#ate so much Vietnamese food i love me some fresh spring rolls and pho

[weedsmokingcatgirl]

sometimes i feel my mental illness is getting worse, then i eat and then i am okay

[louisonurmark]

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

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.

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?

[mostly-plants]

Week 4 of eating vegan

Day 22: Bakesale day! Over the course of the weekend I made about 85 earl grey & orange cookies, 45 coconut raspberry macaroons, 32 bagels, 24 chocolate cupcakes and 12 lemon blueberry muffins (all vegan). And thanks to my lovely friends, we raised $330 to support Oxfam’s work in addressing the current food crisis in eastern Africa.

Other than catching up with a few friends and feeling happy that we were able to raise some funds, one of my highlights of the day was eating a fresh bagel with nigella seeds, topped with Tofutti Better than cream cheese, fresh tomato and black pepper. It was delightful! I will definitely be making more of these bagels soon! I used a recipe from YouTuber NikkiVegan and just added 100 grams of sourdough starter to each batch for extra flavour and rise. My favourite bagel toppings are sesame seeds or nigella seeds. So good! After a full weekend of baking we were both pretty exhausted, so ordered some Vietnamese food for dinner from Paper Plate. It was pretty tasty, but a little bit expensive for what it was. Also, although the veggie rice paper rolls we ordered had some really enjoyable and interesting flavours, they came with both ends open instead of the traditional enclosed wrap. This made them much harder to eat, because every time you took a bite, the fillings would slip out the bottom. There’s nothing wrong with being creative, but also... sometimes there’s a reason that the original is the best. For dessert I ate 2 more cupcakes because I was tired and hungry and they were full of sugary chocolatey-coffee goodness. I then experienced #cupcakeregret because 2 cupcakes is 1 too many. You win this time, cupcakes. Lesson learned.

Day 23: I was pretty exhausted after baking all weekend, but I had some toast with Tofutti cream cheese and tomato / peanut butter and raspberry jam for breakfast, and then headed off to work. I had leftover Pho for lunch, plus some fruit and coconut raspberry macaroons for snacks, and then (again) leftover black bean tacos for dinner. I also had 1 (and only 1) cupcake for dessert.

Day 24: I was still exhausted this morning, so slept in a little bit and had black bean tacos for brunch (yes, I am just really feeling the love for Mexican food right now!). Morning tea was coffee (of course), a couple more macaroons and a chocolate brownie. Yes, very indulgent, but dinner will be mostly greens.

I was really tired in the afternoon so a had a little rest and then made a “use up what’s in the fridge” stir-fry for dinner. I had a slightly wilted green cabbage, some broccoli and bok choy, and some firm tofu. I mixed up a few tablespoons of peanut butter with about half the amount of sweet soy sauce and a bit of sriracha to make peanut sauce, and cooked up all the veggies and tofu before mixing in the sauce and some pepper. It turned out pretty well! I’d shredded the cabbage into strips and once cooked they were kind of like noodles.

Day 25: Toast for breakfast again - the classic PB and banana on toast with a tablespoon of chia seeds and maple syrup for extra healthy fats, minerals, and, let’s be honest, the maple syrup was there because it’s delicious. :d

Work was hectic so I ended up having lunch (left-over stir-fry) really late, but then by the time I got home around 7pm I felt like doing some cooking to wind down. I’d wanted to try making some seitan, so I attempted this scallion (aka spring onion) sausage recipe from Mary’s test kitchen. I think I underseasoned the mix a little bit, because although they turned out ok, they tasted a little bland. In fairness, I’d used chives instead of spring onions because I didn’t have any at the time, and it may have been a mistake to substitute the key ingredient named in the recipe title! XD I also managed to cut my finger on the edge of some aluminium foil while rolling the sausages up (so talented, how DOES she do it?) Oh well.. You win this time, seitan, but this isn’t over yet!

I’d soaked some barley the night before, so I chopped up some onion, carrot and celery and cooked it along with some veggie stock and bayleaves, then added the barley. For extra veggie goodness (and to clear the last scraps out of the veggie crisper) I threw in some kale and some asparagus. This turned into a really nice hearty soup, and the sliced seitan sausages made a nice chewy addition scattered atop. 

One of the perks of this month has been learning how to cook new things, and in particular, I’m finally starting to understand kale. Yes, it’s super nutritious and a good source of calcium and other vitamins, but because I had no idea how to cook it before I was like “Why does everyone love this tough, bitter thing??” Soooo apparently you need to remove the stalks (at least the thicker base parts), or if you want to eat the stalks you need to cook them for a really long time because otherwise (as I found out) they are really fibrous and hard to eat. I now know how to cook kale so that it’s actually edible. Thanks, internet!

