Dinners in Hanoi
Last night we had two dinners for under $6 including 3 beers and a coke!
Although the first place was in our guide book, it did not end up being as great as suggested. We decided to order just two dishes and share those (normally we would have ordered 3, with just one to share) . We also each had one large Vietnamese beer (only 3.8%). Unfortunately, this dinner left us a little bit hungry, but we decided to wait a while before we ate again. After dinner we went to an art store and bought some very nice cards that many of you will be seeing in the future.
We dropped the cards off at our hotel and then we decided to explore the streets some for a better place to eat. The place we ended up at, Hai Ty, was one we had passed several times before. Every time it was packed (so packed, i would venture to say it is the most popular place in this area) with people sitting on the sidewalk using tiny plastic stools and tables. Most people seemed to be enjoying a plate full of fried, roasted, or grilled pigeon, so my guess is that this is their specialty. Since the Vietnamese way of preparing this dish includes everything but the innards of the bird (this means head and feet are all there) we decided to go for something a little more tame; Beef Pho. The food took a while (no surprise considering the number of people there) but what we were served was absolutely delicious. This dinner, (2 dishes, a 500 ml beer, and a coke) was only $2.
One of the rather...intersting...events of this meal was a young girl about 12 years old enjoying a chicken head someone had given her. She was enjoying it like any kid in America might a lollipop. When she finished she wiped her hand on her pants with two full strokes up and down the entire leg.
Eating at places like these, places that are clearly where the locals go, really gives the feel for Vietnam. I'm glad we had the chance.
Tonight we ate at our favorite place Lay Bac cafe on Hang Bac street. This place is like most of the others, but the food is really good and half the price of everywhere else. We had both western and Vietnamese dishes when we ate there (4 times I think) and all were great. The people got to recognize us quickly, and were really friendly. At all the tables and along the walls people have left notes to other travelers that go there. We left ours at the front table inside the restaurant. Its one of our favorite places so far.
After dinner we went down one of the side streets for some Bia Hoi. It is supposed to be a "lager like beer" but is only %3 alcohol. Kelly and I each had two and our entire tab came to 50 cents. It was very good, and very different from what we have at home. I guess it is made to be used as soon as possible, and does not have a long shelf life. People around here seem to drink it every night.
We leave bright and early tomorrow for hong kong. The trip involves multiple legs, 2 that take about 12 hours and one that takes about 4. We are leaving a day early in case we miss a train or bus on one of the legs. Regardless, i probably won't be posting again until I'm in Hong Kong.
-Tim
Although the first place was in our guide book, it did not end up being as great as suggested. We decided to order just two dishes and share those (normally we would have ordered 3, with just one to share) . We also each had one large Vietnamese beer (only 3.8%). Unfortunately, this dinner left us a little bit hungry, but we decided to wait a while before we ate again. After dinner we went to an art store and bought some very nice cards that many of you will be seeing in the future.
We dropped the cards off at our hotel and then we decided to explore the streets some for a better place to eat. The place we ended up at, Hai Ty, was one we had passed several times before. Every time it was packed (so packed, i would venture to say it is the most popular place in this area) with people sitting on the sidewalk using tiny plastic stools and tables. Most people seemed to be enjoying a plate full of fried, roasted, or grilled pigeon, so my guess is that this is their specialty. Since the Vietnamese way of preparing this dish includes everything but the innards of the bird (this means head and feet are all there) we decided to go for something a little more tame; Beef Pho. The food took a while (no surprise considering the number of people there) but what we were served was absolutely delicious. This dinner, (2 dishes, a 500 ml beer, and a coke) was only $2.
One of the rather...intersting...events of this meal was a young girl about 12 years old enjoying a chicken head someone had given her. She was enjoying it like any kid in America might a lollipop. When she finished she wiped her hand on her pants with two full strokes up and down the entire leg.
Eating at places like these, places that are clearly where the locals go, really gives the feel for Vietnam. I'm glad we had the chance.
Tonight we ate at our favorite place Lay Bac cafe on Hang Bac street. This place is like most of the others, but the food is really good and half the price of everywhere else. We had both western and Vietnamese dishes when we ate there (4 times I think) and all were great. The people got to recognize us quickly, and were really friendly. At all the tables and along the walls people have left notes to other travelers that go there. We left ours at the front table inside the restaurant. Its one of our favorite places so far.
After dinner we went down one of the side streets for some Bia Hoi. It is supposed to be a "lager like beer" but is only %3 alcohol. Kelly and I each had two and our entire tab came to 50 cents. It was very good, and very different from what we have at home. I guess it is made to be used as soon as possible, and does not have a long shelf life. People around here seem to drink it every night.
We leave bright and early tomorrow for hong kong. The trip involves multiple legs, 2 that take about 12 hours and one that takes about 4. We are leaving a day early in case we miss a train or bus on one of the legs. Regardless, i probably won't be posting again until I'm in Hong Kong.
-Tim
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on Thursday, February 16, 2006 at 9:44 AM.
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8:03 PMHave a good trip guys --- Dad - H
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