Paco and I were pleasantly surprised by all the pet dogs we saw in Vietnam, with relatively few strays.  Chihuahuas are surprisingly popular in Hanoi!

“I’m just a puppy, but I know how to sit already!”

“I like to snuggle and eat bun cha! You look like you know what chihuahuas like. . .”

“Just chillin’ in my basket.”

“Must. . .catch. . .fish. . .”  On a side note, this dog knew how to pee off the pier!  Like a person!

“All that rice made me sleepy.”

Puppies guarding the pearl farm.

Food is always a major part of any vacation for us, and Vietnam was no exception!  As we predicted, the best food was on the street or in food stalls. Although only a few of the restaurants that we tried were above average, sometimes we just needed to escape the street.

What really surprised me was that the meals that we had in our hotels (breakfast buffets seem to be included everywhere, and we ate all meals on the boat in Halong Bay) were excellent.  I can’t remember the last time I’ve been pleasantly surprised by food at a hotel in the U.S.

Some highlights:

We went to this skewer food stall in Hanoi three of the five nights we were there!  You fill a basket with the skewers that you want to try, then they grill them and bring them to your “table” (i.e., plastic foot stool surrounded by mini-stools).  Our favorite was thinly sliced beef wrapped around a bundle of enoki mushrooms. They also grill baguettes and douse them in honey as an accompaniment. This place was great because it didn’t require having to interpret a menu.  I think that it was on Hang Bong near Hang Manh in the Old Quarter.

Bun cha in Hanoi.

Banh cuon in Hanoi – Rice crepes stuffed with pork and dried shrimp, then tossed with crispy fried shallots. Delicious!

Garlic-showered short ribs at New Day Restaurant in Hanoi.

Mapo tofu at New Day Restaurant in Hanoi.  The fresh tofu was creamy and amazing.

Geoduck on the boat in Halong Bay.

Grilled prawns from Hoa Su in Can Tho. This restaurant is made up of a series of bungalows over the Mekong River, connected by wooden walkways. Paco tried to order snake, but you had to order an entire snake (the smallest were half a kilo). These prawns were a delicious substitute.

Speaking of Can Tho, here’s a picture of the main street. Look at all of the little food carts lining the sidewalk!  We tried fried beef balls, fried tofu and okra, beef wrapped in grape leaves, banh mi, summer rolls, and sugarcane juice. They also served this delicious chicken and rice dish. . .we had a drumstick but they also served the biggest chickens’ feet that I have ever seen, and chicken heads for the more adventurous.

Combo pho from Pho 24 in Saigon, the only place we came across that served it with tripe, tendon, etc.

Congee was a popular breakfast buffet option. My favorite combination involves salty egg, thousand-year-old egg (preserved duck egg), dried anchovies, and crispy shallots.

Tapioca flour dumplings at Xu in Saigon.

Is there anywhere that you would vacation just for for the food?

It’s good to be home!  We had a great vacation, but there is nothing like a long trip to make you appreciate all the comforts of home.

Vietnam is a beautiful country, and we were able to visit some amazing places:

Hanoi – Bustling, culturally and historically rich, with amazing food!

Halong Bay – Paco and I are not boat people.  We both get seasick, and I was really skeptical about how the food and accommodations would be on a boat. (I swear I am not that picky, but the idea of spending three days on an unsafe/uncomfortable/unsanitary boat in a foreign country really freaks me out!)  However, our hotel in Hanoi recommended Paradise Cruises, and we were so glad that they did. The food, service, and rooms were all lovely, and we wouldn’t have been able to have the same experience staying somewhere on shore.

Can Tho (in the Mekong Delta) – I really wanted to see the floating markets in the Mekong Delta, so we flew down to Can Tho.  Can Tho is a small, approachable city, and it had an awesome selection of street food!  Our hotel had a very relaxing atmosphere and a lovely pool, so we really enjoyed the “break” between Hanoi and Saigon. The markets that we visited were busy with wholesalers selling their produce to vendors, and surprisingly untouristy. Can Tho was definitely one of the trip’s highlights.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Saigon seems to get a bad rap from travelers, who generally prefer Hanoi for its history and charm.  Maybe we were just tired of Hanoi’s crowded streets and lack of sidewalks, but we really liked Saigon. There are sidewalks!  The city is more modern than Hanoi which makes it less unique, but I happen to like the big, Asian cities I’ve visited (Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok), and modern features are a plus for me.

I’m suffering from jet lag-induced insomnia, so I am going to try to catch some zzz’s before the sun rises. . .I have a separate post planned for the delicious food we encountered!