Throughout the years of working and wandering, I have had the blessing of knowing many friends, if not a local from a rural area, then also a person who loves to eat, loves to travel and knows a lot. Therefore, every time I go somewhere, the first thing I do is not to book tickets, schedule, but to find friends, who is from there and has traveled there to ask about food and drinks. My notebook definitely needs to have a delicious food address first, then go to the sightseeing, entertainment and other notes.
A day of food tour Hai Phong
In early autumn, when I was inspired to take a train from Hanoi to Hai Phong on the same day, I was greeted by the port city with a very bustling atmosphere. Half a day before leaving, I urgently asked my university friend to ask for a place to eat that people in the port city often visit, and received a long list that would probably take several days to finish.
Just getting off the train, I knew I had to go find Dinh Tien Hoang street, rush into a small sidewalk stall and immediately enjoy banh mi que with a glass of soy milk. My hungry stomach was immediately relieved thanks to a glass of cool soy milk and crispy hot banh mi dipped in spicy chi truong.
Knowing that I went to Hai Phong for the first time, my older brother texted me "remember to stop by Lach Tray crab noodle soup and then go to the market to find stir-fried bean sprouts and chew them crunchy for the late afternoon meal". Entering the crab noodle soup shop at noon on Sunday, customers filled the house and sidewalk, although they called for full seats, I and the group of customers who came later still patiently waited for their turn. I also don't know if it was because of waiting for a long time or because the delicious dish was already in front of me, but I "drink" the clean bowl of crab noodle soup to the last spoonful of broth. In fact, compared to the Hai Phong crab noodle soup stalls serving in Hanoi that I have eaten before, it is very different. Here, served in deep-boiled bowls full of crab noodles, fish cakes, crab roe, bề bề... to fragrant broth.
Late afternoon before returning to Hanoi, there was still enough time for us to leisurely sip a cup of chrysanthemum tea, a plate of stir-fried bean sprouts with spring rolls and carry two cups of sweet and buttery coconut sweet soup.
Coming to Hue for snacks and... duck
Another time was still taking the train, but from Hanoi straight to Hue, the long night train made passengers drop off at the station at 6 am, also in a state of being sleepy and pulling their suitcases. Booking a homestay just over 1km from the station, I leisurely carried my backpack along the riverbank and saw a clam rice and clam vermicelli stall, so I rushed in to eat. A tiny stall selling to locals, with a few plastic chairs around, but as soon as someone stood up, someone sat down. My friend and I ate two bowls of clam vermicelli and a glass of tofu milk for only 25,000 VND.
Walking a little further, you will find a small, pretty bread stall, just enough for a hot stove and eye-catching spring roll fillings and accompanying vegetables. Thinking that coming to Hue without snacking would be a waste of a pleasure, I clicked my tongue and bought two more cakes for only 16,000 VND. Each small, pretty cake fits in my hand, with spring rolls, eggs, pate and herbs, sprinkled with sauce and chili peppers, bite a few bits and it's gone, so I still feel craving.
Unlike every time I came to the ancient capital, I only worried about finding to eat banh beo, nam, lọc..., a Hue friend took me to eat duck meat this time. Few people thought of going to Hue to eat duck, but as soon as I set foot at the door of the duck restaurant on Bui Thi Xuan street, I was surprised by the attraction of the restaurant. The popular restaurant leaning against the Perfume River is very close to Hue station, open from morning to night but there is never a rest of customers, that's enough to know the credibility of Hue people.
The dish of roasted duck is fragrant but not dry and smelly, the boiled duck is soft and thick with a little fat, the meat is chopped into small pieces and sprinkled with a little sweet and sour sauce with ginger, lemongrass, and chili on top, making diners' mouths water when they first see it. The special point of the restaurant is the homemade rich candy dipping sauce, dipping each piece must nod and praise it as delicious. In addition to roasted and boiled duck, the restaurant also sells fried sticky rice with minced duck meat and hot duck porridge for diners who like to eat lightly.
Entertainment paths in the South
Last summer, I had the longest train ride, from Hanoi station to Saigon station to visit old friends and the southern city that has not had a chance to meet for 6-7 years. Staying for nearly a week, close to the day of returning, I had a craving for broken rice.
That day, I accidentally got lost towards the pink Tan Dinh church standing out in the noisy city. In front were a group of foreign tourists taking check-in photos, then in the back of the small alley, rows of tables and chairs were neatly arranged of a broken rice shop. It was past noon but luckily the restaurant was still available, I ordered a plate of broken rice with ribs and egg patties that would be available immediately after a while. The thick grilled ribs were just enough sweet and salty, the fried eggs were crispy on the edge but still shimmered with peach flesh color, fresh scallion oil was sprinkled with sour vegetables, cucumbers and a bowl of vegetable soup to taste. Accidentally returning to look at the reviews on Google, I saw that the restaurant had no sign, no name, only the address, but both Western and local customers praised it as delicious and rated it 5 stars.
Going back to the Mekong Delta every time is like every time I visit Can Tho, An Giang. Can Tho locals take me to eat several dishes of grilled field rat meat, banh xeo and do not miss breakfast on the Ninh Kieu floating market boat. Drifting on the boat and being served directly from a glass of iced coffee with milk to a bowl of newly cooked hu tieu, what could be better. But that scene seems to be gradually being replaced by eateries combined with spacious riverside stops.
From Can Tho, I drove to Chau Doc and An Giang regions. This land is special, everything I eat has a pinch of fresh yellow dien dien flowers from fish hotpot, fish noodle soup, shrimp salad, sour soup, banh xeo... And our most memorable meal was linh fish hotpot with dien dien flowers with a bowl of braised fish in a cool green cajeput forest. For hotpot, I brought vermicelli and braised fish, I brought rice. After eating, I was full but could not continue because the gentle midday sunlight gently permeated through the forest as if lulling me to sleep, I had to make a glass of jaggery water mixed with ice to wake up.
Another time, I took a boat from the mainland to Phu Quoc island at the end of the monsoon season and had the opportunity to go drinking late at night. Phu Quoc night market had almost all the lights off, but a local brother still persuaded the snail shop owner to treat me to another plate of fried seaweed with garlic and live sea urchins. He meticulously mixed fish sauce with minced mustard, squeezed fresh lemon and sprinkled it into the sea urchins. Sea urchin meat lay in patches of silvery color but greasy and pleasing to the eyes, just scooped up a whole spoon and ate directly so that the fatty taste mixed with the spicy taste of mustard rushed up to the nose bridge, which is the way Phu Quoc people eat.
Cuisine in each region has its own flavor, and each time you eat it, it is different, and tasting a lot and feeling the deliciousness to praise truly is a blessing in life. For me, the most durable thing behind travel photos is the aftertaste of food and drinks, the aftertaste of experiences that may not be repeatable.
