My Hanoi Trip (Part 2)

If ever you are in Hanoi, one of the "must" places in your agenda should be Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a top tourist attraction in Vietnam and has been listed amongst the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, it forms an amazing seascape of limestone pillars along with more than 1,600 islands and islets. “Halong” literally means “Bay of Descending Dragons”. A local legend says that a family of dragons was sent to defend the land a long time ago when the Vietnamese were fighting the Chinese invaders. These dragons had descended upon what is now known as Halong Bay.

Preferably you should spend a night in a junk on the bay - that's provided you have the time. However we didn't, so we opted for a day trip instead. The mini bus picked us up from the hotel together with the rest of the tour group. The road trip itself would take 3 1/2 hours up north on a 165km journey. It was raining slightly in the morning and we kept our fingers crossed that it was just a passing cloud. By the time we reached the harbour, it was almost noon time. There were hundreds of tourists alighting from tour coaches and waiting to board their respective junks. There were many junks docked at the harbour and in and around the harbour as well. Besides cruising Halong Bay, our itinerary also included a tour of one of the many caves found in the bay, a bit of kayaking and a visit to a local fish farm. The rain had stopped by then but the sky was still a bit gloomy. However it got better as the day progressed and we were graced by sunshine.











The cave which we explored is called Hung Sung Sot Cave. To get to the cave we had to walk up a steep path lined with shady trees. There are two chambers in the cave with a square shaped outer chamber and a ceiling of about 30 meters height. The inner chamber formations look like sentries conversing with one another, animals (including one which looked like a tortoise) and a formation resembling a general surveying his troops in the middle of the chamber. The light reflected from the water outside seems to bring these formations to life.





We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip at Halong and by the time we arrived back to the hotel it was just past 8.30pm.

Another day trip which we did whilst in Hanoi was to visit the Perfume Pagoda. It's a full day trip out to the countryside. The road trip would take about 2 hours covering 70km. Along the way we passed rice fields and the local farmers were harvesting their crops.



The Perfume Pagoda (or Chua Huong) is considered as one of the most important religious sites of Buddhism in Vietnam. It is not one temple but a cluster of temples and shrines located in the vicity. Perfume Pagoda is famous for the annual pilgrimage of Buddhists. Every year, between February and March, the Chua Huong festival draws hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country. Our journey would include a 60 minute boat ride along a scenic river. Unfortunately the day that we choose to do this trip was extremely hot and humid. The river itself is open and not shaded, so you really do not have any protection against the hot afternoon sun. Even with hats and sun-glasses it did not help much but luckily for me, I brought along a folded umbrella. It was more for the rain than sun, but it helped to provide us some shade.











When we reached the other end of the river, it was time for a local Vietnamese lunch. There are two ways to get to the Perfume Pagoda which is located on top of a hill - either by cable car or a 4km up-hill trek lasting about an hour. Of all days the cable car had to be under maintenance! So trek it was along a crudely fashioned road made of uneven stone steps and paths. I think I must have lost about a kilo of prespiration by the end of the trek. Luckily the cable car was working on the return journey. Along the way to the summit, we passed a few temples and shrines, including the Thien Tru temple (or the Outer Temple).







The main attraction at the summit is a visit to the Huong Tich Grotto (or Inner Temple). The path to Huong Tich grotto is forged by nature through thousands of years of changes. Today, the path leading to Chua Trong is a series of smooth granite slabs stacking on one another creating a series of switch backs leading to the temple. A total of 120 steps descends downwards as the temple lies deep within the grotto. At the entrance to the grotto, there is "heaven's gate" (path to heaven) and "hell's gate" (descend to hell). As story goes, in the 18th century, Lord Trinh Sam had 5 words, "Nam Thien De Nhat Dong" meaning, "the most beautiful grotto under southern sky", carved onto the granite slab at the entrance to Huong Tich grotto. According to legend, the cave was discovered two thousand years ago. However, local people only began to place a shrine there in 1575, and later a larger temple was built. There are many colorful stalagmites and stalactites within the cave. Each is given a name for their distinctive features. It is believed that couples who wish for children often pay homage to Huong Tich grotto and to especially visit Nui Co and Nui Cau to pray for their first born.





Whilst we were in Hanoi we also managed to sample some of their local street food. Surprisingly eating at restaurants or even having a latte in cafe bars is not really cheap. We happened to lug our mini notebook along with us on this trip - the hotel provides free wifi. So in the evenings, I would surf various websites, especially travel logs checking out the best street food in town.

