Hoi An & Da Nang | Vietnam

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This city is my perfect definition of beauty; gentle, unglamourous yet never fails to mystify and charm its visitors.

On the last couple days of our trip, we decided to split from the adults to explore on our own. My cousin who lives in the area took us on a food tour around Đà Nẵng and Hội An. We ate at some of the most local, authentic restaurants possible and of course, I am sharing all of those gems with you below. A lot of these foods are dear to my heart as they are the foods of my childhood. I hope you will seek them out to experience how amazing they are for yourself. Enjoy!

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Đà NẴNG

Bún Chả Cá Bà Phiến

Fish cake vermicelli soup. One of the most popular breakfast foods in Đà Nẵng. It has 3 different kinds of fish cake: steamed, fried and boiled fish cakes. It is served with pickled shallots, pickled carrots, fresh herbs and bean sprouts. This dish, in my opinion, knocks your typical bowl of phở on its face. This place is quite popular and was already jam packed in the early morning but service was remarkably fast and friendly.

Bánh Cuốn Hải Huệ

Steamed rice cake. The rice cake is stuffed with ground pork and minced woodear mushroom, served with Vietnamese ham (chả lụa), pickled green papaya, fish sauce and fresh herbs. The unique thing about this restaurant is you get to see how they make the rice cake in front of you. And it is made to order so freshness is guaranteed.

Bún Mắm Ngọc

This dish and Mì Quảng are my favorite foods. Ever! It has roasted pork belly, over a bed of vermicelli, fresh herbs and is generously drizzled with mắm nêm. Mắm nêm is a sauce made of fermented fish. Unlike the more familiar nước mắm, mắm nêm is powerfully pungent and more similar to shrimp paste. You will either love it or hate it! Either way it will change you forever. The sauce is typically diluted with very ripe pineapple to cut through the saltiness. This restaurant is my family’s favorite and we have been going here for as long as I could remember. I seriously love this dish with all my heart!

Dừa Bến Tre 190

Agar Agar Coconut Jello. This restaurant was featured in the 3rd episode of our Vietnam series but I have decided to include it here to tie it in with the list of restaurants in Đà Nẵng. It is an agar agar based jello made with coconut milk and coconut water. I love how they actually make their jello in fresh young coconut. This little cafe is also conveniently located right across from the Hàn River!

HỘI AN

After busting our guts in Đà Nẵng, we headed over to Hội An. Hội An is one of the most renowned and visited city in Vietnam. The city is known for its historical architecture and well preserved culture. Walking around town is like traveling back in time to see how Vietnam was hundreds of years ago. Hội An in the morning is calm, serene and beautifully nostalgic. Hội An at night lights up with beautiful lanterns, the city’s trademark, and is bursting with life.

We were there during the Lantern Festival where it’s a tradition to set floating lanterns into the river as a form of prayer. These lanterns not only represent our prayers but it signifies setting free the trapped souls of those who have already passed on. To see the river illuminated with speckles of lights and knowing what they represent was magical beyond words.

Street food

Walking around town you can find street food at every corner. They have everything from grilled pork skewers, fried shrimp cake, pressed cassava, red bean ice cream, fresh durian, grilled corn and many more.

Mì Cao Lầu  

This dish is the essence of Hội An in a bowl. It is the perfect combination of chewy noodle, barbequed pork, sweet soy sauce and fresh crunchy herbs. It is definitely a texture play! All of the components blend perfectly well together to make this a harmonious dish. Unfortunately, the place that we went to doesn’t have a name (what is up with Vietnamese people and not naming their restaurants).

Cơm Gà Bà Buội

This is a cozy restaurant that sits about 20 people max and is known for their chicken and rice. What makes this place unique is that they utilized every part of the chicken. In one course, you will get to sample everything from the chicken meat, eggs and organs. Even the rice was made from the same broth that the chicken was boiled in, which definitely contributed to its fragrant and buttery texture.

Mót Herbal Tea

Your trip will not be complete without trying this locally famous herbal iced tea. The tea is a blend of several ancient herbs served over ice and garnished with a lotus petal. It is simply beautiful and refreshing. Keep your eyes peeled though, this tiny stall is easily missed on the busy streets of Hội An.

I’ve always loved Hội An for everything it represents. The beauty in the way it is preserved, the way that the people hold on to the traditions and maintain it until this very day. This city is my perfect definition of beauty; gentle, unglamourous yet never fails to mystify and charm its visitors.

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Vietnam has always been kind to me. Perhaps for a child who has always been far from home, home is a place of absolute warmth. But being away from home is like watching a movie in fast forward. Each visit is a pause, always long enough to be happy about seeing my loved ones but gone just as quick to remind me of reality. With each visit, it etches in my mind how grown up my siblings have become and how I’ve never gotten to see it happen. Enough to see the deepened wrinkles on my parents’ face.  Enough to wish I could have held onto the past just a little bit longer. But as those new buildings go up, I feel my simplest, most treasured memories slipping away. To make way for the new billboards, fast food chains and way of life. I can’t help but feel conflicted.

