Hanoi

My return visit to Hanoi was fabulous! I spent three days with friends enjoying incredible food and touring various parts of the city. During my three-month stay in SE Asia last year I fell ill only once. It happened to be during my time spent in Hanoi. So I definitely needed a return trip  knowing I missed out on many things the city has to offer.  This time around I was greeted by friends Nguyet and Quyen. Both love the city and very excited to introduce us to a few regional culinary specialties. After a fun first day visiting the pottery village, our second day included a trip to the outskirts of Hanoi on motorbikes to visit a family making Rice Noodles. Traveling down the streets and through alleyways you really get a true sense of what life is like in this part of the world. It is so incredibly different from what I’m used to back home. Barrels of live snakes, women breaking down pigs in the hot sun and men carrying deliveries on motorbikes. The family Noodle business is located on the railway. So by the time we arrived mid-morning most of the Rice Sheets had been laid out to dry as far down the tracks as the eye can see. They allowed us to visit inside where we witnessed the Rice Noodles being processed and sheeted on bamboo. The more I learn about Asian cuisine, the more I’m beginning to appreciate both the simplicity and complexity of this region.

The food did not disappoint. I’ll mention that one of the greatest things I’ve ever tasted is Nếp Cẩm.  Yogurt with fermented Black Rice. The texture and flavor will take you to a place you’ve never been. I would rank this as one of the top delights Hanoi has to offer. We also discovered incredible vegetarian food. My friend Quyen treated us to one of her favorite restaurants where Tofu is the hero. The chef created a “Pork Belly” Tofu that resembled one of my favorite parts of the Pig so closely in flavor and texture I was simply amazed. He also prepared a Tofu dish shaped as a Fish and stuffed with Mushrooms. It was topped with a beautiful Tomato sauce. I also visited a restaurant that specializes in Water Buffalo. The Buffalo was cooked at the table wrapped in Leaves. It was here that I also sampled Sautéed Bees w/ Larvae. The Bees we’re interesting. Other notable mentions included BBQ Sparrow, Baby Duck Egg and a wonderful noodle soup for breakfast Mỳ Vằn Thắn.

The trip back was more than I’d hoped for. I look forward to visiting Hanoi again…

 

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