Obviously when you mention Vietnam, the first thing that comes to mind would be the "infamous" pho. Pho (pronounced as "fef") is a Vietnamese beef and rice noodle soup from North Vietnam. The traditional pho is served with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). This is called pho bo. It can also be served with sliced chicken meat and this is called pho ga. Although pho can be found in Southern part of Vietnam as well, I have been told that the pho served is different. The pho we are used to in Singapore is served with thinly sliced onions, fresh basil and beansprouts, which also happens to be the version found in the south. The broth is slightly darker as well. In Hanoi, the broth is very clear and is just served with slices of beef and spring onions. Average cost per bowl is VDN35,000 (Vietnamese Dong).



We also tried the famous Hanoi fried fish with fresh dill. This particular place we went to is the original birth place of this dish and it's the only dish that is served. Local name for this dish is Cha Ca La Vong and how appropriate for the restaurant to be located at 14 Cha Ca Street. When this local dish gained popularity, other shops started to spring up around Hanoi. However most tourist will tell you to go back to the original shop. I was skeptical about trying it out at first but believe me once you have, you want more. This dish can't be any simplier. It is made with chunks of freshwater fish seasoned with galanga and garlic, colored with turmeric to a warm golden hue, and grilled over charcoal for a smoky note. Then it is fried up with handfuls of fresh dill on a tabletop stove and served over thin rice noodles, shredded lettuce, chopped peanuts, and nuoc cham (dipping sauce). Cost per person excluding drink is VDN100,000. If you do not have a huge appetite, one portion is sufficient to be shared between 2 persons.



Another very popular dish in Hanoi and a must try would be Bun Cha. Bun cha is a lunch time meal. It consist of BBQ minced pork rolls teamed with charred slices of pork belly in a thin fish sauce, vinegar and sugar stock with sides of rice noodles and assorted greens and fresh herbs. Depending on season, either slices of green papaya or chayote (choko) are set afloat upon the stock. Simple, yes! But, miss this dish and you miss out - big time. I actually caught sight of this particular shop selling bun cha whilst exploring the streets of Hanoi. On our last day, we decided to have an early lunch there. We arrived at 10.30am but was told it would only open at 11am. We decided to walk a bit first and then go back again once they open. We were guided up the narrow stairwell to the 2nd floor. I believe this shop has 4 levels altogether. We ordered 2 portions and were served bun cha and a side dish of Nem Cua Bể(Fried Crab and Pork Spring Rolls). Lucky for me I had already seen a video on youtube as to how to eat this dish. Put a portion of rice noodles in your bowl, add some vegetables and herbs, and then scope some of the vinegar sauce into the bowl. Then add freshly chopped garlic and chillies and mix it all around. Eat the noodles together with the pork rolls. This shop is called Bun Cha Dac Kim and is located at No. 1 Hang Manh St., Hanoi. Total cost including one can drink was VDN130,000.













Another street food which can be found in Hanoi is Banh Cuon and is found in Northen Vietnam. Banh Cuon hails from Thanh Tri district just outside Hanoi. It is basically a freshly made steamed thin rice roll (similar to Hong Kong steamed rice rolls) and filled with mashed up minced pork, mushrooms and prawns. It comes served with sliced cucumber, cha lua (mortadella), beansprouts, sprinkled with deep-fried shallots and chopped mint with a nuoc mam (fish sauce) dip.



Banh xeo is Vietnamese style crepe with whole shrimp, thinly sliced pork and bean sprouts. The crepe is cooked in a special pan over high heat. It is so thin that the end result is a crispy rice pancake. This dish is a "do-it-yourself dish" that involves the messy but delicious process of wrapping the crepe with lettuce, cilantro, mint and basil into a thin crisp rice paper roll. The roll is then dipped into vinagrette that has sliced chillies and minced fresh garlic. This particular shop is found on No. 22, Hang Bo Street. The cost of 2 crepes was less than VDN15,000.





We also tried out some grilled pork satays which was found at the back alley to our hotel. Included with the platter was fresh sliced turnip and grilled dried cuttlefish slices which you would dip into a bowl of chillie sauce. The street vendor would give you a little stool to sit on whilst having your meal. Lots of locals were seated in the alley, munching on these grilled feasts and chatting the night away.



In all we really enjoyed our trip. Unfortunately there are lots of other local street food which we did not have a chance to try out.... maybe another trip!

Jelly Donuts

Call us donut freaks but we love eating these little yeasted bakes - with or without the holes! We take them anyhow it comes. I for one prefer the old fashion donut, no frills whatsoever and simply sprinkled with caster sugar or better still cinnamon sugar. Yum and with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, it's complete heaven to me. My hubby goes for the fancy types ... jam filled or those glazed with more sugary stuff, not forgetting chocolate of course! I personally think it's a whole lot of sugar load in one-go.

