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Delicious Vietnam Blogging Event

We are so excited and happy to announce little ol' Buddha Bellies blog will be hosting July's Delicious Vietnam Blogging Event. The brainchild of Anh of A Food Lover's Journey and Hong & Kim of Ravenous Couple. The goal of Delicious Vietnam is to promote and explore the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine.

Heres's how it works -

Anything related to Vietnamese cuisine can be accepted. Such as a spin on a traditional dish or even step by step blog about your favorite Vietnamese dish. Got a favorite Vietnamese restaurant? Write a review. Any culinary experiences in Vietnam you would like to share? That works too. This event is a means to express, explore and share your love of Vietnamese food.

Sounds fun? Here are the rules:

#1 Entries to Delicious Vietnam must be written specifically for this blog event only. Of course, do submit your photos to photo sites and events.

#2 Please make sure your post contain the phrase Delicious Vietnam with a link to this blog (www.buddha-bellies.com) and to the founders - A Food Lover's Journey and Ravenous Couple. If you use Twitter, please include the tag #deliciousvietnam in your tweet.

#3 The logo is optional in your post, simply right click image at the top of this post and save.

#4 Details, updates, previous Delicious Vietnam entries and complete rules/guidelines can be found at A Food Lover's Journey.

#5 Entries must be in English

#6 If you don't have a blog, never fear, simply email us your entry and we will create a blog entry for non-bloggers.

To join the July Delcious Vietnam Blogging Event, simply write up your post and send to Anne&Mike at buddhabelliespdx@gmail.com by 7pm Pacific Time Sunday, July 11. In your email please include:

-Your Name -Your Blog Name/URL

-Your Post URL

-Your Location

-One photo (300 pixels wide)

We are so happy to be a part of something that will provide insight and share the joy of Vietnamese cuisine without need of a contest, sweepstake or prizes. So if you love Vietnamese food as much as we do we invite you to join!

Looking forward to all the entries! Hope you get out and try some Vietnamese food soon!

More Saigon Celebrating

This is our great aunt and she turned 72 on our last night in Saigon. 72! She does not look 72! When we first arrived back in Saigon we immediately called her and invited everyone out to have banh xeo with us, but everyone was too busy getting ready for her birthday party that night. Instead we made plans to join the festivities later that evening.

The birthday dinner party was being held on the rooftop terrace and as the sun went down and the city lights turned on we feasted on behalf of our great aunt with friends and family.

The feast started with shrimps cooked in coconut milk - succulent, delicious. Then moved onto fresh eggrolls rolled in a threaded rice paper (we have yet to find the threaded rice paper back in the US), a rich tomatoey ragu eaten with baguettes and, of course fried rice.

And before we headed to the airport for our long flight home we each had a piece of cake. Sweets made in Asia, strike that, everywhere other than the United States aren't as sweet and have a much more complex and pleasing taste than just sugary sweetness. We were just happy to be able to share in our great aunt's birthday celebrations!

Coffee Culture

Spending an afternoon sipping iced coffee and chatting the day away is nothing new in Saigon. It's almost a daily required event for some Saigonese. It also may explain why the French were so enthralled with Vietnam for so long. But ever since Vietnam opened its economic borders a plethora of coffee companies have invaded Vietnam and not a Starbucks among them - YAY!

Nothing against Starbucks, but their coffee has got to be one of the worst around and why would you spend your hard earned cash there when local chains, independent coffee houses (Mojo), small mom/pop cafes set up in the front of their homes (everywhere just look) and international coffee chains and even fancyAsian chains are everywhere.

We spent our last day in Saigon revisiting some of our favorite shops and squeezing in a little more sight seeing.

Between all of this we decided to stop in Highlands Coffee for a refreshing coffee pick-me-up. These westernized coffee cafes can be found in most of the tourist areas and has tourist prices to match, about equal to what we pay at home. But we're on vacation and can afford to splurge on a $5 fancy coffee drink, especially if they are this good. The layered green tea latte and mocha tasted as good as they looked.

The ice green tea also came layered!

Blended coffee drinks are big here also. In 90 degree weather they definitely hit the spot.

