It's a long way from any markets ere so what you eat is basically local and certaily the greens and veg were probably growing yesterday.
We've found famous Sonny and his Good Morning Vietnam retaurant across the road from our hotel. He and his sister run two restaurants which are famous among the TripAvisor an Lonely Planet crowd. We went for hot drinks yesterday, off the train at 6am and no room until about 11:30am and its raining...Liked it so much returned for dinner.
The breakfast at our hotel is adequate but not impressive. The dining area is basically the hallway into the hotel, stairs down and up to rooms one side, reception the other. Not inviting or cosy and of cousre, no view the last 2 days.
For a short time yesterday we saw the top of the nearest mountains over the fog and before I could man the camera it had disappeared into the mist again! On a good day the view from the dining area, especially outside, is stunning...and from our wraparound balcony in our room too apparently...
Back to eating. We have found 3 French pattisseries, a lovely throwback from the French occupation days here, although wars and intrusions have left virtually no sign of colonial French buldings. Pain au chocolate just like in Paris here amazingly enough.
Ted spotted a dish being made in the tiny kitchen at GMV, it's chicken curry cooked in a young green coconut over an open flame. So no prizes for what he was going to order for dinner, and it was lovely - a beautiful mix of herbs and spices, just the right amount of heat and served with plain rice, the chicken tender and juicy. I ordered duck on hotplate and it was really like fajitas, green and regular onions underneath, some tomatoe, raw duck on top marinated with coconut and lemon grass and cooked at the table by moi! The hotpots were popular, a mix of beef, pork and chicken, a huge mas of greens and vegetables, massive plate of vermicelli noodles and chicken broth with a touch of chili. We are giving the raw chili additions a miss!
Talking of pork, on the way to market today we saw a wee piggie turning on the spit, about two feet long, and later a guy passed the bakery where we were holed up hiding from the rain, on his motorbike, holding vertically a spit with another sall roasted piglet on it! Hilarious.
Of course, you need to have a strong stomach at the market for all the raw fish and beasts for sale. We are giving the poulty a wide berth as our government has apparently issued a bird flu warning, mainly for Eastern China, but included Vietnam. I won't be patting any duks any time soon.
Today at one of the street fast food restaurants in the main square, I saw a blue chicken - that's how we felt yesterday before we bought the down jackets! I hope they are not stuffed with his feathers...
We've found famous Sonny and his Good Morning Vietnam retaurant across the road from our hotel. He and his sister run two restaurants which are famous among the TripAvisor an Lonely Planet crowd. We went for hot drinks yesterday, off the train at 6am and no room until about 11:30am and its raining...Liked it so much returned for dinner.
The breakfast at our hotel is adequate but not impressive. The dining area is basically the hallway into the hotel, stairs down and up to rooms one side, reception the other. Not inviting or cosy and of cousre, no view the last 2 days.
For a short time yesterday we saw the top of the nearest mountains over the fog and before I could man the camera it had disappeared into the mist again! On a good day the view from the dining area, especially outside, is stunning...and from our wraparound balcony in our room too apparently...
Back to eating. We have found 3 French pattisseries, a lovely throwback from the French occupation days here, although wars and intrusions have left virtually no sign of colonial French buldings. Pain au chocolate just like in Paris here amazingly enough.
Ted spotted a dish being made in the tiny kitchen at GMV, it's chicken curry cooked in a young green coconut over an open flame. So no prizes for what he was going to order for dinner, and it was lovely - a beautiful mix of herbs and spices, just the right amount of heat and served with plain rice, the chicken tender and juicy. I ordered duck on hotplate and it was really like fajitas, green and regular onions underneath, some tomatoe, raw duck on top marinated with coconut and lemon grass and cooked at the table by moi! The hotpots were popular, a mix of beef, pork and chicken, a huge mas of greens and vegetables, massive plate of vermicelli noodles and chicken broth with a touch of chili. We are giving the raw chili additions a miss!
Talking of pork, on the way to market today we saw a wee piggie turning on the spit, about two feet long, and later a guy passed the bakery where we were holed up hiding from the rain, on his motorbike, holding vertically a spit with another sall roasted piglet on it! Hilarious.
Of course, you need to have a strong stomach at the market for all the raw fish and beasts for sale. We are giving the poulty a wide berth as our government has apparently issued a bird flu warning, mainly for Eastern China, but included Vietnam. I won't be patting any duks any time soon.
Today at one of the street fast food restaurants in the main square, I saw a blue chicken - that's how we felt yesterday before we bought the down jackets! I hope they are not stuffed with his feathers...
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