With a free afternoon and the house all to myself ... oops not exactly! I forgot my two fur doggie boys! I decided to try my hand at some jelly donuts (small version ones). I've been putting off making donuts for a long time as the idea of frying had not really appealed to me at all. In fact I was chatting over yahoo chat with my sister who is currently residing in Melbourne about donuts. She too was keen to try out the recipe and like me, frying was the deterent! She asked for a baked version instead. Anyway these jelly donuts lived up to expectations but you really have to eat it fresh. I had a few left over for the next day but the donuts tasted a bit heavier .... definitely not so nice once stale!



Jelly Donuts
Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
Makes 20

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup castor sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups vegetable oil, plus more for bowl
1 cup seedless blueberry jam
Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1) In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2) Into your mixer bowl, add the flour, eggs, yeast mixture, orange extract, sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Attach your dough hook and turn to low to mix the ingredients for about a minute. Then turn your mixer one speed higher and continue to mix for about 8 minutes. Add a little more flour if necessary. By the end of the 8 minutes your dough should be smooth, soft and bounces back when poked with a finger (it should not be sticking to the sides of your bowl).

3) Roll the dough into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4) On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2" cutter and cut out about 20 rounds. If you don't have a round cutter, use any other utensils that will give you a similar shape. Cover with clingwrap and set aside to rise for another 15 mins. (Do not be alarmed if the rounds do not seem to rise much. Once you fry them in the hot oil, they will puff up nicely.)

5) In medium saucepan or pot over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 370F. Carefully slip 4 rounds into oil (do not over crowd). Fry until golden brown, about 40 seconds. Turn doughnuts over; fry until golden on other side, another 40 seconds.

6) Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Continue frying the remaining dough.

7) Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip with jam. Using a wooden skewer or the end of a chopstick, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip into a hole, pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.

8) Dust the donuts with icing sugar and serve whilst still warm.

Sang Har Mien (Prawns with Crispy Egg Noodles)

Especially after a day at work and a hectic one at that, I'm always for a quick tasty dinner prepared at home. We opted for noodles rather than rice. So I decided to put together a couple of plates of crispy egg noodles and used whatever I already had in the fridge. This is my quick version of a very popular noodle dish back in Malaysia!

"Sang Har Mien" literally means Fresh Water Prawns mee. Normally the flavor of the fresh water prawn is stronger than salt water ones. The succulent prawns are usually split into two and is served with the crispy noodles. A whole beaten egg is then added to the hot thick gravy and is poured over the noodles. It's simply a very delicious dish altogether.



Sang Har Mien (Prawns with Crispy Egg Noodles) - My Quick Version
(serve 2)

Ingredients:

6 medium size tiger prawns (remove heads, leave the shell intact)
1/3 cup sliced shitake mushroom
100g thinly sliced chicken breast
8 thin slices of fish cake
2 pieces of crispy egg noodle (the noodles usually come in a small round bundle and would be available in any Asian store)
1 small bunch of choy sum (or any other leafy green vegetable)
2 stalks spring onions, cut into 4cm lengths
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped finely
1 tbsp finely sliced young ginger
3 cups chicken stock stock (or 3 cups water + 1 cube of Knorr's chicken cube)
1½ Tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 Tbsp water
1 large egg, beaten lightly
Sesame oil, soya sauce and white pepper for seasoning

Method

1) Using a stock pot, add 3 cups of stock, garlic and ginger and bring to a boil.

2) Turn fire to medium heat, add in the chicken and bring to a boil. Then throw in the fish cake and mushrooms and bring to a boil.

3) Then add in the prawns, followed by the beaten egg. Once it starts to simmer add in the cornflour mixture until the entire stock has thicken (it should look a bit gooey). Finally add in the green vegetables and spring onion.

4) Season stock with a drizzle of sesame oil and pinch of white pepper. If required, add soya sauce to taste.

5) Put crispy noodle on a plate and then place into the microwave. Set your microwave to high grill for 30 seconds. Take noodle out to taste if it's cripsy and warm. If not, high grill it for another 15 seconds. (Your grilling time will depend on the microwave capacity). If you don't have a microwave, you would need to do quickly deep fry the noodles in a pot of very hot oil until it turns golden brown and is crispy.

6) To serve pour the gravy directly onto the crispy noodle and serve with deep fried shallots and sliced red chillies.

My Hanoi Trip (Part 1) - Around the City

I can't believe that our trip to Hanoi has come and gone in a blink of an eye! We left Singapore on 15 Sept evening for our 3 1/2 hour flight to Hanoi's international airpot, No Bai. Hanoi is located in the northern parts of Vietnam and is the 2nd largest city after Ho Chi Minh. Located on the banks of a mighty river, the River Red, Hanoi has served Vietnam as its capital for more than thousand years. The charming city has undergone a lot of foreign influences and preserves the cultural impact of all these conquests. Initially devastated by the War, Vietnam became accessible to tourists in 1989 and has since developed into an exotic tourist destination.