But Vietnam is forever growing and changing. Mostly for the better, I would argue, and I couldn’t be prouder and happier for my little country.  

Phong Nha | Vietnam

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The stillness inside this cave is one that I do not take for granted.

The road to Central Vietnam wasn’t exactly a smooth one. 9 adults and almost 10 pieces of luggage squeezed into a small minivan definitely doesn’t scream “comfort”. We made several stops along the 16 hour drive, snacking our way through all the little towns and cities. I’m not providing any names since these are usually nameless restaurants along the road of National Route 1A (Quốc Lộ 1A). National Route 1A is a highway that runs directly from northern to southern Vietnam, crossing all the major cities and provinces along the way. We drove nonstop and the lack of legroom took a toll on everyone. We also drove through the night, which I don’t recommend because you’ll miss out on opportunities to sightsee along the way. Take the plane or the train, unless you’re driving with a smaller group of people and aren’t pressed for time.  Anyway, despite the apparent tired looks on our faces, everyone was in good spirits as we trekked homeward.

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HOME

When we finally arrived, my mom came rushing out from the kitchen, arms open wide, her smile bright enough to light up the entire town. As she wraps herself around me I can feel her warmth enveloping me, holding onto me, and making me feel like I’ll be protected forever. The naturally sweet scent of her makes me feel the most at home. It’s hard to fully describe the love I feel from my mother’s embrace. It can only really be experienced, kept internally and held onto forever. Nothing was said, but so much was said in the way her eyes met mine. A million questions were asked, a million were answered. A long time seems to have passed when she finally gently let go.  We need to take care of our guests.

Now, my parents are the most hospitable people I know. No one ever leaves our house without being properly fed and, of course, that was the first thing my mother did for the tired bunch. An array of traditional New Years food such as Bánh Chưng (rice cake stuffed with marinated ground mung bean and pork belly), Thịt Muối (salted pork belly) and Củ Kiệu (pickled Chinese onion) were served. These are dishes only served during the New Year so I haven’t seen these in years! They were just as flavorful and delicious as I remember.

The next 2 days were spent preparing for Tết, visiting the local marketplace, attending our siblings’ engagement party and basking in all the festivities. Check out our New Year’s preparation and the first day of Tết videos below!

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PLACES

Phong Nha

There are certain places that you don’t forget after the first visit. Phong Nha was that to me and I promised to show Billy this beautiful historical landmark. So, on the 3rd day of New Years, we left town and headed north.

Located in central Quảng Bình Province in the North Central Coast region, Phong Nha cave is about 500 km south of Hà Nội (2 hours from Huế and 6 hours north of Đà Nẵng). This remarkable cave was formed approximately 400 million years ago and contains the oldest karst mountain in Asia.

There are 2 entrances to enter the cave, either by the underground river or through the top of the mountain. We decided to do both and opted for the water route first. Riddled with hundreds of cave systems, this magnificent landmark is home to some of the most spectacular stalagmites and stalactites you will ever see. Some so huge that they connect from the top to the bottom of the cave.

 The cave is about 8,000 meters long but the tour only allowed us to go 1,500 meters in. Once inside the cave, you’ll have the opportunity to get off the boat and explore. The entrance through the top of the mountain is not for those not well versed in cardio. Prepare to have a serious workout. However, by the time we reached this entrance, I realized that this was not the same one I took a decade ago. It  seems that the officials have carved out a shortcut, about ⅓ the length and closed the original one permanently. I’m going to assume that there were too many complaints about the old, steep, vertical steps that went on for miles.

The air inside the cave was so crisp, borderline chilly a huge a contrast to the hot and humid air that’s just on the other side of the cave entrance. The stillness inside this cave is one that I do not take for granted. I felt so small in its stern presence. I found my mind wandering off in a meditative state, searching for the ancient stories that this place has, for the many wars it’s endured, and shelters that it has provided. Faintly in the background, I heard our tour guide rowing gently and I want to know her stories too…

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EATS

If Phong Nha is on your agenda, you will also pass by Huế and I recommend eating at the following places.

Chicken Eggs

Right outside of Phong Nha cave entrances are vendors who sell fresh boiled chicken eggs. These eggs are much smaller than usual and probably just a tad bigger than quail eggs. But they are the most creamy, buttery, yolky eggs I've ever tried. 

Bún Bò Huế

In Huế, obviously. The restaurant we stopped by unfortunately is not listed on Trip Advisor but I think most restaurants in Huế serving its dish of origin is a pretty safe bet. Here are some local favorites according to my dad: Lạc Thiên Restaurant and Ngự Uyên Restaurant.

