico, Maki and "your favorite AU." Which I was forced by my wife to admit was werewolf so here we are, an Eli-centric Bibi werewolf AU. The plot got more complicated than I expected (color no one who follows my stories surprised) so this is the first half. I'll be working on the second half in the beginning of March (i have a Christmas fic to finish and Casual Lunacy to continue). Hope you enjoy!

Also, there’s a playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLko9fiFcKQ05lK_hHMrTy790lh4LIwDLp

#Love Live #Ayase Eli #Nishikino Maki #Yazawa Nico #Bibi #love live secret admirer 2018 #fanfic #tag and search test

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foodnclassyear3 · 5 years ago

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In 2007, Ngoc Nguyen graduated at UCLA as a Biological Sciences major and a first generation college student. He is currently working at a health insurance company where he determines whether or not new medications that come into the market get financially covered. His previous jobs were random, as he worked at the notoriously Americanized Taco Bell during high school and at a research office as a clerk during his undergraduate career. His parents sought refuge during the Vietnamese War by coming to America, where their occupations consisted of being health administrators because they took the time to learn English so that language would be less of a barrier. His favorite part of the LA scene was the wide range of tacos and seeing how the street vendors would be hustling and bustling to get their paycheck and serve delicious food.

Ngoc has always been fascinated with pho since it was introduced to him as a child through his Vietnamese culture. He would see and acknowledge the long hours it would take to make pho. Every family relative who would make the pho would have their own spin on it, however, it would be praised either way because of the length of preparation that it would take. In LA, he felt that the love for pho he experienced at home was just nonexistent, and that people within the brick and mortar restaurants were just trying to survive with the pho that they made. He completely understands that the restaurant business is really tough, and he had no intention of derailing those restaurants.

Once street vending was legalized, he wanted to sell pho that was to his liking: filled with delicious collagen, spices, and prepared over the course of eight to ten hours at a low, slow simmer. He was also inspired when he visited Vietnam and saw that many civilians were doing what he was aspiring to do, which is selling pho on the streets. He went to the extreme by using beef feet to get as much collagen as possible so that the pho would have a silky and luxurious texture. The spices he would use consisted of anise, cinnamon, black cardamom, and cloves. The brisket would be infused with these spices and the broth, giving the brisket a pleasant taste and tender bite. The resulting color of the pho would be this delectable golden brown. He would then go on to skim the fat, place this utter goodness into a bottle and would add even more spices to it. He called this invention, “aroma oil”. He gave a word of advice that if I notice that the pho is cloudy and milky, it was cooked at too fast of a pace and too high of a temperature. However, he considers his pho to be his own version, and that any pho can be authentic as any taco can be authentic. His gig was called “PhoKingNgoc”, and he chose the name partly because of the way it sounded like “F-ing Ngoc”, which is something his friends would consistently say because of his occasionally ridiculous behaviors. He also saw similar versions of the name back in his hometown in Sacramento, and thought it would be great to call himself the “Pho King”.

This beautiful side hustle that allowed him to simultaneously embrace his culture and share it to the world of Highland Park was unfortunately placed on pause because of COVID-19. Instead of going out on the weekends, he now completes a partnership with “Hey Hey Boba” where, on a biweekly to weekly basis, he sells pho kits at the area’s locale. He emphasized that he comes from an area of privilege, and did not want to be part of the ever-increasing competition that this pandemic has transpired. He states, “It didn’t feel right to venture when a lot of other businesses could be using anyone’s business at this time.” As of now, he does not plan on doing anything else with his business other than providing the pho kits in partnership with Hey Hey Boba.

~ Esperanza

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gatoreee · 8 years ago

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Colorado Ski Trip

As part of Deepa’s Christmas gift, I bought us ski lessons in Breckenridge, Colorado! Neither one of us had really skied before so one more bucket list item. We left for Denver on Tuesday around 2pm. We were both working that morning so getting ready was a bit hectic. When it got close to time to leave for the airport, Deepa realized she might need her passport. Last time we went out of town, they had asked for it as her license says temporary. She had to run back to her house and get it while I waited for the Uber. We were very close to not making it but we managed to get there just a little under an hour from the flight and check our bags in time. It wasn’t until we were at the gate that we realized our flight was delayed so there was no need to hurry! After waiting for about an hour we were on our way to Denver. We got there about 5pm local time.

After getting our bags, we caught the bus to the car rental area. It was definitely cold outside but it didn’t really hit us until we saw all the ice on the ground at the rental lot. Once in our car, we drove to a Walmart because I had a forgotten a my apple watch charger. Of course Deepa decided to get a bunch of snacks too! The temperature kept dropping and our hunger increasing so we went looking for something hot to eat before heading out to the mountains. We found a Vietnamese place on Yelp that had good reviews, and honestly, pho sounded like the perfect antidote for the cold weather. The place was nice and had a decent crowd. We ordered a medium pho with rare beef and a chicken and shrimp fried rice. As soon as we got the condiments we knew this place was going to be legit. The bean sprouts and Thai basil looked super fresh. Shortly after we got our food and we jumped on it immediately. It was delicious! The broth was amazing and reminded us of our favorite Tampa Vietnamese place on Waters that unfortunately closed a while back. The fried rice was very tasty too, especially with a good amount of siracha. It was quite a bit of food but we tore it up! We will definitely come back next time we are in Denver.

With our bellies very full, we started our drive to Breckenridge. It was already 7:30pm mountain time so we were tired and sleepy. The drive wasn’t bad but we could see the temperature dropping in the car’s thermometer as we climbed up. By the time we got to Breckenridge, it was down to about 8 degrees outside. We went directly to our hotel and checked in. They gave us a nice, warm chocolate chip cookie at check-in which was a nice touch. The hotel lobby looked good. The place felt cozy and the staff was pretty nice. The only downside was we had to take two elevators to get to our room which was a bit of a hassle. The room was small but comfortable. As soon as we came in, we got ready for bed. We both had headaches so I went downstairs for water to take some Advil. I later came to realize that Breckenridge is over 10k feet above sea level, which is what was causing our headaches and probably contributed to my jet lag.

#colorado #skitrip

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johnboothus · 6 years ago

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We Asked 15 Brewers: Whats Your Go-To Hangover Remedy?

For as long as there has been alcohol, people have been drinking too much of it and seeking remedies to eradicate the unavoidable aftermath: a hangover. The only real hangover cure is time, but there are many tips and tricks drinks professionals swear by.

Below, 15 beer industry members share their go-to routines for easing a hangover.

“Prevention is usually preferable to recovery, so I’m usually drinking session beer. But for those times when I do need help, it’s fried eggs and as much seltzer and strong iced coffee as possible. And a beer as soon as possible, too.” — Chris Lohring, Head Brewer, Notch Brewing, Salem, MA

“I start by getting myself out of bed — which is the hardest part — and let some natural sunlight in. For some reason it motivates me to actually get up and move. I then take a few B12 gummies and proceed towards the kitchen and get together what I need to make the craziest Bloody Mary possible. I prefer Ketel One, hot sauce, ZingZang Bloody Mary mix, blue-cheese-stuffed olives, bacon, mozzarella, and bread and butter pickles. I take my finished product and chill on my front porch. Messy hair and all.” — Alexandria Gray, Brewer, Bay Cannon Beer Company, Tampa, FL

“I remember being really hung over after a full day spent with the BrewDog team in Fraserburgh, Scotland, and the next morning absolutely dreading the thought of going out on a small lobster boat with James Watt’s father. But as soon as we left the harbor and got out into the ocean — it was a beautifully sunny and calm day — my horrible hangover was almost instantly gone. It was the most amazing recovery I’ve ever had.” — Mitch Steele, Co-founder and Brewmaster, New Realm Brewing Company, Virginia Beach, VA and Atlanta, GA

“Ramen! If I wake up feeling less than great from a long night out, ramen will most definitely help nurture me back to health. Dense, chewy noodles and a rich, salty broth helps replace sodium and retains water as you work to get rehydrated. It’s basically a proven go-to method, and the most savory bowl of electrolytes you’ve ever had. It also takes minimal effort to consume. You’re welcome.” — Michelle DeLuca, Social Media Marketing and Events, Equilibrium Brewery, Middletown, NY

“A four count of bourbon mixed with a mug of first runnings. The classic brewer’s hangover cure.” — Chris Gilmore, Brewer, Lone Tree Brewing Company, Lone Tree, CO

“Vitamin B and milk thistle pills. I try to take them before I have a few drinks. If I forget, I’ll have them right before bed. It’s not 100 percent prevention, but sure helps. The real bonus here is you get almost glowing pee from the vitamin B.” — Brent Banks, Brewer, Saint Errant Brewing, Chicago, IL

“At my evermore old and feeble age of 36, I find it increasingly difficult to avoid the aftereffects of alcohol consumption. These days, my practical move is to drink one and a half times the water in tandem with every beer. If that doesn’t work, and I wake up feeling iffy, the second part of the plan is to get myself the Taylor Swiftly from Port Side, a fantastic cafe a mere three blocks down from our taproom. It’s a breakfast sandwich with egg, cheddar cheese, Duke’s mayo and, most importantly, ketchup and potato chips, on a brioche bun. I’d get myself a hangover just for an excuse to eat one.” — Brandon Proff, Managing Partner, Our Mutual Friend Brewing, Denver, CO