The lights of Hanoi city greeted us as we landed at about 9pm and after exiting immigration and customs, we took a private taxi to our hotel. If it's your first trip to Hanoi, be sure to check out your taxi fares beforehand and the best source would be to refer to your hotel. Most taxis are not metered and you could be easily charged a much higher fare. I must say it was a pretty scarry experience sitting in a Hanoi taxi. The roads are badly lit and motor bikes are everywhere, zig-zagging between other road users. Cars and heavy vehicles as well will use the same roads as the motor bikes. Drivers will flash their car lights and will horn impatiently at each other. In fact I realized throughout our trip there, they tend to horn all the time (so you can imagine how noisy it gets in the city).

I had booked our hotel, Viet Anh II, through the internet after checking out several recommendations posted online by tourists (Viet Anh is also recommended as a budget accommodation by Lonely Planet). The hotel is located along a narrow alley which made it impossible for vehicles other than motor bikes to enter. The taxi had to alight us on the main road and we then took a short walk to the hotel.





Most buildings (including budget hotels) in Hanoi do not have elevators even though they could be six storeys high. Buildings here have a narrow frontage but are extremely long in depth. The reason is because the government tax building owners on the amount of frontage space they occupy only (not bothering about the depth of the building). Because of this it would be practically impossible to include an elevator shaft within the building. As you can guess it, our hotel didn't have one either but luckily for us our room was on the 2nd floor (I really don't think I could cope with 6 flights of stairs with luggage and all).





This hotel is strategically located. Quite a few tourist sights are all within walking distance, as well as local street food and shops. Over the next couple of days we explored the city by foot. The weather was a bit erratic at times. Some days were gloomy and rained, and other days it was extremely hot and humid. Coming from a developed country like Singapore, Hanoi was a real change. I told my husband that I felt as if I had moved back into time.

Majority of the locals commuted by motor bikes. You can even see ladies in office attire with 3" heels riding motor bikes to work. The streets are jammed with them! Most of the streets do not have traffic lights and the motor bikes would somehow manage to move through street junctions without encountering any accidents. There seems to be an "unspoken" rule here and amongst all this chaos, there is a form of order! Amazing! Crossing the roads is also another feat for foreigners but to the locals it's nothing at all. We learnt that you just need to walk steadily, make no sudden moves, and the motorbikes will weave around you as you walk. As a first timer, it was really unnerving but after a day or 2, you sort of get the hang of it.





It is also quite unique that any building or alley way or blank wall could be converted to either an advertisement board or cafe for the locals to chat and have a cuppa.







You will also encounter a lot of street vendors selling all sort of goods such as freshly cut flowers, fruit, fresh fish and meat, noodles and baguette.





The oldest church in Hanoi, St Joseph's Cathedral, is just located within a stone's throw to our hotel. St Joseph's Cathedral was known simply as the "Big Church" among the Vietnamese of Hanoi. The church was consecrated on the night of Christmas in 1886 by the French. The style of the cathedral was intended to resemble the Notre Dame of Paris. When the communists took over Hanoi, freedom of religion was suppressed for three decades. Only in 1990 was restrictions relaxed and the church started resuming services and the Vietnamese people once again enjoy freedom of worship.





The hotel is also near to Hoan Kiem Lake which means "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword". This lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life. You will see locals just sitting by the lake side and chatting with their friends. Groups of young and old would be doing their daily exercise around the lake (either jogging, walking or doing tai-chi). We even caught sight of this elderly lady using a roadside metal chain to exercise her legs - it was quite funny seeing this especially when she was so near to a policeman trying to direct morning traffic.



Near the northern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake lies Jade Island on which the Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) stands. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honors the 13-century military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty, Van Xuong, a scholar, and Nguyen Van Sieu, a Confucian master and famous writer in charge of repairs made to the temple in 1864. Jade Island is connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted Huc Bridge (The Huc, meaning Morning Sunlight Bridge). This bridge can be found in most postcards of Hanoi. The morning we were there, it was a very gloomy day, dull skies and slight rain. We caught sight of a wedding couple on the bridge having their photographs taken.











About a 25 minute walk from where we're at, is the Dong Xuan market. Located in the Old French Quarter area, Dong Xuan Market, or Cho Dong Xuan, is the oldest and largest market in Hanoi. It is located at Dong Xuan Street, at the end of Hang Dao Street, on the northern part of the Old Quarters. The original building was constructed in 1889, on the site of one of Hanoi's lakes. It is a street market spreading over a surface of 600 square meters, occupying half of the street. Approximately fifty businesses are operating the forty stands selling food, artifacts, souvenirs and tour packages among others.









The streets outside Dong Xuan market was really congested with traffic. In addition each street seemed to be selling similar items example one entire street could be displaying weaved baskets, another street was selling metal wares, the next was children's toys, or cushions and blankets.









Hope you had fun reading this but do stay tuned for Part 2 of my trip!