The Food of Hanoi, Vietnam

On January 8, 2020January 9, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Food, Vietnam16 Comments

During our trip to Vietnam, we enjoyed a variety of wonderful meals with different types of food. There were plenty of seafood, pork, and beef dishes, including Bún Chả and Phở. We also had the opportunity to take a local cooking class, which was one of our favorite memories of our time in Hanoi. In addition to eating at several restaurants in Hanoi, we also took several day trips that allowed us to taste food from the countryside as well.

Bún Chả is a traditional Vietnamese dish that originated in Hanoi and is made with grilled pork and noodles with a dipping sauce. It is usually served with condiment bowls of minced garlic and sliced hot peppers that can be added to your individual taste. Fried spring rolls are also commonly served with Bún chả. We definitely enjoyed eating Bún Chả and even visited the Bun Cha Ta restaurant twice during our stay in Hanoi. Bún Chả was also one of the items that we learned to make during our cooking class and we’ll definitely be making it for ourselves at home.

Phở is a Vietnamese soup that is usually made of beef, broth, herbs and noodles, but it can be made with chicken or pork as well. Unlike Bún Chả where you don’t drink the broth, Phở is a soup and you eat the meat and noodles with chopsticks and use a spoon to eat the broth. Once again you can add hot peppers to your Phở in order to make it spicier, but add them slowly as they are very spicy. Our hotel recommended that Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su, which is in the old quarter near way were staying and based on the lines, it is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike.

Egg Coffee is another traditional Vietnamese item and something that we had a couple of times and also made during our cooking class. It is coffee that is made with egg yokes and condensed milk, which makes it rich and sweet. We also ate seafood at a restaurant on the shore of Hoan Kiem Lake as well as during our overnight cruise on Halong Bay. During our tour to Ninh Binh, we were treated to a meal with fried spring rolls and a stew made with goat, potatoes, and carrots. Goat was a traditional dish for the Ninh Binh Province. During our tour of Perfume Pagoda, we were treated to an overwhelming array of local dishes that included beef, pork, chicken, and vegetables.

Cooked Banana with Chocolate and Coconut

Obviously there are plenty of restaurants featuring western food, but we only ate at restaurants featuring local cuisine. Our chopstick skills definitely improved during our time in Vietnam as well since they were often the only utensils offered. We certainly enjoyed trying as much of the famous street food of Hanoi and the surrounding area as possible. We are definitely looking forward to recreating as many of the meals as we can in the upcoming months.

Patuxai (Victory Gate) in Vientiane, Laos

On January 6, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos6 Comments

In the heart of Vientiane is Patuxai, or Victory Gate, which is Laos’ version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Just like the arch in Paris, going to the top of Patuxai provides amazing views of the city of Vientiane, which is the capital of Laos. The arch is made up of five levels that represent both the principals representing the coexistence of nations as well as the five principals of Buddhism. Regardless of the meanings of the five levels, today there are markets on each level as you climb to the top offering you the opportunity to buy local items and tourist trinkets.

Elephant Statue Made from Tea Cups, Saucers, and Plates

In the square where the Patuxai arch sits, there is an interesting statue of elephants and a temple made completely from tea cups, saucers, and plates. We were told that it was a gift from China, which has a lot of influence over the country of Laos. It is interesting to see both from the ground as well as from the observation deck of Victory Gate. As you would expect, all of the roads lead to the arch, including the main road that leads to Presidential Palace. Sitting between the arch and the statue is a fountain that wasn’t running at the time of our visit, but we imagine it is quite beautiful, especially at night.

View of the Elephant Statue from the Roof of Patuxai

The arch was originally built in 1968 to honor the soldiers who died during World War II as well as the war for independence from France. In 1975, when the communist party overthrew the Laos government, the statue was renamed to its current name of Patuxai from its original name of Anousavali, which means monument. Regardless of its name, the main reason for visiting Patuxai is for the views of Vientiane, which are wonderful. It will only take an hour or so to visit the arch, even if you take some time to shop in the different levels within Patuxai.

Thien Tru Pagoda in Vietnam

On January 2, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Vietnam3 Comments

The final tour that we took in Vietnam from Hanoi was the Perfume Pagoda tour. It is a day trip that takes you along a river with beautiful scenery to a complex of several different pagodas as well as the actual Perfume Pagoda, which is located in a cave at the top of Perfume Mountain. The tour started with a visit to the Thien Tru Pagoda, which is at the heart of the temple complex. The Thien Tru Pagoda is over 500 years old and is truly spectacular with wonderful architecture, artwork, and cultural features.

We visited during the offseason, but from January to March, during the festival season, it is extremely busy as thousands of people come to Perfume Pagoda. To enter Thien Tru Pagoda, you walk up a series of stairs and go through a typical Buddhist arch entry with three openings. The openings represent past, present, and future with the center opening being the present. The main courtyard features two large, gold lions guarding the main temple. It is an active temple and there are offerings inside of the temple and monks can be seen walking around in their orange robes.

In addition to the interesting architecture, the surrounding mountains and trees make it even more beautiful. We were some of the only people visiting during our time at Thien Tru Pagoda, but we weren’t completely alone as we did see a snake climbing one of the gates. Since it was fairly colorful, we didn’t get too close as we didn’t know if it was poisonous. We took about an hour walking around the pagoda complex and looking at all of the amazing details.

The age of the temple is quite apparent as many of the buildings and stupas are weather worn and the details have faded. The overall experience of walking the grounds of Thien Tru Pagoda is something that make this a worthwhile trip for anyone visiting Hanoi. From the golden Buddha statues, ornate decorations, unique buildings to the natural environment surrounding it, the time spent in Thien Tru Pagoda was one of our favorite memories from Vietnam.