“For me, it all starts the night before. I make sure to eat before bed and drink as much water as I can possibly hold down. My ace in the hole is the container of powdered Gatorade I keep in my cabinet: It never goes bad, is great for replenishing electrolytes and getting your blood sugar back up, and getting even more water in you. I’ve never been a breakfast person, especially not when I’m hung over, and this has enough calories and sugar to make up for that.” — Travis Houston, Sensory Specialist, Rhinegeist Brewery, Cincinnati, OH

“A little herbal medication goes a long way. But my absolute cure-all is a steaming bowl of rare beef pho. That sh*t will cure anything!” — Alex Gutierrez, Front of House Operations Manager, Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending, Miami, FL

“Pretend like I don’t have a hangover, until I don’t have a hangover anymore. I just ignore it until it goes away.” — Libby Crider, Co-owner, 2nd Shift Brewing, St. Louis, MO

“My belly needs to be coated with a Waffle House Texas cheesesteak melt and a side of hash browns — scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, and diced, of course. Also coffee. Even if it’s a myth, it’s mind over matter.” — Marcus Thomas, Co-owner, Cushwa Brewing Company, Williamsport, MD

“I’m a strong believer in the power of a 10 a.m. spicy Bloody Mary and a noon nap. If you can’t get back on the wagon, maybe because you work with heavy machinery, I recommend: coffee, three Advil Liqui-Gels, and Sprite! Sprite is the hangover juice from the gods. And tacos. Always tacos.” — Katarina Martinez, Marketing Director, Market Garden Brewery, Cleveland, OH

“In my experience, the worst place to be vexed with a particularly persistent hangover is when you’re traveling. The first key to success is my old friend Suero Oral, a preferable choice to Pedialyte for both flavor and effectiveness. Depending on the severity of the situation, you are then left with the choice of either sleeping it off or lumbering down to the hotel lobby for a mediocre continental breakfast where you can force down some thinly sliced bacon and overcooked scrambled eggs. Either option is an acceptable method. Lastly, don’t overdo it on the coffee or it will offset the delicate Suero balance.” — Jake Schinker, Owner, Eagle Park Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI

“There’s nothing like a good Bloody Mary or ‘un caldito de res para la cruda,’ as my parents would say. Pace yourself, know your limits, or drink fast, reckless and hangover. Your choice.” — Sam Zermeno, Brewer, Brujos, Lake Elsinore, CA

“I do the usual ‘drink lots of water,’ and sometimes throw in a multivitamin — Airborne, etc. — as part of that. But the real thing that always helps with my hangover: brunch. There’s a local spot I love going to that does a mean cheesesteak scramble. Top it all off with lying on the couch watching Netflix, and by the next day I’m back to normal. But we all know, the real hangover remedy is: another beer.” — Trevor Hayward, Co-founder, Evil Genius Beer Company, Philadelphia, PA

The article We Asked 15 Brewers: What’s Your Go-To Hangover Remedy? appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/15-best-beer-hangover-remedies/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-15-brewers-whats-your-go-to-hangover-remedy

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msbrightside85 · 8 years ago

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Food glorious food

So you’re probably wondering the same as me ... how has it taken me so long to write about food? Probably because it’s a fairly daunting subject with it being so broad. But i have decided it’s about time I did ...

From the top (clockwise): Bacon fried rice, Beef noodle soup, Korean style deep fried chicken with rice cakes, Chinese style cheese steak sandwich, Chicken noodle soup, Range of hot pot skewers, (middle): Vegetable noodles.

So as I have already mentioned, I was very happy to discover that mango, pork and avocado are greatly loved over here and easily accessible (although avos can be a tad pricey). Unfortunately one of the most elusive food items also turns out to be one of my favourites … cheese. But thankfully, since my original dismay (and what felt like a fairly long amount of time) at the lack of cheesey options here, I have been shown two supermarkets that have ACTUAL cheese counters. I cannot tell you how happy I was. It was perhaps a little OTT looking back but I couldn't help myself.

The widespread Chinese offering of cheese is generally of the plastic variety. Yup. Cheese slices. I can hear mum saying 'that's not real cheese' and she would be right but that is par for the course here. Plastic cheese in a range of varieties. Emmental, Gouda, Edam. All plastic. Now don’t get me wrong I do believe there is a place for cheese slices in this world (sorry mum), they’re perfect in burgers at a BBQ and they make an excellent addition to a midnight fridge tapas session (I say mournfully, as these ‘sessions’ are basically non existent since getting a flat mate and not being able to get coleslaw here - a fridge tapas staple food in my mind) but when you don’t have the real thing cheese slices are certainly not a suitable substitute. Although in saying that they have found their way into our home inside Caitlin’s grilled cheese sandwiches! Anyway I digress ... so after being shown where I can buy the real stuff (or as real as I’m gonna get) I am pleased to report I have bought both mozzarella (not the white buffalo kind the harder stuff but still good) and cheddar (or something resembling cheddar) so I am sated. For now. Until my next craving. Dammit I’m thinking about coleslaw now ...

A question that I've been getting a lot from England is what food do you miss? The answer? Let me be perfectly honest … there's not a lot that you can't get hold of out here. Yes, some things might be a little more expensive because it's been imported but most things are available from somewhere, especially in a city the size of Suzhou. So I'm learning to try and reduce my initial hysteria at not having something and ask around. Generally there's someone or somewhere that can help with the homely cravings. I even found a bag of pre-made gravy the other day which is DEFINITELY something I didn’t expect to find - so that’s me sorted for winter! Buuuuut in saying that, don't take this to mean that I want you to stop trying to send me the odd pork pie or two in the post … because pork pies are most certainly on the unattainable list. Although I have heard about an English restaurant which I believe may make their own … must remember to look into that.

Talking of pork pies, I asked one of my classes of older kids at school which topics interested them most about England and one of them said food. So I put some information together about fish and chips, bangers and mash and other foods that are quintessentially English, including pork pie. Surprisingly enough it was pork pie that got the biggest reaction, they thought it sounded disgusting! Which I thought was pretty rich considering some of the foods that are available here in China. I can imagine most of you would take pork pie any day. I mean here they have stinky tofu (and man it really does …) not forgetting frog which I have already mentioned and of course chicken feet …

Yeah ... this is definitely my biggest Chinese culinary challenge to date and to say I ate it isn't strictly true. I nibbled at it and then couldn't go any further. Why? It just looked too much like a human hand!!! It started freaking me out a bit to be honest. This one was boiled but I hear the fried ones are a little better to handle so who knows maybe I could be converted. Maybe.

All in all (and chicken feet aside) it's hard to miss something when you have such a fabulous range of food to choose from and I'm not just talking about Chinese food. We have a great pizza place with a traditional stone oven where the beer is cheaper than the soft drinks, there is a great Vietnamese place where I had the yummiest beef pho and Korean food aplenty. There is a fantastic range of dumplings that come in all shapes and sizes and come with a range of fillings although pork is general the favourite (which always pleases me!).

There's an abundance of bakeries serving the best cream buns and desserts, there's a cool Japanese place that has the best curried rice and a lettuce they call ice plant which is unlike anything I’ve ever tried. BBQ or shaokao (pronounced show-cow but rhyme the first part with cow) is everywhere here and tastes amazing! Although if you’re not a fan of spice then you need to know how to communicate this in Chinese because their not very spicy can arrive and be pretty damned spicy!

There's also a traditional dish here called hot pot. Hot pot quite simply is a pot of boiling water in the middle of the table (it can be flavoured to your preference} and you order different raw ingredients to throw in it! Then once it’s cooked you get (try to get) the food out with your chop sticks. The local girls I go out with usually feel sorry for me and end up scooping morsels of food out and throwing them into my bowl, which I am eternally grateful for :)

But going back to home comforts, I've had a Chinese version of a bacon and tomato sarnie, which uses the white fluffy dumpling stuff instead of a breadcake and a few weeks ago I had amazing eggs benedict with smoked salmon. I was a very happy bunny that day I can tell you. It was exactly what I needed.

So all in all it really doesn't leave much room for missing things, especially when you enjoy food as much as I do. But it’s always good to have a bank of places you can go to when you’re having a bad china day or you’re missing home. Like I say there’s a place called Ann's that I believe makes their own pork pies, they also serve afternoon tea and do roast dinner BUT I've sworn to myself that I will only go there when I'm really craving something that is unattainable elsewhere else. I've been told we may be going there for our work’s Christmas meal so I wonder if I can hold out until December before going or whether i’ll crack before then. Tune in next time to find out. TTFN. Rachael.

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thecajuniverse · 6 years ago

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Exploring Indochina: How to Travel on a Budget

Want to travel to multiple countries but short on time and money? Here’s how I did it! 6 days, 4 cities, 3 countries, ONE EPIC ADVENTURE.

Okay. I know I’ve only been posting photos about my trip and writing cheesy captions to go with it, but here it is: the complete braindump on everything I did in Indochina aka my feelings.