Memorable Meals: Saigon

Banh Xeo or Vietnamese crepes is a must-do dining experience in Viet Nam. Nothing compares to getting a hot-off-the-wok thin crispy tumeric banh xeo. They are such a beloved item that in Saigon there is an alleyway filled with banh xeo restaurants one after another selling these large savory crepes. We had eaten the central Vietnam version Banh Khoi back in Hoi An and we were looking forward to eating the larger southern version found in Saigon and all along the Mekong region.

But as we mentioned in an earlier post, Tet New Year finds many establishments closed for the holiday. And we soon found that the whole alleyway was a virtual ghost town, but not to fear our hip young taxi driver said he knew of an even better place and even joked that once we ate at this establishment we would forget about Banh Xeo Alleyway all together.

Since it was late afternoon the restaurant was emptying out and we quickly were given a table and we immediately began flipping through the extensive menu, which was even shaped like a folded banh xeo.

The menu was categorized by savory fillings and we quickly narrowed our selection of seafood and pork combos we wanted to try.

But what was this? Something new? Somethng called Banh Khot? We had never heard of it. The pictures on the menu looked good and we decided to try the shrimp and minced pork with creamy mung beans. Wow these were dynamite! Much denser than banh xeo. Made with a creamy mung bean that was the superstar ingredient in the banh xeo we had over a year ago in the Mekong Delta.

Made by pouring the batter into what looked like a large cast iron egg poacher over a high propane flame, the banh khot were hefty little pancakes that were creamy from the deep cast iron pan and soaked mung beans, with the salty flavor coming from the shrimp and pork.

Like with most Vietnamese meals, our order came with a large basket of greens, a prepared fish sauce for dipping and spicy red chilis for the perfect bite each time.

Just when we thought we had already too many must-eats in Saigon another one is added to the list.

Back to the Beginning

We're heading back to Saigon to catch our 16 hour flight back to the US. Due to some confusion on our parts we've mistakenly scheduled our flight from DaNang back to Saigon a day early so we've got a extra day in Saigon - yipee!

Upon checking into our flight at the DaNang airport we were given our seat assignments and a voucher for the VIP room. Wait, what, there's a VIP room? Unfortunately for us we had arrived at the airport with barely enough time before the shuttle to the airplane was boarding. So, we can not tell what a Vietnam Airline VIP room consist of, but we can tell you what flying Business Class is like and well, it's fabulous! Look at that leg room, we sure could have used that much space on our 16 hour flights!

And the cute little snack finger sandwiches were fantastic! Much better than the Cha Lua (Vietnames pressed pork patty) sandwiches offered back in couch. And a full beverage/snack service for an hour flight is unheard of back in the states!

This is no exaggeration, but that one hour flight was the best sleep we got the whole trip. Maybe it was something about all that room, or how the seats reclined in every possible manner or maybe it was the snack was served on proper china and real silverware. Either way it was luxurious.

A Farewell to Remember

We're back in DaNang to catch our late night flight back to Saigon. We spent most of the day in Hoi An eating the last bites of the local specialities before heading back to DaNang to gather our large suitcases and repack.

After a quick meal with everyone, some of us went upstairs to rest up before our late night flight, especially because a new bottle of cognac was opened and singing the national anthem started. Soon the singing stopped and the beers and glasses of cognac were put away. But where did everyone go? Apparently to an exclusive airport known as PNT International.

Our DaNang host had invited a friend, a professor at the local university, who apparently loves airports, invited us over to see his house. And in particular a room in his house dedicated to all things airport.

Including a mini airport named after himself, complete with model concourse, runways, lights and miniature airplanes.

Not only were there model airplanes on the miniature airport, but a whole wall display with matching pictures of the actual airplanes.

And EVERY airline was represented.

He also maintained a whole wall display of the tiny liquor bottles you get on airplanes.

Our favorite bottles were the little international liquors.

Seriously this man loves airports.

Meeting such great people in DaNang made our time there so memorable.

Memorable Meals: Hoi An

It's sad to say, but even with all the great tourist reasons to visit Hoi An, food is not high on that list. Most of the cafes, restaurants and bars that occupy the cute colonial buildings in the old quarter are too westernize and average.