Day 26: There were heaps of leftovers from all my cook-ups this week so I just foraged from the fridge for the day - I feel like I’ve definitely got the hang of making a few meals ahead and having a few key ingredients that make for easy and relatively healthy snacks. I’m finding that even on the days where I don’t think I’ve been as conscious of trying to balance my meals, I still seem to be getting almost 100% of my RDIs for protein, iron, calcium and other vitamins according to the tracking I’ve done with Cronometer. That said, I’m sure it’s not 100% accurate, because it makes assumptions about things you enter - like thinking my soy milk is fortified with B12 when it isn’t.  Cronometer (or any app for that matter) is not going to be flawless, but it’s definitely a helpful guide in making sure I’m not accidentally very deficient in anything.  Now that I’m more familiar with the kinds of foods that are going to provide the range of nutrients I need on a daily basis, I feel comfortable that I can make good choices and achieve a good balance of nutrition myself, but it’s still handy to be able to check how things are stacking up on occasion.

Day 27: I woke up feeling like pancakes for breakfast, and because I was working from home I had the flexibility to cook this morning. I found this recipe for apple pie pancakes from NikkiVegan and decided to give it a go. I didn’t have the chickpea flour she used in the recipe, so I just went with 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 cup white wheat flour. I also added a little bit of dark brown sugar and maple syrup to the pancake mix, along with a pinch of salt. I reduced the amount of baking powder to about 1 tablespoon, and used less maple syrup with the apple compote (probably about 1/4 cup instead of the 3/4 cups in the original recipe). Since I had added a little bit of sweetness to the pancakes themselves, I didn’t feel like I needed to use so much syrup in the topping. These turned out AMAZING! They were seriously the fluffiest, tastiest pancakes I’ve ever had! Just look at them!!

SO. FLUFFY. This is 3 small pancakes stacked on top of each other, but it literally looks like a slice of cake. I mean technically it is cake, but I have never seen a pancake this fluffy before! The flax eggs worked very well, and added some bonus ALA/Omega 3 goodness. I’m not oil-free so I did add a dash of canola oil to the pan, and cooked the pancakes on medium-low heat so the middle had time to cook through before the outside got overdone. These were really filling, so 3 pancakes turned out to be one too many for me. The good news is they keep great, I just covered the cooked leftover pancakes and put them in the fridge, then heated them for 1 minute in the microwave the next day and they were just as good. FYI our microwave is weird so if you have a normal microwave 30 seconds might even be enough. Or you can probably reheat them in a pan on low-medium heat for 30 seconds to a minute on each side.

Friday night I did some shopping in the city for a birthday present, and then we went to a friend’s farewell drinks. On the way home the boyfriend spotted a pop-up van at QV, so it was DOUGHNUT TIME! They have vegan doughnuts, so we got a Fairy Godmother and a Pump Up The Jam. Both were very yummy, but hooooooooooooooooly heck! So. much. sugar! Starting AND ending the day with cake is probably not a great strategy for health in the long term, but in the short term it was very enjoyable. Just goes to show you can eat healthily or unhealthily as a vegan, so it just comes down to making the choices that make you feel good in the long run.

 Day 28: It was Saturday so we slept in and had leftover pancakes for breakfast, then went to our friend’s birthday party and had fun exploring Brimbank Park. I like their random giant animals and vegetables, and their Auslan and Braille Alphabet signs:

I wanted to do another batch cook for the week this afternoon, so I made a brown lentil shepherd’s pie with a base of onions, carrots, celery, fennel and vegan beef-style stock. I added tomato paste and dried porcini mushrooms for extra flavour, and it turned out really well! It was also a very good way to use the bag of potatoes that had been sitting in our pantry for the last couple of weeks!

 I also made some vegan pizza, using a quick, no cook pizza sauce recipe I originally saw on America’s Test Kitchen. You can find the quick pizza sauce recipe with notes here - it uses a blender or food processor, but you could also just use diced/crushed tomatoes instead, or cut up the whole peeled tomatoes and mash them together with the other ingredients. To top the pizza I caramelised some red onion, scattered on some chopped olives, and made a batch of fresh moxarella using this recipe from Vedged Out. There’s also a full recipe for vegan margherita pizzas at this link, so you’ll find a dough recipe and another (cooked) sauce recipe there too. The pizza was awesome - the moxarella gives you the stretchy gooey texture that makes melted cheese so enjoyable to eat, and it’s also very quick and easy to make if you have a blender. Just look at this cheezy goodness...

 And that’s it for week 4! Even though there’s only a few days to go of my month-long vegan challenge, I’m honestly not holding out for anything, because I really don’t feel like I’ve been missing out at all. I’ve really enjoyed being able to experiment and cook different foods, and overall I’ve felt really good. Although this weekend was pretty junk-foody, overall I’ve definitely been eating more vegetables and wholegrains than I previously was, and my energy levels and digestion have been pretty great. Those are probably the main changes I’ve noticed so far health-wise, but I’ll do a proper wrap up at the end of the month. Bye for now!

[thehungrykat1]

Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen Opens in Uptown Parade BGC

Despite the recent enthusiasm with Vietnamese cuisine in the country, I have to admit that I have very little experience dining at Vietnamese restaurants. The first and only time I tried it a few years ago was at a restaurant that seemed to serve fast food quality dishes and I was obviously not impressed. I thought that I simply did not fancy Vietnamese food so I had no intention of trying it again. But thanks to the recommendation of a friend, I decided to drop by a newly-opened restaurant in Bonifacio Global City and it totally changed the way I look and appreciate Vietnamese cuisine.

Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen opened last April 28, 2017 at the ground floor of Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City. Bawai’s, which means maternal grandmother in Vietnamese, is actually a fan-favorite in Tagaytay and their success has led to the opening of several other branches including Whiteplains, Nuvali, and now in BGC. I had actually just come down from a vacation in Tagaytay that afternoon when I decided to try something a bit healthier than my usual fare, and I am certainly glad I did.

The interiors of Bawai’s convey a casual and very homey ambiance, similar to having a home-cooked meal prepared by a loving aunt or lola. The restaurant is quite spacious, with more than enough seats and room for those long drawn-out conversations.  

We took a seat at the comfy sofas and we ordered their specialty drinks to quench our thirst from the long afternoon drive.

I’m not a big coffee drinker but I wanted to try something different so I got the Ca Phe Sua Da (P130) which is Vietnamese iced milk coffee. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it and it was different from the other usual coffee drinks. I also tried the Nuoc Da Me (P105) or iced sweet tamarind drink. This one was quite unique as it had big chunks of tamarind at the bottom which you can stir to create a sweet and refreshing blend.

Coffee lovers will definitely want to get the Ca Phe Sua Nuong (P120) which is a Vietnamese hot drip coffee with condensed milk. My auntie says that it is really strong and good, so I’ll just take her word for it.

Vietnam is known for their spring rolls so we tried the Goi Cuon (P320) which is traditional Vietnamese fresh rolls filled with vermicelli, vegetables, pork, and shrimp. The colorful presentation alone already made me feel healthier and more energetic. I took a crunchy bite and enjoyed the flavors swirling in my mouth. 

The combination of the pork and shrimp with green leafy vegetables wrapped inside thin rice paper is a delightful and healthier alternative to the usual appetizers I have. It is so refreshing! I didn’t expect that I would enjoy it that much, but I did. Add some peanut sauce for even more exciting flavors.

Of course, I also had to try the Cha Gio (P245) which is crispy fried imperial rolls with minced meat, herbs and vegetables. This fried spring rolls is something more familiar and goes well with the sweet chilli sauce provided.

Continuing with the other healthy choices, the Bawai's Garden Salad (P325) is one of their recommended salads. This comes with arugula, lettuce, herbs, and ripe mangoes topped with prawns and tamarind dressing. One thing I like about the dishes I have tried so far is that even if they come with lots of vegetables, they do not lack in flavors at all. The dressings and sauces that accompany each dish provides the balancing ingredient and that is why I unexpectedly enjoyed even the salads.

The Bahn Mi (P260) is one of the classic Vietnamese items. This baguette comes filled with pork, vegetables and pork paste. I think the bread may be a bit too thick and tough for me to bite, but sandwich lovers would enjoy filling their tummies with this huge serving.

The specialty of any Vietnamese restaurant will always be their noodles, and Bawai’s offers a good selection from dry noodles to soups. We started with the Bun Tom (P360) which has dry noodles with sauteed buttered prawns topped with vegetables and roasted nuts. 

Sprinkle a bit of the sweet sesame sauce on top of the noodles and mix them all together to spread the ingredients. I definitely love the buttered prawns with goes so well with the noodles. I also don’t feel guilty because of all the greens I’ve eaten, which makes this comfort food with a conscience.

Then it was time to try the Pho Bo (P365), the traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup that comes with herbs and spices. This is the highlight of my meal, and I was so happy when I took my first sip. The light beefy flavors infused in the warm broth is really something that can perk up almost anyone. This is far from what I had before during that first visit to a Vietnamese restaurant where the flavors were bland and depressing. 

The herbs and vegetables give it a unique taste and aroma, and this is a soup that I would want to have whenever I get a cold or a fever. It’s simple, but very endearing.

Bawai’s surprised me even further when I saw that they also offered Entrées to accompany their noodles dishes. Now that’s what The Hungry Kat really likes. The Com Suon Cha (P435) is a grilled pork belly glazed with a caramel-lemongrass marinade then served with mushroom egg pie. I wanted to order rice but I was already quite full so I just ate it together with the dry noodles.

Bawai’s even has the Tom Rang Me (P590) which has big Black Tiger Prawns cooked with a sweet tamarind paste then garnished with herbs and sesame seeds. What else can I ask for? I thought that I will just be having some noodles for myself but I ended up having all these flavorful appetizers and main dishes as well.

To cap off our amazing Vietnamese meal, we also tried their desserts including the Ban Da Lon (P80), a yellow mung bean and pandan cake topped with coconut paste and sesame seeds. The Che Bap (P80) is a sweet sticky rice with corn and coconut milk while the Vietnamese Ice Cream (P90) is a coffee-flavored ice cream with coffee jelly. All these desserts provided a great ending to an afternoon of new discoveries and favorites. I would like to thank Bawai’s BGC owner Ms. Rhea Laforteza Hao for guiding me on my first authentic Vietnamese dining experience. Visit them at Uptown Parade and you might end up discovering a new favorite as well.

Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen BGC

G/F Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

0917-6667088

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