I guess it’d be hard to understand how this trip came to be without me explaining how the idea was planted in Dani and Chelle’s heads but it’s pretty simple. One summer day, I was watching I Fine, Thank You, Love you for the nth time in 2018, when a great NEED to go to Bangkok right at the moment hit me like a freight train. Within minutes, I chatted our groupchat and exclaimed about said need and by pure psychic connection, Chelle felt the same way and before we knew it, we were looking up flights on Cebu Pacific’s website. However, roundtrip tickets to BKK were quite expensive so, we kinda abandoned the idea for a while.

See, when you’re looking up flights, you can play around with the destination and the city you’ll be coming from and all that, to find the best prices. My nerd ass knew that Vietnam was around the same area so I tried to search if there was a way to get to Vietnam from Thailand. Lo and behold, Cambodia was between them and it was completely possible to travel in between these countries. Bonus! It’s a famous route among backpackers. Armed with good faith and a seemingly bright idea, I told them that maybe we could try MNL-BKK then SGN-MNL route.

Cebu Pacific must have been stalking me (or the prices were that cheap, I’m just being weird) and we found out tickets for those routes combined were so much cheaper than a round trip to BKK. 3 countries for less than the price of one? Sounds like a plan! And a plan it really was.

It took us months to plan the whole trip, from accommodation to bus transfers to plane tickets to itinerary to budgeting and more Our trip was perfectly scheduled right after the end of our semesters and just in time for the holidays.

December 19, D-Day. Our first stop was Bangkok. When we stepped off the plane, it didn’t feel that real yet but once the Thai announcements came in, that’s when it really sunk: I’M IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITHOUT MY PARENTS OR FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.

A lot of people say that Thailand feels a lot like the Philippines and they’re not wrong but first of all, they drive on the left side so everything felt weird (you wouldn’t feel like that at first but later on your brain will sense as if something’s wrong); second, it’s so much cleaner (we stayed near Khaosan road, and it was crowded but the sidewalks were relatively clean); and third, the people are less friendly but still nice nonetheless.

We stayed in a millennial-y hostel and had the dorm all by ourselves, at first. We had a lot of itinerary planned so we set out for lunch and the temples early. My nerd ass looked up the nearest pier so we could ride the Chao Praya river boat to the Grand Palace and let me tell you, NEVER TRUST THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL ON GOOGLE MAPS. I thought it was near but it turned out to be QUITE a walk to the port but it was cool the boat was a little expensive but it was cool. And we still had to walk to the Grand Palace from the port so that was, um, exciting. Thought I would survive the rest of the day with no sleep but I DID NOT (Tip: always get a full 8 hours of sleep before you travel, you will cry at 11am).

The Grand Palace, with its walls so high and land so big you think you’d get a nice stroll; WRONG. The place is literally buzzing with tourists and it will give you a headache. To be fair, even if the place was teeming with people, it still wasn’t that full so, imagine how big it had to be. Taking pictures was the hardest part because of course, everyone wants the best shot so we had to pick the most secluded parts just to get a decent picture.

And by 3pm, my feet were aching and we were all sweaty and red and basically, exhausted so, we abandoned the rest of the itinerary and instead, got ourselves a cup of ice cold Thai milktea. Verdict: CRAZY GOOD. After that, we got take out Pad Thai from the streets for dinner and of course, it’s nothing like the ones in Manila.

The second day, we booked a tour through Klook to the infamous Floating market. It’s a few hours away from Bangkok so if you’re planning to go, first of all, don’t, because it’s not worth it; second, if you really wanna go, book through Klook to avoid the following: scams, expensive prices, activities you’re unwilling to pay for but are still magically billed to you. The only good thing that came from the trip was the van that we rode on the way to the market because it’s the one that hallyu stars use to travel around (and yes, I felt like one). The rest of the day we were at Khaosan, mingling, eating, spending money we didn’t have. Yada yada yada.

Next day was our transfer to Siem Reap and I just want to say that Giant Ibis is the best transport you can ever get in Indochina. Free meals, reclining seats, they got you. Passing through the Thai and Cambodian borders was really easy, just stick with your group. And before we know it, we were in the city I like to call frozen in time, Siem Reap.

My first impression of Siem Reap was, it looked a LOT like the remote provinces of the Philippines. Everything was covered in dust, lotsa old houses, and even the cars were of old models. The adjacent big hotel resort thing and the huge Sofitel plaza looked awfully misplaced in a city seemingly forgotten by time. If poverty was painted as a city, Siem Reap surely looked like it. It was natural to feel a little bit scared, but the people proved to be nice and helpful. Our tuktuk drivers to the Angkor Wat complex were relatively nice and took us to lotsa temples to the point that we voluntarily gave up because we were so exhausted.

The Angkor Wat tour deserves a paragraph for itself because like I said in my instagram captions, you have to see it before you die. The sunrise, however, was kinda underwhelming but (note: not trying to be an architectural expert) I appreciated why we had to be dragged at 4am to see the famous Cambodian sunrise. Never underestimate these temples because they are crazy big! The sheer largeness of the temples will strike you and the fact that there are DOZENS of them in the complex… Don’t even think about it; it’ll just give you a headache.

A sidenote: like I said, Siem Reap is basically the image of utmost rural-ness and normally, tuktuk drivers would try to entice you to go to some place else that isn’t included in your Temple Run map requiring you to shell out some extra cash, but don’t fret because they’re nice people (a little persistent, perhaps?) and if you politely say no, they’ll back out.

Pub Street is a gastronomic adventure and is by far, the cheapest market I’ve ever been to. If you want to buy your pasalubongs, this is the place; not the airport (I made that mistake in Vietnam).

We literally spent a day and a half in Cambodia and by 11pm we were on our way to their capital city, Phnomn Penh (was only there for 3 hours but guessing from the tuktuk ride from the bus station to Café Amazon, aka the best SEA café ever, and back, the city is BOMB), to transfer and eventually go to our last stop: HO CHI MINH CITY.

Vietnam. Yes. Sometimes I like to call it, a french BGC. Other days, I call it budget Korea (Dude, K-pop is everywhere and every other K-pop dance cover I see on Youtube is set in Saigon). But I have to say, it’s been my favorite city out of the 4 we explored. Sure, my legs almost gave out when we were trying to look for famed Pho place in the city, but the beef broth was worth it and so was the vietnamese coffee we had right after. Walking in a foreign country late at night should have been scary but it wasn’t. It was exhausting, yes, but it gave you plenty of time to stop and appreciate the place you’re in. It got pretty existential, to say the least. I was grateful.

The trip to Mekong Delta the next day was pretty meh to say the least but we were in a large tour group and we met another Filipina traveler (who we immediately became super acquainted with because DUH, nothing like seeing a kababayan in a foreign country), which made it pretty fun.

But it was Christmas Eve then and when we got back to the hostel, all I wanted was to go home. And by December 25, 5:30 am, my feet were once again back in Manila’s arms.

Okay, I promise this is the last paragraph… ish? All in all, I had loads and loads of fun. The idea stemmed from a very very stupid reason, in my opinion, but resulted to a trip I will never forget. Shoutout again to my friends, Chelle and Dani, for being onboard on such a crazy and half-baked idea. Here’s to more adventures!

On backpacking: DO IT. Backpacking isn’t exactly mountain trekking and all that crap. It’s mostly about hopping from place to place and seeing as much as you can, in such a small timeframe. Skip the fancy boutique hotels and opt for the more practical hostels, where you’ll meet half naked Europeans walking around in their dorms which is pretty creepy lots of people, from different backgrounds, with different stories. That alone is reason enough to go backpacking and I really think everyone should try it at least once in their lives.

And if you’re looking for a sign on whether you should go on that trip or not, local or international, this is it. My motto in life now is (which will subsequently leave me broke): just book it!

#personal

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krystangreen-blog · 6 years ago

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The best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh will amaze you with bold flavors, fresh ingredients, perfect balance – and super cheap prices. We lived in Ho Chi Minh for several months and ate out almost every meal.

There are literally thousands of Ho Chi Minh restaurants worthy to visit. Keeping this list short enough to be useful was really tough. We included some better-known places, but we tired to focus on hidden gems that most tourists never visit.

Of course, it’s really subjective, but here are our picks for the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh.

Banh Canh Ghe – Muoi Ot Xanh

Bahn Canh Ghe is one of the best-kept secrets of Vietnamese cuisine. It was love at first sight with this gorgeous soup, and it tastes even better than it looks. If you enjoy crab, this is your soup. And this restaurant serves up the best bowl in Ho Chi Minh.

Their secret is home-made noodles, produced daily in the restaurant.

Price: 65,000VND ($2.75USD)

484 Nguyen Tri Phoung St, P 9, Q 10, Ho Chi Minh

Pho Le

Pho is the classic Vietnamese dish. It mixes savory broth, delicate rice noodles, meat, and piles of fresh herbs. Honestly, you can find excellent bowls on every street, but the best Pho restaurant in Ho Chi Minh is a hotly debated topic.

After sampling countless worthy contenders, Pho Le is our favorite. Their broth is special. Other places make a delicious bowl, but seem to take shortcuts.

Pho Le’s broth is made in the traditional way. It takes hours of painstaking preparation, and we can taste the difference. Pho Le also offers the widest variety of meat to add to your soup.

Prices at Pho Le are a bit more expensive than other places, but worth every penny.

