Connecting rather than skimming

Connecting rather than skimming

I am so lucky to have a connection to Vietnam that gives me a constant inside track to the country. I am married to a wonderful woman that is Vietnamese born and she has many wonderfully helpful family and friends. Beyond being a great wife 

Change happens

Change happens

Coming back to the village we see  that the pace of change is on a scale that Canada has not seen for a century. When I first saw the village in 2002 it was just a few years beyond dirt floors and mud walls. My 

2016 Vietnam planning

2016 Vietnam planning

Well everyone we will be in Vietnam January first. Getting ready is going to be half the fun (not really) as we have to bring presents for relatives and friends. Love bringing the gifts but the packing of the bags is a complex process of 

Family cooking

Family cooking

As we traveled around we would pick up dishes to try with the family back in the village; my wife is very good at tasting and decoding a dish so she can reproduce it herself. We also would make dishes that they had not tried 

Fried soup I have lost

Fried soup I have lost

You come across dishes that stick with you forever even if you never eat them again; fried soup (what I call it) is one of those dishes I for me. I came across it in Hanoi in 2008. I searched for the restaurant this time 

A roll in the rice

A roll in the rice

Banh Cuon Gia Truyen Thanh Van restaurant Across from our Hotel in Hanoi is a nice small restaurant specializing in rice rolls, It seems to be well known as it has had a couple of positive foreign reviews (proudly displayed on the wall) that are 

Pho Gia Truyen at 49 Bat Dan

Pho Gia Truyen at 49 Bat Dan

My wife’s uncle (our restaurant manager and taste guru) visited this place when he was in Hanoi ( He tasted six different places in one morning) and said this is the best he tasted that day. We had to try it and after two attempts 

Chicken Pho (Check mark)

Chicken Pho (Check mark)

Com 40 Cau Go By check mark I mean our soup has an authentic Hanoi taste (we knew that when we developed it) as found on the streets of Hanoi. We have a favorite place we go and have a few bowls of Pho Ga 

Snacking part II

Snacking part II

Well as you walk around the city you keep finding little tidbits to eat, some great some good and some…. Here are a few more we sampled over the days we were in Hanoi. These looked very promising Grilled sausage A pork skewer that looked better 

A little snacking Hanoi style

A little snacking Hanoi style

As you walk around the town you can find snacks to munch on as you walk or sit down and eat. Over a couple of days we tasted some of the treats (some not a treat) that are available. First up some fried cheese; not much