One for the road...: March 2012

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Vietnam is one of the top countries I wanted to visit since we moved to SE Asia….the food, I’ll admit, was the largest driving force for me. I love Vietnamese food…I love their use of spices and the techniques in which they use to prepare their dishes. I was excited to learn about Vietnamese cooking in the home of it….and in the birthplace of one of my all-time favourite dishes… Phở Noodle Soup.

Hanoi ended up being everything I hoped it would...and more. It is a raw city, full of history and charm and art...it is vibrant and alive. It evokes creativity with its quirky mix of old and new, Asian and European, French architecture and its use of neon lights, its loud music and early nights, it is a true contrast in so many ways...and this suites my personality perfectly!

A Beer in the Old Quarter

Hanoi

Hanoi is an old city; it has been inhabited since around 3000b.c. Its modern name was given to it by the Nguyễn emperor Minh Mạng in 1831; Hà Nội, meaning “between rivers”. It has been occupied by the Japanese and the French...and was the location for the first western-style university in Indochina and is still the largest centre for education in all of Vietnam. With an estimation that 62% of all scientists in Vietnam are living and working in Hanoi.

Hanoi Opera House in The French Quarter

The Old Quarter

Beautiful, quirky, inspiring and raw, this place is the place to sit back and watch the world go by with a cold beer or hot coffee in hand. People watch, shop, eat, it is all here; it is the pulse of the city. The Old Quarter is visually so interesting...France or Asia? It is the most fascinating mixture of the two...which makes it the perfect place to wonder around and enjoy a local Vietnamese coffee.

To me, coffee in Vietnam is perfection.

Food

The food in Hanoi also has that unique French/Asian combination, which helps to add its complexity. This, in my opinion, makes it one of the most delicious cuisines in the world.

Street Food

The best rice papers for spring rolls are found only in Vietnam...different variations of the spring roll was part of every meal I had in Hanoi...I was/am in love!

Cha Ca

Grilled (actually fried in a ton of oil) white fish with turmeric, dill and greens. This dish is not healthy, but boy is it tasty. The use of turmeric on the fish and dill give it an unexpected flavour for Asian food...something unexpected and unique unto itself. We had no problem eating all of ours and I have decided to recreate a healthier version at home...baking or steaming the fish instead of frying it...but the rest I will keep the same, no need to mess with perfection. One of the nicest features of this dish, is that this fish is served boneless, which is a very nice touch.

This restaurant has been open and preparing its one and only dish since 1871. The small restaurant is full of locals and tourists, and as was the case on the night we visited a TV show was being filmed (top left photo on collage below). It is crowded and the smell of the fish cooking is strong, but it is worth it...and I am happy we went at night, yes it may be crowded and busier than an afternoon meal, but that is half of the charm...who wants to eat alone in an empty restaurant? Where is the fun in that?

I will add a note here, if you do find yourself in this neck of the woods and craving this dish, beware...there seems to be copy cats of the original restaurant on this street. And the hawkers quickly try to get you into their neon clad building for cha ca...and they even copied the building number on their signs. The imposters are easy to spot though, with multi level seating areas (the original only has upstairs seating...going up a very steep and narrow set of wooden stairs) and the copycats try to wow you with neon signs...the original is quite dark and all wooden.

Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant Address

14 Chả Cá, Hoan Kiem

Hanoi, Vietnam

For more info click here

WARNING ;)

Copy Cat Restaurant: Don't be fooled by all the fancy neon signs. ;)

Phở

I am sad to say that I couldn't find a cooking class during our time in Hanoi that offered a Phở cooking course…and I am guessing that it is because the astronomical cooking time and techniques that this unassuming bowl of delicious goodness has involved in its preparation. I am glad to say, however, that I did enjoy many a bowl of this delicate and lively wholesome soup during our trip. The weather was perfect for this meal….so it presented itself and filled me with happiness again and again.

One of my many bowls of Phở

Little Pineapples

Fresh baguette loaves are available all over the city.

Cooking Classes

While I was in Vietnam, I couldn’t leave without taking a couple cooking class to learn how to recreate the flavours that are so elusive to me in my own kitchen. I find Vietnamese food the tastiest, yet most difficult cuisine to create at home. The star anise, fresh herbs and the mix of salty, sour, sweet, and bitter is just such a happy inducing mixture for this girl!

Hanoi Cooking Centre

I cannot say enough nice things about this market tour and cooking class, it was a highlight of my trip and if I ever find myself back in Hanoi, I wouldn't hesitate to sign up for another of their class offerings.

I learned a number of delicious dishes taking this course, it was a fabulous way to spend a morning/afternoon, there is a market tour and explanation of Vietnamese cuisine by chef Tracey Lister, who is a lovely Australian woman who has been living in Hanoi for a number of years. This would be my top recommendation for anyone in Hanoi who wants to learn a few Vietnamese dishes in a fun, organized atmosphere. The employees here were delightful, a lot of fun, have good English and are great instructors. You can tell they enjoy their jobs, and they are good at it.

If you would like any of the recipes for the following dishes, just drop me an email or a message and I will send them to you. ;)

For more info on the Hanoi Cooking Centre click HERE

Fresh rice paddy crabs in the wet market.

Frogs in the wet market.

Alleyway to the cooking class.

Hotel Metropole Cooking Class

This cooking class was a bit more pricey than the one mentioned above, one of the cool features of it is we were just behind an opaque wall divider where we could hear the sounds of the real working kitchen going on in the background...and people rushed by every so often in that hurried organized panic that one sees on Hell's Kitchen. ;) The girl who did my class (I was the only one in it, so I had a one on one lesson) was very good and friendly. The set up of this learning centre wasn't as hands on as the Hanoi Cooking Centre...so I was glad I was the only one in the class, as this made it possible for me to get my hands dirty and help out with the dishes.

A interesting Hollywood fact about Hotel Metropole is that it is where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt stayed during their visit to adopt one of their children. There is an Italian restaurant in it called the Angelina, because it is where her and Brad would sneak out to avoid the paparazzi (which happens to also make a lovely pizza!) ;)