Price: 75,000VND ($3.25USD)

2 Locations run by same family

305 Vo Van Tam St, P 5, Q 3, Ho Chi Minh

415 Nguyen Trai St, P 7, Q 5, Ho Chi Minh

Pho 2000

We add Pho 2000 more for its fame than for its food. Pho 2000 is the most famous restaurant in Ho Chi Minh, because President Bill Clinton ate there. The moment is commemorated on the wall and at the table where he sat. This bit of history is the main draw.

The Pho here is decent, but not great. Pho 2000 is conveniently located in the main tourist area. Unlike like many Pho restaurants, they have a good selection of other dishes too.

Price: 30,000-75000VND ($1.5-3.25USD)

3 Phan Chu Trinh St, P Bến Thành, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Bun Bo Gahn

This restaurant serves up our favorite bowl of Bun Bo Hue (Vietnam’s second most famous dish). Like Pho, Bun Bo Hue has a savory beef broth with citrus notes from the lemongrass. Unlike Pho, the noodles are thicker and denser.

Bun Bo Hue is typically a bit spicier, but not by much. The soup at Bun Bo Gahn is delicious and authentic. The desserts called Che are also very good here.

The restaurant has a lovely setting and great location. Bun Bo Gahn is a few blocks from the main pedestrian street, Nguyen Hue.

Price: 15,000 – 48,000VND ($0.75-2.25USD)

88 Ho Tung Mau St, P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Quan Bui

Quan Bui is one of the prettiest restaurants in Ho Chi Minh. The food is awesome and authentic too, but the beautiful décor and atmosphere is what really brings us back.

The walls, furniture, and even menus are decorated with iconic images of Vietnam and it’s people. And the food is fantastic as well.

Our favorites are the steamed Seabass and the sautéed Squid. Prices are very reasonable for such a classy spot with a range of quality dishes.

Price: 59,000-99,000VND ($2.5-4.5USD)

3 Locations

17A Ngo Van Nam St, P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

8 Nguyen Van Nguyen St, P Tân Định, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

39 Ly Tu Trong St P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Banh Mi Huynh Hoa

A Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that looks deceptively simple. A Banh Mi is a flavor bomb that changed the way we think about sandwiches. They combine perfect baguettes with savory pork, fresh herbs, and magical, secret sauces.

There are Banh Mi stalls all over Ho Chi Minh, but “Banh Mi Huynh Hoa” is the clear champion. Even late at night, there’s always a long line of locals.

This is even more impressive because the prices here are double what a normal Banh Mi costs. These locals are not rich folks.

If they’re willing to pay double for these, they must be worth it. And in our opinion, they’re a bargain.

Price: 30,000VND ($1.25USD)

26 Le Thi Rieng, P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Quan Com Me Kong

This is the best restaurant in Ho Chi Minh for a big hunk of grilled pork. It’s totally delicious and surprisingly cheap. We were randomly walking around District 1 when we found this hidden gem.

The fantastic smell is what drew us here. We followed our noses and discovered this place packed with nearby office workers.

As reflected in our list, noodle soups are huge in Vietnamese cuisine. They are wonderful, but sometimes you just want a slab of smoky pork. They serve them up here with a pile of fresh rice for a hearty, filling meal at an incredible price.

Price: 60,000VND ($2.5USD)

136 Suong Nuyet Anh St. P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Bahn Duc Nong Ba Gia

You’ve probably never heard of Banh Duc Nong, but this soup is as tasty as it is unique. The combo of pork and wild mushrooms gives it a blend of savory and earthy flavors, with hints of sweet and salty in just the right balance.

Banh Duc Nong also combines a variety of textures like creamy and crunchy. It’s a real treat that most visitors never get a chance to try.

The best (and cheapest) restaurant in Ho Chi Minh for this dish is Banh Duc Nong Ba Gia.

Price: 15,000VND ($0.65USD)

76 Cuu Long St. P15, Q10, Ho Chi Minh

5KU Station

This is one of the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh for groups. It’s a grill-your-own meat type of place. Pick a few proteins and few veggies. Then everyone grills and shares.

The fun, festive atmosphere make 5ku wildly popular with locals and visitors. And all the grilling meats create fantastic aromas.

Beef, chicken, and pork are available, but our favorites are the variety of snails, seafood, and frogs.

Price: 80,000-150,000VND ($3.5-6.5USD)

27 Lê Thánh Tôn St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

The Secret Garden

Finding a hidden, back-alley restaurant is an experience every Ho Chi Minh visitor should have. Many of the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh are off the main roads. And the Secret Garden is one of our favorites.

It’s not that difficult to find, but you have to venture down a couple alleys, make a few turns, and climb several flights of stairs to get here.

When you finally arrive, the rooftop garden terrace seems like an oasis of calm in the chaotic city.

The menu is a collection of delicious “home-style” Vietnamese dishes. For detailed directions, check our full review of Secret Garden.

Price: 50,000-80,000VND ($2.25-3.5USD)

158 Pasteur St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Propaganda

Propaganda is one of the coolest restaurants in Ho Chi Minh. The art work is beautiful, colorful, and highly symbolic of the new culture of this city.

The murals are the most outstanding features, covering several large walls. The same images decorate the upholstery and other knick knacks. All this art was created by local artists.

The food is what they call “twisted Vietnamese cuisine.” The fare is mostly classic Vietnamese dishes with new looks and new flavors. There’s an a la carte menu, but we prefer the “set lunches” and “discovery menus.”

These are a bit pricey for Ho Chi Minh city, but we found them worth every penny.

Price: 190,000-230,000VND ($8.33-10USD) for set lunches 480,000-550,000VND ($21-24USD) for “discovery menus,” wine included

21 Han Thuyen St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Muoi Tieu Chanh

Muoi Tieu Chanh has some of the most delicious crab in the city. It’s the kind of place where you get to pick your own crabs fresh. There are many great seafood places around Ho Chi Minh, but this is one of our favorites.

It’s only visited by locals, and it has a beautiful, wooden interior designed to look like ship. And since few tourists ever visit, the prices are fair for fresh seafood of this caliber.

Price: 100,000-200,000VND ($4.5-9USD)

Chim Cut Chien Bo

Chim Cut Chien Bo is quail fried in butter. We never liked quail before we tried this dish, but now we eat it all the time. It’s crispy and flavorful, without being overly greasy.

Order some gizzards on the side (also fried in butter), and wash it down with some Nuoc Mia (fresh sugarcane juice).

Price: 25,000VND ($1USD)

54 Dong Nai St. P 15, Q 10, Ho Chi Minh

Ut Dieu

Ut Dieu is classy little restaurant set back in an alley. The décor is a lovely mix of classic Vietnamese style and modern influences. The best time to visit is lunch.

They have a big set menu lunch for only a couple bucks. The specific offerings change daily, but we’ve always been happy here.

Price: 49,000VND ($2.25)

44C Bui Thi Xuan St. P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Chi Hoa

Chi Hoa prides itself on serving up dishes that remind you of granny’s cooking – if you had a Vietnamese granny that is.

Dishes range from classic spring rolls to things that you’ve never tried. For the more adventurous eater, we recommend the fermented pork belly with rice.

Price: 30,000-100,000VND ($1.25-4.5USD)

31A Le Thanh Ton St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Xoi Ga Number One

Xoi Ga is sticky rice with shredded chicken. Xoi Ga Number one is the best and most convenient place to try this Vietnamese classic. The restaurant is located only a few blocks from Ben Thanh Market, but few tourists ever eat here.

Each serving of “chicken rice” is rather small so you’ll need a couple helpings to fill up. Better yet, sample some other dishes from the large menu too.

Price: 15,000-35,000VND ($0.65-1.5)

21 Nguyen Trung Truc St. P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Bo Cap Lua

If you really want to push your culinary limits, try Bo Cap Lau. They specialize in creepy cuisine like scorpion, tarantulas, lizards, and worms as big as your thumb.

You can read about our night of adventure eating here. We wouldn’t call this restaurant delicious, but it is extraordinary and makes for lots of fun travel memories.

Price: 50,000-85,000VND ($2.25-3.75USD)

17B 11th St. P 11, Q Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh

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jacks-tracks · 5 years ago

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Food

Before I continue with travel blogging, here’s a bit about food across SE Asia, the good, the bad, and the inedible or just wierd.

Indonesia, where rice comes with every meal, white rice, steamed, boiled, cooked into a glue, or undercooked and served crunchy. When it’s not rice it’s rice noodles, either flat, noodles or vermicelli. Very popular is Ramen noodles, those instant just add boiling water to a paper cup of dried noodles, soak, and add MSG. I had a slurp of then at the Cambodian border , after 6 hours unfed, and ended up finishing them on the suddenly departing bus. In Indonesia noodles often appear as the base for a mix if dishes, topped with chopped vegies, fish, shrimp, or mystery meat, and almost always covered in blazing hot chillis. Chicken is very common, usually BBQ with more scorching hot sauce. They must raise a lot of chickens somewhere, eggs are very cheap, and make a good protein sub for the inevitable beef or pork. You,d think fish would be everywhere, but whether it,s availablity or price it,s far less common than you,d expect. Every snorkle tour has a BBQ, with charcoal grilled chicken, and broiled fish, sometimes succulent sweet fresh tuna, or perhaps little sierras, like a tiny tuna but dark meat very strong flavoured. Shrimp are all farm raised in open pools slashed out of the mangroves, netted from the sea. Muddy water, and some wag suggested this solved the sewage disposal problem. While squid is cheap, it’s often overcooked to rubber, while properly cooked squid is tender and very tasty. Worst cases were calamari deep fried too tough to chew, and a stew of tiny squid, tentacles and all, like rubber erasers with elastic strings attached.

