Photos Tagged: HCMC
40 Pictures
18 Pictures
18 Pictures
27 Pictures
36 Pictures
Che, a sweet, layered Vietnamese drink (or soup) served as a snack or dessert. And, it's all about choices and texture. A che stand will look something like a penny candy store.Do I want the red bubbles or the blue bubbles? Do I want mung beans or kidney beans?Out of fascination, Dan got into the habit of ordering these drinks at the Vietnamese market in Prague's Malesice district.Read about snackin' in Saigon.
A great selection of huge prawns on offer at Ben Thanh market in Saigon. We were fortunate that our hotel was just half a block away, making it a easy to pop into the market for a small (or substantial) snack at one of the stalls when we were feeling peckish.Read more about snackin' in Saigon.
Prawns and shrimp lined up for you to choose at the Ben Thanh market.
This American tank was proudly displayed as part of the tour of the Cu Chi tunnels. Most of it was blown up by a land mine in 1970, and it has stayed in the same place ever since. Walking around this forested area gives a feel for how difficult war must have been for both groups.
This looked like it belonged more appropriately under the sea than above it. It was one of the flowers on display at the flower market leading up to Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Read about Tet festivities in Saigon.
Banh Chung - sticky rice and pork wrapped tightly in leaves - are a must for welcoming in the New Year.Read about snackin' in Saigon.
Read about Tet festivities in Saigon.
Beautiful vegetables on display at a stand at Ben Thanh market. The cooking possibilities with these vegetables and fresh herbs are endless.
Built in the last part of the 19th century by the French, this church has been nicely renovated recently.Read about snackin' in Saigon.
Pickled garlic and chopsticks at the Ben Thanh market in HCMC.Read about snackin' in Saigon.
Crab on sugar cane (Chao Tom) makes another appearance, at left. But the show-stealer here is the Bo La Lot, or seasoned beef in a leaf. The vendor told us it was betel leaf, though Vietnamese street food experts might argue with that.Anyhow, this grilled dish became one of our favorite snacks inside the Ben Thanh market. The beef was seasoned (nutmeg and fermented fish sauce?) and topped with roasted peanuts and a zippy dipping sauce.Read more about snackin' in Saigon.
These little fish swim around a tub wanting to be free. Unfortunately, the odds are that they will appear on someone's plate that evening....
Fresh Spring Rolls and Shrimp Cooked on Sugar Cane - HCMC
The week before Vietnamese New Year (Tet) brought a gigantic flower market to the park near our hotel. Flowers are essential to celebrating and welcoming in the new year. These orchids were just screaming out to be bought - how could you have a bad year with these in your house? Read about Tet festivities in Saigon.
Our whacky tour guide holds up a gigantic shoe as an example of the work done in the underground bunkers to keep people clothed, shoed and fed. Our tour began with a North Vietnamese propaganda film praising the courage and industriousness of the Cu Chi fighters.Another example of a tour where you learned more from what was *not* said.Read about our brief brush with the American (Vietnam) War.
We got a craving for dim sum one day and found the recommendation for Lucky Star Restaurant somewhere. This was some of the best dim sum we have ever had. The shrimp dumplings had large pieces of shrimp with various kinds of herbs and different dipping sauces, all for around $1.50 per basket. It was hard to pull ourselves away from this place...
Being a fan of avocados, Audrey had to try a shake when she saw it on the menu. It was a creamy, tasty and thick, but not quite as refreshing as a mango or pineapple shake. The grilled pork and beef were fantastic. We liked the use of grilled peanuts in HCMC to accent the food.
Audrey's favorite - sticky rice. And, four different types to choose from! The dark variety was the best of this bunch.But it still can't hold a candle to the texture and nutty flavor of the purple and dark sticky rice in Laos.Read more about snackin' in Saigon.
As we were walking through the Saigon flower markets on a Saturday morning, we came across large groups of students on field trips. They made our morning - waving, screaming hallo! and laughing contagiously each time we tried to say hello back to them in Vietnamese.Read about Tet festivities in Saigon.
We had a craving for dim sum one day and satisfied it with a visit to Lucky Star.Some of the best dim sum we've ever had. The shrimp dumplings were sufficiently loaded with meat and herbs and complemented with various dipping sauces. At $1.50 per basket, it was hard to tear ourselves away from this place.Read more about snackin' in Saigon.
More fish than you can shake a stick at.Read about snackin' in Saigon.
© www.uncorneredmarket.com
When the inside of Ben Thanh Market closes in the evening, restaurants set up outside under plastic tarps. In a few minutes, the restaurant is ready - plastic tables, tanks of fresh seafood, a grilling and cooking area, and coolers of drinks on ice. We became regulars at this place, eating superbly grilled giant prawn of 350 grams, mollusks, oysters and soft-shelled crab for very reasonable prices. By the end of the week, we even had a regular table and got big smiles each time we entered.Read about snackin' in Saigon.
These women sell baskets of fruit outside the Ben Thanh market. We were spoiled with the choice of fruit and other foods on offer.Read about snackin' in Saigon.
A vendor takes a post-lunch nap (or rather, the nap takes her) at a vegetable stand in Ben Thanh market. Read about snackin' in Saigon.
