Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Ms. Saigon


Just a week after we returned from Hawaii, I was off again, this time to Ho Chi Minh, this time with a benefactor and a couple of friends. This was my first visit to HCM although I wasn't entirely new to Vietnam because I've been to Hanoi. My benefactor and her troupe, however, visit HCM two to three times a year to shop, mostly for embroidered linens.

When I got to the hotel, I received a message from Mr. G asking if I've landed and suggesting a few places for me to check out--Ben Thanh market, Cu Chi tunnels, Saigon Saigon bar at the Caravelle Hotel and Mandarine resto. It ended with a warning to never ever go to the Cao Dai tour.


Ben Thanh was easy enough. Since I was with a group of power shoppers, they knowingly booked a place just across the market. Ngan Ha hotel is new I think because I found no reviews of it on Tripadvisor.com, which I always consult every time I make a hotel booking. It was a tourist class hotel in a very touristy area, narrow like most buildings in Vietnam, but very clean and well maintained. Our room had a view of Ben Thanh market, which was perfect because we got to witness how the area transformed into a dining strip when the sun set. Every night, when the market building closes, around it sprouts stalls of makeshift tarpaulin serving fresh seafood dishes and other local specialties.

1. Ben Thanh Market



What a sensory feast! Stall after stall of fragrant fruits, coffee, dried goods and savory dishes. So many colorful handicrafts, linen and clothes. We were tapped, patted, pulled, cajoled to check out the merchandise. We sat on low stools to have a taste of various fruits peeled and cut for us by vendors. Haggling is a must. One of the power shoppers suggested we start at 50% off and negotiate from there.

Aside from shopping, we relied on Ben Thanh for many of our meals. On our first night, our benefactor treated us to dinner in one of the makeshift stalls. We couldn't resist ordering fresh coconut because the one we had at lunch was sweet and refreshing.


The live seafood

The not so live but delicious shrimp, in tamarind sauce

Vietnamese specialties

We also ordered snails in coconut milk (sarap!) and fresh lumpia

This salt and pepper mixture goes wonderfully with fried rice. The Viets love their dips as well as their lime.

The view of our hotel from where we were having dinner

2. Cu Chi Tunnels

This is a must tour. It will make you admire the Viets for their cleverness. I came away from the tour with a clearer picture of how they had outsmarted the more powerfully equipped Americans during the Vietnam war.

This 3D model shows how elaborately designed the tunnels were, with three levels for various purposes

See how tiny the tunnel entrances are. And it's not much roomier inside.

A diorama of Vietcong soldiers taking a break

Another diorama, this time of soldiers making weapons

Boiled cassava dipped in a mixture of ground peanuts, sugar and salt--an example of what the soldiers ate during the time of war

In one of the huts, they showed how rice paper was made.

3. Vietnamese drip coffee


This trip convinced me that the best coffee comes from Vietnam. The beans are very fragrant and the taste of the brew has notes of hazelnut, although I am assured it's pure coffee.

We tried it in different places, the first time at Baby Spoon, a restaurant near our hotel, where we were approached every 10 minutes or so by street vendors selling all sorts of knickknacks. For a true Viet experience, I suggest you proceed to the other end of the sidewalk where locals enjoy their blend on low tables and stools.


We also tried the Trung Nguyen coffeeshop. It's a popular brand of coffee, similar to our Figaro. And over breakfast of French bread and pate at Ben Thanh market, we had another cup in one of the kiosks. We were never disappointed. Still, the best one I've tried was at Highlands coffeeshop, a popular chain of coffee stores in Vietnam similar to Seattle's Best and Starbucks. I'm not sure if they use coffee from Buon Ma Thuot but I read somewhere that the best Vietnamese coffee comes from this area.


Vietnamese coffee is served in an interesting fashion. The tiny coffee filter pot (it looks like a cup made of either stainless steel or aluminum) has four components: the cup itself, the saucer that it sits on, a disc-like filter piece with holes, and a cover. The filter cup together with the saucer sits on top of your coffee mug or cup, which contains condensed milk for later mixing. If you look inside, you'll see coffee grounds pressed by the filter disk. Hot water is poured over the filter pot and covered. The brew will slowly drip into your coffee cup. It's a very charming setup. When the dripping stops, stir the coffee so that it blends with the condensed milk. No need to add milk or sugar.

For more info on how to prepare your own Vietnamese drip coffee, go to Ineedcoffee.com.


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