Malaysia was a relief, because here there was Chinese food, with vegetables, the first I’d seen in a month. Really, Indonesia had no veg except the occasional carrott or limp cabbage. I was unreasonably excited to have a salad with lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Yah, never eat lettuce, but it was washed in clean water, and I was willing to take the risk for some roughage. Penang had daytime only restaurants serving”chicken -rice” and that’s all. Hugely popular, packed 100 seat cafes filled with gobbling throngs slurping up grub. A wild eyed cook chopped roasted chickens into bits with a slashing cleaver, while impossibly loud waitresses screamed across the room to the kitchen for more. Lunch only, came with a bowl of chicken broth, and all flopped on a bowl of rice. Delicious, and a big, meal for $1.50. The evening treat was curbside eaterys slamming out plates of BBQ pork bits on steaming noodles, more expensive at $2.00. cooks vanished in clouds of steam from boiling noodlepots, pork was chopped into bite sized bits, and more shrill waitresess, called

orders into traffic stopping bellows. Pay on ordering, nobody dines and dashes here!

thailand is famous for food, and everything I ate was tasty and good [except the mystery meat that felled me for 3 days, bad choice} On Ko Yao Yoi the white house kitchen consistently served large plates of delicious food, and after a few chili blasts cut out the extra sauce. Ko tao made a change with western food available(chicken burgers!) or cheap local foods in backstreet cafes. Best was Bangkok, street stalls serving a delicious noodles dish loaded with vegies and choices of shrimo,or chicken. Somehow different stalls had different flavours, and I soon found my favourite, whose next door booth made fresh doughuts. Cooked to order, eat on tiny plastic stools, just out of the traffic, filling and delicious. Happily here they had fruit, and i overate rambutaan, chinese pears, mangosteen, mangoes, tangerines, and mandarin oranges.

Cambodia had less selection, and I took a 20 pound bag of fruits and bread with me to coconut beach. Like accomodation, food was very cheap, and including 2 meals a day, with my rent i spent only $15/day. I had granola with me, and made my fruit supply stretch over 2 weeks. oddly enough the best food in Cambodia was to be found in the Hostel, catering to Western tastes, and food safe. I actually ate pizza!

Vietnam was difficult. i did find terrific Pho soup, but largely it was rice, rice or rice.The Tet holiday closed most restaurants, and I spent several days in a tiny fishing village, living on baguettes with cucumber, fruit, and white buns. When i got to the north, the starch changed to noodles, with more seafood available. I ate fish wherever I could find it. When felled by a nasty cold, the nice staff at the empty beach resort made me Vietnamese soup for breakfast every day. Terrific broth and big chunks of chicken, classic cure chicken soup. Came with a hot baguette, and I believe that and lime drinks made all the difference. Food on the Vietnamese train was boiled cabbage(bok choi?) and mystery meat slop. I stocked up on baguette sandwhiches and cheap pastrys. They make a flat sesame candy glued together with sugar syrup, chewy and a sugar hit. All the fruit drinks were loaded with sugar, and i had to be very insistent to keep them from pouring in more syrup. or topping with sweetened condensed milk.

Drinks were everywhere, and beer was the main choice with public drinking from bottles acceptable. Hard liquor was very cheap, local hooch at $2 a bottle. and bartenders poured big shots. Happy hour started about noon and ran till the last drunk dropped. There were times when walking thirsty down some hot street, the cold beer quarts looked mighty tempting, but I don’t drink. More annoyingly, the bottled water is the same price. I have bought very few plastic bottles, often getting refills at hostels, or filtering my own. Some islands have saline intrusion, and filtering won’t work. There i find 6 litre bottles of filtered water. Pop of course is mostly sugar and is probably a diuretic.

Phillipino food is bland,boiled veg, not much fruit, lots of rice. Not a salad in sight! In Cebu I had to resort to fast food (McD’s or generic chicken shops). Now on Malapaqua it’s 3 star expensive breakfast or eat local, which was what I did today, having noodles with a lentil soup $1.00 Locals are always welcoming when I eat with them, curious kids stare, girls giggle, and cooks proudly display whats on. I do always wipe the silverware with tissue, and if it looks dicey, skip it. I,ve walked out of more places than I’ve eaten in, after seeing the kitchen, or doing the fly count.

Oddest food? In Sien Riep they make ice cream to order. Pouring milk mix on a glass plate that is backed by a freezer plate, they take a flat chopping knife and literally chop the freezing mix rapidly, stirring and chopping till it’s frozen, scrape off into a heap, and slide into a cone, topped with your choice of fruit or candy sprinkles. Very good, but it melts quick!

5 months, and while I have not gained weight, actually discarding the 36 inch shorts and pants for new 34′s, i an woefully out of shape, soft bellied, and puffing up hills. It will take a few weeks of country life to shape up!

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isaiahrippinus · 6 years ago

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We Asked 15 Brewers: What’s Your Go-To Hangover Remedy?

Below, 15 beer industry members share their go-to routines for easing a hangover.

“A four count of bourbon mixed with a mug of first runnings. The classic brewer’s hangover cure.” — Chris Gilmore, Brewer, Lone Tree Brewing Company, Lone Tree, CO

“Pretend like I don’t have a hangover, until I don’t have a hangover anymore. I just ignore it until it goes away.” — Libby Crider, Co-owner, 2nd Shift Brewing, St. Louis, MO

The article We Asked 15 Brewers: What’s Your Go-To Hangover Remedy? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/15-best-beer-hangover-remedies/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/188701924374

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topfygad · 6 years ago

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17 Best Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh

Posted at h in Vietnam by The Travel Ninjas

Of course, it’s really subjective, but here are our picks for the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh.

Their secret is home-made noodles, produced daily in the restaurant.

Price: 65,000VND ($2.75USD)

484 Nguyen Tri Phoung St, P 9, Q 10, Ho Chi Minh

Pho Le

After sampling countless worthy contenders, Pho Le is our favorite. Their broth is special. Other places make a delicious bowl, but seem to take shortcuts.

Pho Le’s broth is made in the traditional way. It takes hours of painstaking preparation, and we can taste the difference. Pho Le also offers the widest variety of meat to add to your soup.

Prices at Pho Le are a bit more expensive than other places, but worth every penny.

Price: 75,000VND ($3.25USD)

2 Locations run by same family

305 Vo Van Tam St, P 5, Q 3, Ho Chi Minh

415 Nguyen Trai St, P 7, Q 5, Ho Chi Minh

Pho 2000

The Pho here is decent, but not great. Pho 2000 is conveniently located in the main tourist area. Unlike like many Pho restaurants, they have a good selection of other dishes too.

Price: 30,000-75000VND ($1.5-3.25USD)

3 Phan Chu Trinh St, P Bến Thành, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Bun Bo Gahn

Bun Bo Hue is typically a bit spicier, but not by much. The soup at Bun Bo Gahn is delicious and authentic. The desserts called Che are also very good here.

The restaurant has a lovely setting and great location. Bun Bo Gahn is a few blocks from the main pedestrian street, Nguyen Hue.

Price: 15,000 – 48,000VND ($0.75-2.25USD)

88 Ho Tung Mau St, P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Quan Bui

Quan Bui is one of the prettiest restaurants in Ho Chi Minh. The food is awesome and authentic too, but the beautiful décor and atmosphere is what really brings us back.

The walls, furniture, and even menus are decorated with iconic images of Vietnam and it’s people. And the food is fantastic as well.

Our favorites are the steamed Seabass and the sautéed Squid. Prices are very reasonable for such a classy spot with a range of quality dishes.

Price: 59,000-99,000VND ($2.5-4.5USD)

3 Locations

17A Ngo Van Nam St, P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

8 Nguyen Van Nguyen St, P Tân Định, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

39 Ly Tu Trong St P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Banh Mi Huynh Hoa

There are Banh Mi stalls all over Ho Chi Minh, but “Banh Mi Huynh Hoa” is the clear champion. Even late at night, there’s always a long line of locals.

This is even more impressive because the prices here are double what a normal Banh Mi costs. These locals are not rich folks.

If they’re willing to pay double for these, they must be worth it. And in our opinion, they’re a bargain.

Price: 30,000VND ($1.25USD)

26 Le Thi Rieng, P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Quan Com Me Kong

This is the best restaurant in Ho Chi Minh for a big hunk of grilled pork. It’s totally delicious and surprisingly cheap. We were randomly walking around District 1 when we found this hidden gem.

The fantastic smell is what drew us here. We followed our noses and discovered this place packed with nearby office workers.

Price: 60,000VND ($2.5USD)

136 Suong Nuyet Anh St. P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Bahn Duc Nong Ba Gia

Banh Duc Nong also combines a variety of textures like creamy and crunchy. It’s a real treat that most visitors never get a chance to try.