Bánh Bèo Bà Cự

Another Huế specialty. Mini, stackable rice cakes topped with ground dried shrimp and pork rinds, dip with fish sauce. Such a simple, yet beautiful and delicious dish.

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Saigon | Vietnam

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Arriving and departing are two entirely separate events with their own set of emotions.

Vietnam - this small, bustling little country is where I’ve spent most of my childhood and where my fondest memories were made. It’s where I got to be a child, where I sleep the best, laugh the hardest and cry the most. Its warmth and typical 90% humidity is the reason why I’m constantly chasing the tropics. 

This visit is a little different than the last few. Billy and I are here for Vietnamese New Year, also known as Tết. It has been 17 years since I got to experience these joyous and beautiful festivities. For Billy, it’s his first time.

19+ hours of traveling left everyone feeling exhausted but that was quickly replaced with excitement as the stewardess came on the intercom to announce that the airplane will start its descent shortly. I watched in anticipation as the plane dipped lower, the clouds float past me, and the ground become closer.

My first glimpse of those colorful, vertical buildings sent butterflies soaring through my stomach. Closer... closer…. I can see the ground now. Closer.

Touched down.  We are home.

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Tết

Vietnamese believe that everything you possess, experience and consume on the first few days of New Year will percolate through the rest of the year. So people dress their best, have the most fun, do the least and eat abundantly. Anything less than that is considered bad luck.

Think Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year combined. That’s pretty much what Tết is. Being here around this time you’ll be surrounded by the classic red and gold decorations. There’s no shortage of displays of ancient dragon imagery, Buddha statues and other symbols of luck and prosperity. Certain areas of the city were turned into somewhat of a fairground with artist galleries, festival games and shows. The energy was infectious. The whole city was in a celebratory mood.

The plan for this trip was to start from Saigon and make our way toward Da Nang. Since we arrived a week before the first day of New Year, we started exploring the town immediately. I made sure my camera was fully charged and stomach, you can be sure, very empty.

We spent most of our time walking through the city to soak in all the festivities, which in hindsight, it was a great decision considering all the food we ate.

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EATs

Bánh Xèo 46A

Easily one of the best bánh xèo (Vietnamese crepe) I’ve ever had. Crispy beyond words. Bursting with a generous filling of pork and shrimp. And they’re the size of my face. Why 62A? I have no clue and I was too busy inhaling everything on the table to ask. Make sure you get their imperial egg rolls as well, you’ll thank me.

Bánh Mì Như Lan

Good lord, these bánh mì. We were stumbling down the streets of Saigon (not drunk, just dodging potholes) when we came across this sandwich megahouse. We were on a quest to find a Pho restaurant but were so desperately lost we decided to buy a couple bánh mì to hold us over. The Pho idea went out the window immediately after the first bite. Everything from the warm fluffy baguette to the deep pâté flavor, to the tender ham and meat were perfect! It was everything you want in a Vietnamese bánh mì and more. We ordered 10 more bánh mì and a few desserts, you know, to hold us over.

Phở Hương bắc

Our hotel is located in District 1, which is the fancier part of town with lots of shopping options, though after several attempts, proved to be a little difficult to find a good phở joint. We decided to venture a little further out on our last morning there and found this gem. Tiny plastic red stools on the side of the street, local men eating with their morning coffee, some with their cigarettes, some with a newspaper, all inside a small restaurant which I’m certain the family of the owner lives upstairs. All signs of a great restaurant in Vietnam. And I was right. Clear, flavorful beef broth decorated with a few slices of rare steak and topped with fresh herbs. So simple. Too delicious.

PLACES

Bến Thành Market

One of Saigon’s landmarks. A huge, very well-known marketplace with hundreds of stalls selling anything from clothing to household appliances to local cuisine. What I love most is their food court which holds an array of different kinds of food, drinks and desserts. They even sell fresh fruits so you can pretty much scooch over to the next stall after your bun bo hue for some fresh durian or chè ba màu. Whatever your heart desires, Bến Thành has it.

Thiên Hậu Temple

We took a break from the festivities to visit Thiên Hậu Temple, a Chinese-style Buddhist temple located in District 5. It’s quite small but quaint and very tranquil.

Suối Tiên Theme Park

The biggest theme park in Saigon, if not the whole country. This place still trumps all others when it comes to the level of excitement that it can impose on its attendants. We didn't have time to go but I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you're there during the summer. 

Other Places Worth Visiting

Saigon Notre Dame ( Đức Bà) Cathedral

Tân Định Church

Saigon Central Post Office

Saigon Opera House

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Our nights in Saigon were spent strolling the streets, wandering through countless dessert places and cafes. Three days felt too short and there was plenty left to see. But we were now 2 days from New Year, there were a lot of preparations left to be done and we had a long drive home ahead of us.