If you're into food and drinks (hey who isn't!) then I hope you enjoy my first attempt at blogging about all the delicious things I recently tucked into while on an overseas holiday.
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To give you a bit of background, last month my partner and I travelled to Vietnam and before I went over a colleague of mine suggested I document the food/drink experience and write about it upon my return.
Below is said blog and I apologise if you read about one of the foods or drinks and don't see it in the gallery above.
There were many times we'd finish eating and I'd realise I forgot to get a picture! I am definitely not the type of person who takes a photo of a dish and upload it to social media, so I had to remind myself some days!
Arriving at our first destination Saigon - Hoi Chi Mon City - that afternoon was a real eye opener! But absolutely amazing too!
After checking into our hotel we decided on a light dinner and wander around the city. There were so many restaurants to choose from so we walked around until we found a spot.
Note: If there are a lot of customers at a restaurant/cafe/stall, then it's good. That's what I was told anyway before I went overseas and it was great advice because you know the food is going to be delicious and safe/hygienic!
So my first food experience at Vietnam was spring rolls! And they are nothing like the ones we have in Australia.
What sets the spring rolls apart from ours is the actual wrapper. It's crispy, more crunchy and full of flavour plus the filling seems to have more meat than vegetables, compared to ours. I knew I was onto a winning dish for the next week. I cannot talk them up enough!
The next day we decided to head to the renowned Saigon markets. After checking out the stalls we both wanted a coffee so found a cafe called Hello 5 Coffee, which I think must be a cafe chain.
I am a hot coffee drinker and was a little unsure when my partner ordered us two iced coffee's.
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But I shouldn't have been! I know this will sound weird but one of the best food/drink memories I have of Vietnam is the coffee.
It's sweet - and I have the biggest sweet tooth, so I was in heaven - but it's also got a great coffee flavour too, but definitely not bitter.
Our next visit was to Nha Trang and my first dish there was Ban Xeo which is a traditional savoury pancake filled with fresh seafood. Yummo! I definitely recommend trying this. The mix of seafood inside was oh so fresh.
What I noticed almost immediately in Vietnam was beer seemed to be the alcoholic beverage of choice.
I don't drink beer, however I was lucky enough to find cider on some menus and if there wasn't any I just ordered cocktails. Both are so, so cheap compared to Aussie prices! Usually anywhere between $5-$10, depending on how fancy the bar was.
Note: If you order a drink with ice, make sure it's got those round holes in it. Basically that means it's been manufactured and not made from tap water, as that can give you an upset stomach. Also great advice I received before heading over.
Our final destination was Hoi An, which was my favourite place. Arriving there at lunchtime we decided to check out Mango Mango, a funky riverside restaurant. I ordered fried rice with prawns and a side of salad.
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Excuse my memory and I apologise if I'm wrong, but I believe the dish that my partner ordered was the Miss Mango salad. The meal consisted of vermicelli noodles, pork spring rolls, sliced mango, and crushed peanuts.
He said that was his favourite dish so far.
Another great restaurant in Hoi An is Morning Glory. The staff are friendly, the service fast and it's got a great range of traditional Vietnamese food which is served in a restaurant setting.
What stood out for me was the dessert there! While my partner ordered the 'kem flan' which is a creme caramel, I got the 'kem chuoi', a Vietnamese banana ice-cream. I told you I've got a sweet tooth.
All of the Vietnamese food was fresh, great value and fantastically priced!
As much as you can go to a Vietnamese-themed restaurant in Australia and enjoy it, you just can't beat authenticity!
If you're looking for a great overseas holiday I thoroughly recommend Vietnam.