The best (and cheapest) restaurant in Ho Chi Minh for this dish is Banh Duc Nong Ba Gia.

Price: 15,000VND ($0.65USD)

76 Cuu Long St. P15, Q10, Ho Chi Minh

5KU Station

This is one of the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh for groups. It’s a grill-your-own meat type of place. Pick a few proteins and few veggies. Then everyone grills and shares.

The fun, festive atmosphere make 5ku wildly popular with locals and visitors. And all the grilling meats create fantastic aromas.

Beef, chicken, and pork are available, but our favorites are the variety of snails, seafood, and frogs.

Price: 80,000-150,000VND ($3.5-6.5USD)

27 Lê Thánh Tôn St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

The Secret Garden

It’s not that difficult to find, but you have to venture down a couple alleys, make a few turns, and climb several flights of stairs to get here.

When you finally arrive, the rooftop garden terrace seems like an oasis of calm in the chaotic city.

The menu is a collection of delicious “home-style” Vietnamese dishes. For detailed directions, check our full review of Secret Garden.

Price: 50,000-80,000VND ($2.25-3.5USD)

158 Pasteur St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Propaganda

Propaganda is one of the coolest restaurants in Ho Chi Minh. The art work is beautiful, colorful, and highly symbolic of the new culture of this city.

The murals are the most outstanding features, covering several large walls. The same images decorate the upholstery and other knick knacks. All this art was created by local artists.

These are a bit pricey for Ho Chi Minh city, but we found them worth every penny.

Price: 190,000-230,000VND ($8.33-10USD) for set lunches 480,000-550,000VND ($21-24USD) for “discovery menus,” wine included

21 Han Thuyen St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Muoi Tieu Chanh

It’s only visited by locals, and it has a beautiful, wooden interior designed to look like ship. And since few tourists ever visit, the prices are fair for fresh seafood of this caliber.

Price: 100,000-200,000VND ($4.5-9USD)

Chim Cut Chien Bo

Chim Cut Chien Bo is quail fried in butter. We never liked quail before we tried this dish, but now we eat it all the time. It’s crispy and flavorful, without being overly greasy.

Order some gizzards on the side (also fried in butter), and wash it down with some Nuoc Mia (fresh sugarcane juice).

Price: 25,000VND ($1USD)

54 Dong Nai St. P 15, Q 10, Ho Chi Minh

Ut Dieu

Ut Dieu is classy little restaurant set back in an alley. The décor is a lovely mix of classic Vietnamese style and modern influences. The best time to visit is lunch.

They have a big set menu lunch for only a couple bucks. The specific offerings change daily, but we’ve always been happy here.

Price: 49,000VND ($2.25)

44C Bui Thi Xuan St. P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Chi Hoa

Chi Hoa prides itself on serving up dishes that remind you of granny’s cooking – if you had a Vietnamese granny that is.

Dishes range from classic spring rolls to things that you’ve never tried. For the more adventurous eater, we recommend the fermented pork belly with rice.

Price: 30,000-100,000VND ($1.25-4.5USD)

31A Le Thanh Ton St. P Ben Nghe, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Xoi Ga Number One

Each serving of “chicken rice” is rather small so you’ll need a couple helpings to fill up. Better yet, sample some other dishes from the large menu too.

Price: 15,000-35,000VND ($0.65-1.5)

21 Nguyen Trung Truc St. P Ben Thanh, Q 1, Ho Chi Minh

Bo Cap Lua

If you really want to push your culinary limits, try Bo Cap Lau. They specialize in creepy cuisine like scorpion, tarantulas, lizards, and worms as big as your thumb.

You can read about our night of adventure eating here. We wouldn’t call this restaurant delicious, but it is extraordinary and makes for lots of fun travel memories.

Price: 50,000-85,000VND ($2.25-3.75USD)

17B 11th St. P 11, Q Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh

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louisonurmark · 6 years ago

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Why is it that I’ve been to Vietnam three times when I haven’t even visited some of its neighbors even once? Because it is perfect, that’s why. It is one of my favorite countries in Southeast Asia, maybe even my very favorite, which is such a bold statement that I hesitate to even put it out there. So, what do I love so much about Vietnam? Well, everything, truthfully. Vietnam offers destinations for everyone – wildly chaotic cities full of culture and history, quiet, rural villages where rice fields disappear endlessly into the horizon, mountains for hiking, beaches for relaxing, and landscapes so unique they’ve been UNESCO-listed for preservation. The fact that all of that fits inside what I consider to be a relatively small country is impressive, for sure, but even better is that all of it can be seen for a fraction of the price you’d pay in say, the USA. For a budget traveler like myself, being able to spend less and do more is always the goal, and that’s easily attainable in Vietnam. Then, of course, there’s the usual things that make a place attractive – the food, the people you meet, and the ease with which you can travel and navigate between places. Vietnam nails it in all these arenas, too.

Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, was my second big city to visit in Vietnam. The first was Ho Chi Minh in the late 90’s, which was so long ago that most people were still calling it Saigon, so I won’t attempt to compare the two until I’ve been back again. Hanoi has the reputation of being somewhat of an acquired taste, and I can see why. At first glance, Hanoi feels downright crazy. Motorbikes packing the roads, their blaring horns harmonizing into a shrill musical score. Dirty water being thrown out into the streets from shops and restaurants, sometimes directly onto your feet. Unidentified and often unpleasant smells mingling with the scent of cooking food. Determined shopkeepers demanding repeatedly for you to look at their goods. The sensory overload that hits while walking Hanoi’s streets is unsettling for almost everyone on their first visit. Factor in the death-defying risk that is crossing the street, and it’s easy to want to hightail it back to the safety of your hotel room. But give it a day. Hanoi will grow on you, just as it has on many travelers before.

I recommend at least two full days for a visit to Hanoi – one to get adjusted and another to make you want to stay longer or come back again. All of the major sights in Hanoi can be seen over a long weekend, but part of the appeal of Hanoi is its convenient location to nearby destinations commonly visited on overnight tours, so if you plan to head out of the city at all, you’ll need a few more days. We stayed in the Hanoi area for 6 nights – 4 in Hanoi and 2 elsewhere – and it was the perfect amount of time for a first visit. If it’s also your first visit, here’s how I recommend you spend your time!

8 THINGS TO DO IN HANOI

EXPLORE THE OLD QUARTER

The first thing on your agenda after dropping your bags at your hotel should be to explore the historic Old Quarter, preferably on foot. Granted, this is easier said than done since the sidewalks in Hanoi are nothing more than parking lots for motorbikes, but it’s essential if you want to get comfortable with the chaos sooner rather than later. Most hotels in Hanoi are located in the Old Quarter and many of the city’s sights are, too, so this is likely where you’ll be spending a good portion of your trip. Best to get your bearings early on.

Besides hotels, restaurants, and sights, the Old Quarter is also the prime shopping district. If you’re looking for those now rather iconic ‘I’ve been backpacking through Asia’ pants, this is where you’ll find them. For like the equivalent of $2 USD. Everything here is so delightfully cheap by western standards that even if you don’t like to shop, you’ll still probably find yourself shopping. And haggling is the name of the game, so prepare yourself.

WALK AROUND HOAN KIEM LAKE

Meaning Lake of the Restored Sword, Hoan Kiem Lake is at the center of Hanoi city life, at least figuratively anyway. Located in the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake is where people gather in Hanoi to rest, eat lunch, play, or simply take a walk around the perimeter of the lake. Ngoc Son Temple, an 18th century Buddhist temple, sits on a tiny island in the lake reachable via the bright red bridge connecting the island to the northern shore of the lake.

After visiting the lake twice while we were in Hanoi, we realized this is where young Vietnamese students have learned to come to practice their English with tourists. Any time we sat down, we were approached by people for a chat. For me it was exciting, even when the conversations were painfully slow and repetitive, because I’m always thrilled to talk to people when we travel, but if you came to the lake to rest, it could be a little exhausting. In that case, just pretend you don’t speak English. Kidding!

SHOP HANOI’S NIGHT MARKET

The night market in Hanoi is only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. It’s all the same stuff you’ll find during the day, though, so don’t despair if you’re not in Hanoi over a weekend. If there’s nothing there you can’t buy in the daytime, why go to the night market at all? Because the atmosphere is better. The streets are quieter. There’s less insistence from shopkeepers that you look through their wares. And, in my experience, you can often get better deals. It’s just a more pleasant shopping experience in general. Plus, there’s food – loads of choices cooked fresh right in front of you while you shop. (More on eating in Hanoi below.)

VISIT THE TEMPLE OF LITERATURE

Ngoc Son Temple may be Hanoi’s most visited temple, but its prettiest is definitely the Temple of Literature. A quiet, green oasis, the Temple of Literature blooms in stark contrast with the concrete city surrounding it. With many landscaped courtyards, gardens, and pavilions, this place is definitely one for the photography-inclined!

Built as a temple to Confucius in 1070, the Temple of Literature was centered more on academia than religion. A place of study for the wealthy, The Temple of Literature was Vietnam’s first national university, and many monuments still remain on the grounds dedicated to the scholars who graduated here. I recommend arriving as early as you can because the temple is a popular sight and can get very busy even just a couple hours after opening.

