History of Banh Mi • French Roots of Vietnamese Sandwich

Besides pho (rice noodle), banh mi is the icon of Vietnamese cuisine to the world.

How Does Algae Eating Glass Cleaning Sucker Catfish Pleco Taste Like?

As a fish keeping enthusiast, I have long been fascinated by the glass cleaning catfish. There are a few varieties but the most intriguing one is the Common Pleco.

Bánh Tét Sticky Rice Cake of the Mekong Delta • Binding Tradition of Vietnam

I am grateful for the privilege to observe at first hand the making of banh tet, the iconic rice dumpling of Vietnam.

Tet means "festival" in Vietnamese and often refers to the Lunar New Year.

I Ate Ox Eyeballs in Vietnam & it was Eye Popping Awesome 👀

My favourite part of a cow has long been the tail 😋 Now, it is my second most favourite part 😅

That honour now belongs to ox eyes 👁️ 🤭

Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho Vietnam • Chợ nổi Cái Răng (Board at Bến tàu khách du lịch, Tân An, Ninh Kiều, Cần Thơ)

When Han said to bring us to Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho, my mind pictured those floating markets that I have seen before. Actually, only in Thailand - in Hatyai. Food and market stalls on boats lined up neatly at designated berths and customers walking around on the jetty.

Can Tho Cái Răng's floating market's format turned out to be a little lot different - it's an eye opener for me.

Eating Rice Mouse Vole in Vietnam 🐁 Better than Chicken

I've heard about eating rice mouse in Vietnam (and Thailand) but never tried it before. Naturally, I am curious to give it a try.

Ho Chi Minh Quan Hai San Ut Lien · Local Preferred Seafood Restaurant 乌连海鲜餐厅

Marcus, a Vietnam foodie veteran was full of enthusiasm and eager for us to try out Ut Lien seafood restaurant. Indeed, it is the hyperlocal type of seafood place I would come back for and recommend to others. It serves excellent fresh seafood and prices are reasonable (codeword for not cheap 😄 ).

Pork Chop with Broken Rice @ Cơm Tấm An Dương Vương in Ho Chi Minh City

Buddy Marcus brought me to a chup chai png or Singapore economic rice type affordable restaurant which serves rice with lots of side dishes.

Eco Ca Phe Vietnam · Best Here is Pure Coffee Beans with Nothing Added

Vietnam is perhaps best known for pho, banh mi and ca phe or coffee. That, of course, is a gross simplification - Vietnam has a lot, a lot more than that (more next time).

Tiệm Cà Phê Linh 1975 Cafe @ Ho Chi Minh District 1 · Best Here is the Nostalgic Decor

After a satisfying brekky at Pho Viet Nam, I walked back to my hotel. Just steps away, the rustic coffee shop at the intersection of Pham Hong Thai street and Truong Dinh street caught my attention.

Stopped me in my tracks 👣

Pho Viet Nam Michelin District 1 Menu Review · Best Here is their Fresh Rice Noodle

I came here with some healthy scepticism. This wasn't really my first choice but today I have a plane to catch and I don't want to wander too far from the hotel. I also don't want hotel breakfast.

100 Year Old Traditional Teochew Bakery · Trieu Minh Hiep in Chinatown Ho Chi Minh Vietnam 赵明合

Trieu Minh Hiep 赵明合 Teochew bakery in Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown (Cho Lon) really doesn't need anymore introduction. Many people including tourists know about the century old Trieu Minh Hiep and come to buy their traditional hand made bakes for gifting.

Cháo Gà Vân Hương Vietnamese Chicken Rice in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

I asked buddy Meng to bring me to a Vietnamese chicken rice place.

Phở Miến Gà Kỳ Đồng · Soulful Chicken Noodle Soup in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Stumbled upon Phở Miến Gà Kỳ Đồng while on my way to a meet up. When travelling I like to walk and see where it takes me. Like the late Anthony Bourdain once said, you can't really see a city from the window of a taxi (or something to that effect).

Reboot Bistro for Singapore Food in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

When I am overseas, I don't normally miss Singapore food because I am eager to explore the local cuisine. But, I know many people who crave for the taste and smell of Singapore food, especially people who have to be away for long periods of time. I would be keen to try Singapore food overseas too, if I am abroad for a long time.

Snakehead Fish Porridge · Cháo Cá Lóc Cây Sung · 55km Southwest of Ho Chi Minh City

Secretly, it was quite a relief for me that we decided to have fish porridge for dinner. I had eaten way too much the last few days in Ho Chi Minh City and besides, I love fish and porridge 😁

Pork Noodle Hủ Tíu Mì Cật in Ho Chi Minh City District 1, Vietnam

Buddy Marcus was raving about this Vietnamese noodle shop. Marcus is an independent foodie, meaning he prefers to seek out his own favourites rather than rely on guidebooks or influencers. He travels widely from America, to Europe and Asia, and has been in Vietnam many times in the last decade.

Hủ tíu mì (rice noodle) shops are common in Ho Chi Minh City but this Hủ Tíu Mì Cật is Marcus' favourite.

Origins of Vietnamese Phin & Indian Drip Filter Coffee ● The French Connection

via GIPHY

I am a big fan of Vietnamese drip filter coffee since my first taste of it in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. Yeah, many of us had our first taste of things Vietnam through its diaspora.

Fell in love with it with the first sip - the robust, deep bitter sweet taste and the sharp caffeine kick that jolted us back to life from the long flight from Singapore. It was like jump starting flat batteries.

History of Vietnam Rice Paper Spring Roll Goi Cuon

Besides pho and banh mi, another iconic Vietnamese dish is gỏi cuốn or Vietnam spring roll. Okay, there is also Vietnamese coffee 😄

Gỏi cuốn is literally "salad roll" but is conventionally called "spring roll".

History of Vietnamese Coffee ● Tastes Better with Arabica

Coffee culture is a relatively recent phenomenon in Vietnam being brought here by the French only in the 1850s. But, today Vietnam is the world's second largest coffee bean exporter and have their own distinctive style of coffee.