There is a large food court of outdoor vendors occupying a large section of one streets near the river, but all those vendors sell the exact same famous Hoi An dishes and taste exactly the same, but the prices can't be beat and they do sell a great rendition of fried wontons, served with shrimp ceviche that consisted of tomatoes, onion and mangos. Tangy delicious and refreshing.

Knowing from experience, we stayed away from the restaurants along the main road and all the restaurants in the old quarter area, except for the french bakeries that served the most decadent desserts, pastries and pastas and for pennies compared to the costs of the same food at home. But one can't live off of sweets, so the best place to get an incredible meal in Hoi An is the cute wet market.

We were desparate for the amazing Vietnamese banh mi baguette sandwiches, but the vendor was not there - d'oh. Hopefully just enjoying their Tet New Year holiday. We simply moved deeper into the market and pulled up a plastic chair at our favorite Cau Lau vendor.

Cau Lau is a regional noodle dish that gets is distinctive flavor from an ancient well dug out by the Cham people. Rumor also has it that the noodles are made from a special rice grain and lye solution made from trees grown on a nearby Cham island.

Who knows about all the mythical rumors of the noodles, all we can say is it is tasty! The thick chewy noodles are unlike any other noodles you'll find in Vietnam. The noodles are texture and soul warming comfort food more than anything, but goes well with the thick juicy slices of pork, which tasted of five-spice and oily fat, the main flavor of this dish. Amazingly light and refreshing while still being satifyingly filling. Along with earthy peppery greens that gives the whole dish pop. Add in some chilis and crispy fried pork rinds and the whole dish provides everything from flavor, texture and taste. Divine.

Our favorite vendor also sold a fantastic bowl of Mi Quang. Unlike the bowl of Mi Quang we had in DaNang, the noodles were tumeric'd and perfectly added color and flavor. The same five-spice pork used in the Cau Lau topped the dry noodle dish. Add in some shrimp, peanuts and a hard boiled egg along with chopped minced pork from the broth and crispy fried wonton - delicious.

Vietnamese open markets are a collaborative effort. Our hostess vendor asked if we wanted something to drink. A beer? Sure - shouts to the beverage lady two stalls down. Don't those mini savory Vietnamese crepes my neighbor vendor making look inticing? Yes, they do and another reason we came and sat at your stall - BANH KHOI!!!

In the south parts of Vietnam these crepes are HUGE and called Banh Xeo for the sizzling noise the batter makes when it hits the wok. Central Vietnam's version are smaller and come wrapped in rice paper for a sizzling crepe roll. Incredibly delicious. Being able to sit and see the vendors' outdoor kitchens and how our fantastic meal is pre-formed and ready to go for the next customer was priceless. We learned a few new tricks that's for sure!

We were feeling generous and decided to try another vendor's Bun Bo Hue, a spicy central beef soup that my dad rocks back home. Spicy looking oily broth - ok; nice slices of beef shank - ok; small rice noodles - ok; but tastewise - terrible. Can't have it all I guess.

We left the market happy and full and continued our day with errands of tailor shop fittings and going for the shopping kill after pricing out souvenirs and must have items. Then dinner time came and knowing the market closed in the evenings we were left wandering around hoping to spot something good.

If all else we could manage another night of boring westernized food in a nice cafe. That is until we fortuitously stumbled upon an authentic Indian restaurant. We've said it before and we'll say it again Indian Food found in SE Asia is phenomenial and we found in Vietnam that is particularly true.

The availability of all the fresh ingredients found in Indian food makes for a dynamic melting of cultures and we thoroughly enjoyed our final dinner in Hoi An.

Buttery crispy garlic naan and incredibly fragrant chutneys

Lamb vindiloo was fantastically spicy. So much so that after each bite of the tender lamb, we'd have to take a few bites of basmati rice to cool it all down a bit. Now that's how vindiloo should be!

And a spicy mustard seed potato dish that rivaled the spiciness of the vindiloo lamb.

Definitely a memorable meal to mark the end of our time in Hoi An.