VISIT THE TEMPLE OF LITERATURE

EAT EVERYTHING Ah, the most important point on the list, and pretty much my favorite thing about visiting anywhere – food. Eating may be one of life’s necessities, but in Vietnam it’s one of its greatest pleasures, too. There are so many foods to try here, and like everything else, it’s all incredibly cheap. A few things you must try – bun cha (BBQ pork and noodles), pho xao (stir fried noodles with beef), bun nem (spring rolls), banh mi (Vietnam’s version of a sandwich), and of course, everyone’s favorite – pho (beef noodle soup).

Despite my infatuation with food when we travel, I’m not so great at remembering to take photos of what I eat or writing down exactly where it was I ate it. I do, however, remember where it was I ate the best pho of my life and it was at a little place on Bat Dan Street. I swear I will never forget that meal, and not just because it tasted out of this world. Our food at Pho Bat Dan was served to us piping hot outside on communal picnic tables as we sat in flimsy plastic chairs elbow to elbow with strangers. Unusual, maybe, but a part of the charm of eating in Hanoi, nonetheless. Besides these outdoor cafe-style places that you will see all over the Old Quarter, another place to get delicious and cheap food is from the street vendors. They move from place to place, but you won’t have any trouble finding them.

A note on food safety: If you get sick from eating in Hanoi (or anywhere for that matter), it’s more likely to be due to eating foods you’re not accustomed to rather than a case of food poisoning or parasites. Regardless, there are obvious steps you can take to prevent the latter including avoiding tap water or uncooked things that have been washed in tap water, such as salad, and never eating anything that looks like it’s been sitting out for awhile. Generally, if you eat from busy places and order a hot meal, you should be good to go. If you’re really worried about it, I recommend this post from Jodi (Legal Nomads) who I believe used to live in Vietnam.

MAKE A PIT STOP AT BIA HOI CORNER

Beer drinkers, you’re going to want to pay attention to this one. There is literally a place where beer costs less than a gumball from a machine (wait, do those things even still exist?) and it’s right here at the intersection of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen. Known as Bia Hoi Corner, the “pubs” around this intersection in the Old Quarter serve freshly-made local beer, without preservatives, for just 20 cents (5,000 VND) a pop.

But what if you don’t drink beer, should you still stop by? YES! I don’t drink beer either, but loved the atmosphere at Bia Hoi Corner. This is one of the best places to come if you want to meet other travelers, expats, and locals. Everyone sits on little plastic stools on the edges of the streets (that eventually become impassable for cars as the night goes on) and it’s easy to strike up conversations and meet people. I can’t speak for the late night hours, but before 9pm, the environment is kid-friendly and all sorts of non-alcoholic drinks and street food are available in addition to cheap beer.

TAKE AN OVERNIGHT TRIP OUTSIDE HANOI

So, it feels a little strange saying that one of the things you should do in Hanoi is leave Hanoi, but it’s true. There are so many day trips and overnight trips available to take from Hanoi. Walk down any street in the Old Quarter and you’ll be able to spot travel agencies with lists hanging in the windows of all the places you can go. Not knowing exactly how easy it would be to book side trips in Hanoi, we had booked one of our overnight trips online prior to arriving in Hanoi. This is definitely not the way to do it. The cheapest way to book an overnight trip out of Hanoi is to book it in Hanoi itself. The list price for the exact same trip we had bought online was quite a bit cheaper from travel agencies in Hanoi, and just like everything else, that price can be haggled down. (FYI: Travel agencies compete with each other, so use that to your advantage when haggling!)

One of the most obvious places to take an overnight trip from Hanoi is Ha Long Bay. A UNESCO world heritage site, Ha Long Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Vietnam. There are day trips that go there, too, but given the driving distance is four hours each way, you’d be mad not to stay overnight. Plus, waking up to see the sunrise above the rocks and islands in the bay is a once in a lifetime sort of thing you won’t want to miss. A variety of overnight junk boat tours are available in a range of budgets. The activities available are mostly the same for all tours, so the difference in price usually comes down to how luxurious the boat and meals provided on the trip are.

Another great option for an overnight tour, especially if you don’t plan to go all the way up north to Sapa, is a visit to Mai Chau, a rural area around four hours’ drive west of Hanoi. In Mai Chau, rice fields grow in valleys at the base of mountains, roads are made of dirt and gravel, and people live in beautiful stilt houses made of bamboo and timber. To call this place charming would be doing it a terrible disservice. It’s so much more than that. While you can stay in private bungalows, we chose the option of sleeping in one of the stilt houses in a common room with other travelers. And it was one of the coolest, most unique things I’ve done in four years of travel.

HANOI TRAVEL TIPS

WHERE TO STAY IN HANOI

Cheap hotels are a dime a dozen in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Some are better than others, I’m sure, but generally they all offer similar lodgings with breakfast included. We stayed at Hanoi Chic Hotel for $45 USD a night for a family of 3. If you’re looking for something a little bit more luxurious, the Essence Hotel & Spa is a popular choice, and for those whom money is no object, I’d recommend the Sofitel Metropole for sure!

WHEN TO VISIT HANOI

Because Hanoi is located in the northern region of Vietnam, it experiences all four seasons. This means winters are cold, summers are hot, and spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons temperature-wise. Rainy season is from April to October with June, July, and August getting the most rainfall. Generally, if your goal is to enjoy the most comfortable temperatures and the least amount of rainfall, you’ll want to visit Hanoi in either March and April or September to November. We visited in mid-October and experienced mostly sunny days with temperatures around what we’re used to in Singapore. (Read: Still extremely hot.)

HOW TO GET AROUND

From the airport, if you haven’t booked a transfer through your hotel, you’ll need to take a taxi to get to the Old Quarter. Metered taxis in Hanoi are notorious for trying to rip tourists off, so make sure you agree on a price before getting in and don’t budge on it when you get to your destination. Alternatively, you can book transportation to your hotel online through various companies. We used Hanoi Transfer Service via a recommendation from a friend since our hotel didn’t offer an airport transfer. For our journey back to the airport, we booked a transfer at one of the travel agencies in Hanoi. (This was slightly cheaper than using Hanoi Transfer Service, and less stressful than using a regular taxi.)

Once in the Old Quarter, unless you have mobility issues, you’ll have no problem walking everywhere mentioned on this list. If walking isn’t an option, you can hop on one of the cyclos (three-wheel bicycle taxis) for shorter journeys, and motorbike or metered taxis for longer journeys. Just be aware of dodgy taxi meters if you go that route.

SAFETY IN HANOI

While pick-pocketing and petty theft are not uncommon in Hanoi, what you really need to be aware of is your safety on the roads. There are no designated paths for walkers and there are no crosswalks, and even scarier, there don’t appear to be any rules for drivers either. I dreaded crossing streets in Hanoi because it felt like we were risking our lives every time. The motorbikes don’t stop, they just go around you, which means it is extremely important not to stop after you start walking across the street. The motorbike drivers are assuming you’re going to keep walking, so they plan their movements around what they think you’re going to do. It’s all very terrifying. Even standing to the side of the road can be risky. This is where people park their motorbikes, and they don’t much care if you’re standing where they want to park, they’ll park there anyway!

As for avoiding theft, all the usual rules apply. Don’t carry lots of cash. Keep your wallet someplace harder to reach than your back pocket. When walking along the streets, keep your purse or camera on the shoulder furthest from the road. That’ll prevent people on motorbikes from snatching your valuables and driving away. Same goes for your phone. Just don’t have it out while walking at all if you can help it. Avoiding the less obvious kind of theft, scams and inflated prices for tourists, will be trickier, but if you do a little research before your trip on the going rate for things you’re looking to do or buy, it’ll be much easier to tell if you’re being cheated!

Overall, we felt very safe in Hanoi (minus the roads!) and I hope to make it back there again sometime, hopefully on a trip that includes a journey up to Sapa! If you’ve been to Hanoi and have any tips to share, please feel free to leave them in the comments!

8 THINGS TO DO ON YOUR FIRST TRIP TO HANOI + TRAVEL TIPS Why is it that I’ve been to Vietnam three times when I haven’t even visited some of its neighbors even once?

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vietnamtour-blog · 6 years ago

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Phở Thìn Lo Duc: Story of the best Phở in Hanoi

Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin (67 years old) has just returned from Japan after bringing his pho closer to international friends. In his small pho shop right in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we have the chance to listen to the story about his life and career, thoroughly and sincerely by this artisan.

– A bowl of “pho bo tai lan” and a poached egg, please! – Right away, sir.

Coming to this quaint small restaurant in the Old Quarter atmosphere, you may have to queue up for a while. The aroma from the broth cauldron wafting in the air, the green color of onions, the sizzling sound of beef being stir-fried – all these sounds, smells and colors are the restaurant’s advertisement. For the last 40 years, this restaurant only serves one type of pho – pho bo tai lan (half-done stir-fried beef noodle).

Queuing may take from 5 to 10 minutes, however, it’s usually only 60 seconds from the time your order until a steaming bowl of pho is ready. Then you are ready for the pho moment. Crispy flavour of stir-fried beef, depths of sweet broth with a fatty layer above, fresh rice noodles, subtle ginger and cinnamon taste and a whole lot of green onions. Of course, you can leave or add some ingredients to your own liking.

