Posts tagged with ‘vietnamese food’
Melissa’s Vietnamese Culinary Extravaganza!
Friday, May 28th, 2010, by Melissa Nicholas
Heading out to Vietnam again this month and spurred on by Rick Steins recent Far Eastern Odyssey series and cookery book, I decided that this time I would pay more attention to the food and try and learn how to cook a few dishes for myself. With a bit of help from the locals, I discovered that Vietnam really is the perfect destination for food lovers and that as you travel North to South the fabulous diversity of delicious, fresh, healthy and exquisite dishes on offer is a million miles away from what you get presented in your average Vietnamese restaurant in the UK. (more…)
Best restaurants in asia
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009, by Sam ClarkWe constantly get asked to reccommend our favourite restaurants to clients and this worries us as it seems to change so quickly. What suits Peter, seems to annoy Paul, in much more pronounced a way than hotels or more general hotel experiences. I am often tempted to let people chose for themselves by reading the numerous blogs and reviews out there. However, we can always make the table booking for you too…. As usual speak to us directly here.
For Vietnam in particular there are some brilliant blogs on the subject - the writer of Noodlepie has long since left but the info is still there and it is fantastic. I really like a Girl In Asia too. There are many more.
For us here is a quick list to get you started of places we have experienced… This is by no means definitive though - there are simply thousands of incredible options, from street food to high end dining… These are just places we like - I wouldn’t even remotely claim to be expert enough to pronounce on what is best…
Hanoi - Quan An Ngon. Great idea - brought some of the best street chef’s together under one roof - paid them a regualr wage, added a decent markup and made this a brilliant introduction and must visit if time is short.
Hoi An - The Cargo Club is great for Vietnamese food and a relaxed and stylish introduction to the country….
Siagon - personally i’m huge Pho fan… but for high end eating Nam Kha is fun.
Bangkok - where to start - it’s ridiculous and I usually end up with street food but Suan Kularb - has a great variety of Thai and Chinese dishes as well as Dim Sum to die for at lunchtime and the best steamed fish around in the evening.
Cambodia - anywhere on the south coast where delectable fresh seafood, Cambodian spice pastes, French cunning and Kampot pepper collide to extraordinary affec but the fish amok at The Jasmine in Kampot is particularly blinding….
Suggestions from the floor?
Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey - a review:
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009, by Sam ClarkRick Stein did us a massive favour by doing a programme that focused, almost exclusively, on the area that we specialise in. Apart from Laos, all our bases were covered – Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and of course, Thailand. A big ‘thank you’ to Rick then, as we saw a definite increase in inquiries from the sort of people keen to do something a little different and sample the true flavours of the region – something which we can deliver!
I also think we are well placed to review the show and watched it with great interest. Not only do we know the countries very well, but we are all fairly greedy and get thoroughly over-excited by the thought of South East Asian food. We also know a few of the characters featured in the programme and all of the hotels featured.
Saigon and the Mekong Delta
Thursday, June 18th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkAs we walked through Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), or Saigon as the locals still determinately call it, we realised that it is a very different city to Hanoi. While the traffic remains as insane the feel of the city and the set up for tourists is very different.
Selling Pineapples on the Mekong Delta
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Nha Trang
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009, by Harriet Clark
Arriving in Nha Trang was quite a strange experience as it is so different from all the places we have visited so far in Vietnam. It is a real ‘holiday’ destination (for Vietnamese as well as westerners) and has a Vietnamese feeling of a spanish holiday resort! If you want peace and quiet then this is not the place for you, but we had a lot of fun there nonetheless.
Hoi An
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009, by Harriet Clark
Hoi An is a charming town in central Vietnam and is a fantastic place to spend a few days. It one of three UNESCO world heritage sites in central Vietnama and as such oozes history. You do not even need to set foot inside a museum to soak up the past that has made the town as it is. The different influences from the French to the Chinese is evident in the architecture and it is easy to imagine how it used to hustle and bustle as a trading port.
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The Victoria Hotel and Spa, Hoi An
Sunday, June 7th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkHoi An is an extremely pretty town and in its architecture you can clearly note the different influences that have helped shaped its development. The Victoria Hotel takes these influences and cleverly combines them into its design. The elegant reception has an open, colonial feel and all the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming on arrival. (more…)
Historic Hue
Thursday, June 4th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkOur visit to Hue was short and was more a passing through in order to see some of its impressive sights, rather than a chance to soak up the atmosphere of the ancient city. This was a shame. It is a pretty city set on the Perfume river and the tombs and citadel of the Nguyen dynasty comprise a UNESCO World Heritage site.
historic Hue
Hanoi and Halong Bay
Thursday, May 28th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkHanoi is a very different city to Bangkok. One of the first things you notice is the architecture which is very French in style. Shutters and balconies on tall thin buildings painted in vibrant colours.
Halong Bay
The other things you notice on the drive from the Airport are somewhat stereotypical. Numerous paddy fields and the Vietnamese “Non” hats made of palm leaves and bamboo. It takes you back to the movies!
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