For the Hanoians, the best food is worth the effort of travelling quite some distance or meandering deep into small alleys. Even though every 100m in this city pops up a pho restaurant, there are only a few spots that can keep their customers coming back.

One among them is Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin and his wife in front of their Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc restaurant

The famous bowl of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc

Let’s explore the story behind the steaming bowl of Pho Thin.

Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc Restaurant is one of the most long-standing brands in Hanoi. Visitors who come to Vietnam capital all want to enjoy this famous bowl of pho, which is widely promoted by gourmets, including the most choosy and fastidious diners.

In spite of the diverse and fusion pho scene: from rare to well-done, shank and flank to brisket, or beef soup with bordelaise sauce, Pho Thin still serves its only type: half-done stir-fried beef noodles. This name has been attached to Pho Thin, as many local call it “Pho tai lan Lo Duc”

Behind this flavorful bowl of pho is the life story, the whole career of a pho master. That is Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin (67 years old).

“My name is Nguyen Trong Thin, born and raised in Hanoi.”

After graduating high school, I took the entrance exam to University of Industrial Fine Arts, in the period 68 – 69 in the north of Hiep Hoa province. I was one of the top 4 students who entered the school’s Faculty of Sculpture.

Graduated from university, I worked at Vietnam Television for about 7 years and the National Fine Arts Workshop (now Vietnam Central Fine Art JSC) for the next 2 years. At that time, the living condition is really poor in that subsidy period. I am the 4th child in the 10-sibling family, with a lot of mouths to feed.

When I was young, I especially liked … eating. That is the passion for the wide range of dishes, the quality rather than quantity of food. I was willing to pay much more for a variety of choices. In these times, I often pondered: “Why are there some places that have absolutely delicious food, while other places don’t ?”

After a while, I decided to leave the Fine Arts Workshop to pursue my passion for food. Just because I quit my job, my wife left me. She did not believe I was able to do those business things in the private sector. That was about 1979 – 1980.

Soon then, the economy was open, the state allowed people to do business as long as it did not involve prohibited goods. At that time, next to my house, there was a pho restaurant of Mrs. Vu, where guests queued up in such a long line.

Mr. Thin is a painter, an alumnus of Industrial Fine Arts School.

The first time I mentioned opening a restaurant to my dad, he didn’t say anything.

The second time, about a couple of weeks later, I asked again, he continued to say nothing.

The third time I mentioned, here was all he said: “Do you have money? Can you compete with Mrs. Vu’s restaurant?”

I replied: “Mrs. Vu had brought a lot of promising customers, only steps from our house. I promise you, I will do my best to succeed, so that I can pay back to you, mom and dad.”

My father said nothing.

Not until recently that I realized the reason why my father kept silent. He had experienced and understood how businesses were ran at that time. He was worried for his son.

Nobody taught me how to cook. My parents were tiled brick producers, none of my older siblings did anything related to cooking. Only by passion, self-research and try-outs, I started out the restaurant on my own.

When thinking about all the bowls of pho I had eaten in Hanoi, I felt that they basically have quite the same taste of bone-based broth and toppings. I questioned myself: “Can I do it differently? Why do I have to follow that basic recipe?”

So I started from the broth.

Normally, people would simmer pork bones, beef bones, even chicken bones, long enough to get the most out of them. I was bolder: I chose to “color” the broth.

Being a painter, I had quite a natural aptitude towards color. For example, if I looked at the color of broth, I would know whether it was good or not without tasting. Mixing colors came natural to me, and my head just popped up: “What if I mix ingredients from both plants and animals for the best broth color?”.

And those experiments paid off. The sweetness from bones and meat tuned in with the sweetness from vegetables, creating a distinctive sweet taste. Such was the taste that everyone in my family complimented me. I thought to myself: Finally, I did create my own broth recipe.

To make a bowl of Pho Thin, the cook must devote wholeheartedly to each step.

As I prepared to open my restaurant, I built a coal stove myself. In this stove, temperature could reach up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, in which thin slices of beef would be sizzling in the hot pan for just a moment. “The juice doesn’t get to evaporate, so the beef remain tender and moist.”

“First, I add the oil to the hot pan. Until its near smoking point, I put ginger and beef to the pan and stir quickly. The beef is stir-fried briefly, so it is not too cooked and not too rare, just in the middle of tender richness. The key to that taste is the consistency of the cook when stir-frying the beef. In other restaurants that also sell this pho tai lan, variance results in either chewy beef or too soft and raw beef. Cooking this very kind of pho is not difficult, but a restaurant needs a very consistent cook.”

On the first opening day, my restaurant still had not welcomed any customers. I craved the long queue of the next-door restaurant. Hence, I brought one pan over high heat, tossed garlic, ginger and sliced beef, stir-fried quickly in the flaming pan. The aroma wafted in the air, calling out for curious customers. Some went out to try. Gradually, the waiting customers in front of Vu’s restaurant all came to my place. In the end, Mrs. Vu sold her house and moved to another place.

The outcome was good for me, but not good for Ms. Vu. I had no other choice. I did my own work, as long as I did not violate the law. Now that is called healthy competition.

The bowl of pho, along with Mr. Thin, grew up through thick and thin till now.

For the first 3 months, I didn’t make any money. But gradually, due to good reputation, both local and foreign customers flocked here. They would like to inhale the aroma from the steaming pho bowl, add some pepper, fresh chili and lemon. A bowl of Pho Thin costs VND 60,000, diners who want to enhance the taste can eat pho with crispy fried bread-stick and poached eggs. These dishes are born for each other!

From a small noodle shop that quietly sprang up next to a famous pho restaurant and only sell one type of pho, Pho Thin has been through 40 years. Now it has become a familiar name with the Hanoians.

Pho in Hanoi is a long story of many generations, many ways of cooking, many tastes and dozens of ways of doing business. In this capital, Pho shops spring up like mushrooms, yet not all shop-owners can sustain their reputation and keep the customers coming back

In May 2009, after 30 years of selling pho, I went abroad for the first time to teach cooking pho in South Korea. I brought with me all kinds of raw materials such as beef, pork bones, chicken bone, cinnamon and even fish sauce. In Korea, I “performed” 4 variations: xào giòn (crunchy stir-fried), xào mềm (supple stir-fried), áp chảo nước (sauteed with water) and of course the signature phở bò tái lăn (half done stir-fried). What struck me most was that the diners spared no noodles left, given their delicate etiquette of eating.

After receiving the cooking technique, the Korean asked me to cooperate to open a pho restaurant in Seoul. However, I was too busy with the business at home, I gave them the recipe so that they can operate on their own.

Later, to my surprise, a pho restaurant was open in Seoul, with its name literally translated as the Pho Gift – the gift of recipe from a Vietnamese. If they earnestly want to keep that recipe to best serve the Koreans and Vietnamese expats, then it is my pleasure to give it to them at no cost.

In Vietnam, till now, I have only give my pho recipe to one place – the Vinpearl. I was touched by Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong’s vision and passion for preserving and developing Vietnamese cuisine. I believe, Vinpearl can keep my pho legacy, and Vietnam traditional culture in general. Seeing them respect and preserve the authentic values of pho, I am so glad my efforts have been acknowledged.

Therefore, I have come to all Vinpearl facilities, the international 5-star resorts of Vingroup, to teach cooking pho, carefully and thoroughly every step without taking a penny. I believe what you give away, you keep forever!

Mr. Thin agreed to teach cooking technique of the signature “Phở tai lan”.

A Pho Thin counter in one Vinpearl resort – Vietnam’s largest international five-star hotel & resort chain

10 years from the first time Pho Thin came to Korea, this March, I continued the journey to bring Vietnamese bowl of pho to the world. This time, the destination was Tokyo – the capital of Japan.

Pho is like cherry blossoms, which will appear in different colors and fragrance if grown in other places rather than the Land of the Rising Sun. Opening a pho restaurant and actually running it smoothly was not easy. However, to promote Vietnam culinary to the world, I am willing to do everything.

The ingredients to make pho are not as available in Japan as in Vietnam, so it is even harder to keep the true taste of this noodle soup. Many days prior to the shop opening, I went to Tokyo to choose and test ingredients with the shop owner, Kenji Sumi.

On March 9, 2019, Pho Thin in Tokyo was officially opened. Although the expected opening time was 11am, from earlier, diners had already been lining in front of the restaurant. More than 100 bowls of pho were sold in less than 1 hour, only until 11h20 AM did we sell out.

The next day, the restaurant prepared 1.5 times more than the first day’s, but pho was still quickly sold out due to the large number of diners. Japanese customers shared their interest in the bowl of Pho Thin from Vietnam.

To some small extent, I have made quite a success.

One day before returning to Vietnam, the customer lined up in a long queue. I looked at the scene and had to run quickly inside to cry. I was so happy! It is not one or two days’ achievement, it has been such a long way.

As Kenji Sumi saw my red eyes, he hugged me and cried. The two generations of us cried together. Sometimes happiness is not just money.

Mr. Thin cried, remembering the moment when his bowl of pho reaching out to the world.

Source: http://cafebiz.vn Translated by: Mia

Source: http://blog.evivatour.com/pho-thin-lo-duc-story-of-the-best-pho-in-hanoi/

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