Vietnam Culinary Discovery – Day 2, Hanoi

December 19, 2014 ~ culinaldi ~ Leave a comment

We had a lot of fun enjoying our lunch that we had prepared during the morning cooking class at the Hanoi Cooking Centre and didn’t realise that it was well after 1pm. Our scheduled afternoon activity included an escorted tour of Hanoi with our local guide, Giang, who was patiently waiting for us to finish our meal.

The first stop for the afternoon was the Temple of Literature, where I had visited the day before. The number of graduating students seemed to double from the previous day and the site was extremely busy. This visit was rather short but it was nice to have a local guide explain the significance of certain monuments that I had casually bypassed previously. The tortoise stele structures shown above are inscribed with the names and details of the scholars who had successfully passed their examinations and had gone on to become mandarins.

Our next leg of the tour to Ba Dinh Square brought us to another significant chapter of Vietnamese history – the Ho Chi Minh Muausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi, Vietnam

Presidential Palace, Hanoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, Hanoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam

It was intriguing to visit the simple, unassuming house that “Uncle Ho” lived in during his final years after declaring that the Presidential Palace was too grand for him. A visit to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which chronicles his life and political achievements, might seem to be tedious for some visitors but Giang piqued our interest by challenging us to find out Ho Chi Minh’s real name in an allotted time of forty minutes. The museum is informative and well-presented but after discovering no less than six aliases throughout three floors of memorabilia, Kylie discovered his real identity surreptitously hidden in a display book and won a Vietnamese coffee for her efforts. I’d like to tell you his name but you’ll just have to go to Hanoi and check it out for yourself.

The last historical site for the afternoon was to Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by captured US soldiers during the Vietnam War, but originally known as the “Maison Centrale” when constructed by the French in the late 19th century. The prison visit was sombre and some of the chosen methods of torture adopted by the French colonists as recanted by Giang were brutal and disturbing.

Le Tonkin Vietnamese Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam

Our afternoon tour concluded on that note and we had an opportunity to head back to the hotel and freshen up for Kylie’s welcome dinner that Giang had arranged for us in the French Quarter. A short drive from the hotel and housed in a beautiful French Colonial building, we arrived at “Le Tonkin” Vietnamese Restaurant to enjoy an eight-course set menu that Giang had selected for the evening – Crab soup, Mixed lotus root salad, Fried eggplant with plum sauce, Grilled beef with pepper sauce, Stir fried prawn with baby corn, Stir fried mixed vegetables, Stewed pork in claypot, Steamed rice in coconut milk and fresh fruit.

Le Tonkin Vietnamese Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam

Sitting outside and enjoying the warmth of the evening, dinner was a grand affair with a myriad of dishes arriving at certain intervals. The food was good, nicely presented and in a great setting. This particular restaurant is a chosen location for a lot of tour companies and is popular with a lot of travellers on Trip Advisor.

Our first real day of the Vietnam Culinary Discovery tour was packed full with activities and food but we knew another exciting couple of days on this trip awaited us tomorrow … Halong Bay!

Disclaimer: All entries regarding the Vietnam Culinary Discovery tour within this blog reflect my own personal insights and experiences throughout my holiday and I was solely responsible for meeting all travel expenses incurred.

Vietnam Culinary Discovery – Hanoi Cooking Centre, Day 2 Morning

December 18, 2014December 18, 2014 ~ culinaldi ~ 1 Comment

Sunday 30th November, 2014

My roommate and co-pilot on the Vietnam Culinary Discovery tour arrived late last night from Sydney, but we are both looking forward to our first cooking class together at the Hanoi Cooking Centre.

We arrive early at the kitchen and meet four other fellow travellers who will be joining us for the morning over a welcome drink.

Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Our first activity is to visit a nearby local market where we start learning about the key ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking and to purchase what is required for our culinary session. We began by looking at the different types of rice at a small stall that looks as though it is also the neighbourhood general store, selling all manner of oils, sauces, condiments and eggs. I’ve been in lots of markets both at home and abroad but as we moved into the meat section, I was struck by the way the ladies were sitting bare-footed and cross-legged on top of the bench, patiently waiting for customers with their sharp cleavers casually lying right beside them.

Market tour – Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Moving slowly through the market, our guide explains differing techniques for curing and processing pork meat and encourages us to try samples from a range of vendors. As we head towards the fresh seafood section, we rounded a corner and saw numerous frogs being skinned alive and gutted for sale. Frogs, also called “Paddyfield Chicken” by our local Travel Indochina guide, are plentiful in Vietnam and are considered to be a staple supplement in the Vietnamese diet but that was one protein that I was extremely eager to avoid.

Being a local market, there were people riding through the narrow pathways between stalls still seated on their motorcycles, almost like a drive-through arrangement! As we progressed through the market, we needed to be mindful of where we were walking, where we were going and who was coming up behind us.

Market tour – Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Our education in herbs, fruits and vegetables continued as we toured through the rest of the market and bought all the ingredients we needed for the day’s lesson. So did we try any local specialities? Our host came across a stall selling silk worms for eating and explained how it was prepared, then asked if we wanted to try it back at the kitchen. To my surprise the group consensus was affirmative!

Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Back in the kitchen, we said goodbye to our first host and hello to our chef who would be guiding us through an exotic menu of Caramel Fish with Galangal, Lacy Spring Rolls with Crab, Prawn and Taro, Squid and Pomelo Salad and Rice Dumpling Steamed in Banana Leaf.

The first order of business was to watch our chef demonstrate the preparation of the marinade for the fish dish and then head back to our allotted stations and replicate the same procedure.

Caramel Fish with Galangal, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Our hosts obviously knew how Australians like to cook because as soon as we started preparing our food, orders for local Vietnamese wine and beer were being taken. I initially ordered a red wine after being told that it was quite good but unfortunately it was just the opposite. Thankfully for us, the beer and wine were free-flowing so I switched to white wine and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. Vang Dalat wine is produced in the south of Vietnam and has hints of lime and banana on the nose, and a dry, mineral, tropical fruit taste on the palate. A great tasting and refreshing wine, although I was also surprised to learn that it was actually made from common Red Flame seedless table grapes that we typically purchase from our supermarkets.

Vang Dalat White Wine

Once the fish was marinating in a mixture of fish sauce, finely sliced shallots and galangal, it was time to head back to the front bench and watch how to prepare the filling and rolling technique for the spring rolls.

Lacy Spring Rolls with Crab, Prawn and Taro, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

With the spring rolls finished and set aside, our chef took a detour from the menu and began to fry the silk worms that had been purchased at the market. I don’t know whether it was the wine or safety in numbers, but I grabbed a set of chopsticks and tried one and … it didn’t taste like chicken but something akin to a mixture of crunchy peanut butter and seafood. I even went back and tried another one or three.

Tastes like peanut butter and seafood ... Fried Silk Worm, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam — Tastes like peanut butter and seafood … Fried Silk Worm, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

We finished off the preparation of the main course by browning the fish in a frying pan and adding the caramel sauce and chilli, before transferring everything into small claypots and baking in the oven for an additional ten minutes. While the fish was cooking, we started preparing the ingredients for next dish. Kylie, my tour companion and I made a fabulous team chopping, peeling and shredding all the components required to assemble our Squid and Pomelo salad.

Caramel Fish with Galangal, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

With a glass of wine in hand, we were summoned back to the front bench where our chef explained how the preparation of traditional dishes such as Bun Rieu Cua or Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Noodle Soup were often used as a test by future mother-in-laws for their son’s prospective brides. After learning the secrets to making the best broth, we were each given a bowl to try and needless to say, it was absolutely delicious.

Crab Noodle Soup, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

While consuming our soup, our chef gave us a bit of a break by demonstrating and preparing the Rice Dumpling dessert on behalf of the group, so that all that remained was to thank our hosts for a fabulous morning and head upstairs to the dining room and enjoy all the dishes that we had prepared for lunch… and a little bit more wine.

Rice Dumpling Steamed in Banana Leaf, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Lacy Spring Rolls with Crab, Prawn and Taro, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Rice Dumpling Steamed in Banana Leaf, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Caramel Fish with Galangal, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

Squid and Pomelo Salad, Hanoi Cooking Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

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Vietnam Culinary Discovery – Day 1, Hanoi

December 14, 2014February 22, 2015 ~ culinaldi ~ Leave a comment

Saturday 29th November, 2014

Today is officially the first day of the Vietnam Culinary Discovery tour however the only activity scheduled for the day is to meet my local guide for welcome drinks and a tour briefing at 6pm followed by dinner at a local restaurant, so I have a whole day to explore Hanoi at my leisure.

Tomorrow’s activities include a cooking class in the morning followed by sightseeing in the Ho Chi Minh Quarter and visiting the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. Flicking through my guidebook, there are a couple of monuments that I might not get a chance to see before I leave Hanoi, specifically the Temple of Literature.

Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

With a map in hand, I walk a couple of kilometres through the back streets in the general direction of the Temple of Literature. When I get there, the museum is crowded with students who are having their graduation photos taken professionally with their classmates. I found out later that these students haven’t actually taken their final exams yet! Just like wedding photos in Vietnam, the pictures are taken prior to the actual event. It was fun watching groups rehearsing throwing their caps up in the air for the photo shoot, all the girls dressed up in traditional gowns and the boys looking dapper in their Western suits that they have hired for the day.

Across the road from the Temple of Literature is KOTO (acronym for “Know One Teach One”) which is an Australian-Vietnamese social enterprise training former street kids and disadvantaged youth in hospitality at its vocational centres, located in Hanoi and Saigon. There is a KOTO cookbook readily available in Australia that I recall seeing recently and which prompted me to go and see firsthand how the café operates, and to give the trainees someone to practice on.

KOTO Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam

I arrived at the café just before midday so I had my pick of tables, however within fifteen minutes tourist groups and other travellers were steadily flowing through the doors. The young man serving me was a little shy but eager to please, although I probably gave him a bit of a challenge with my soft voice and Aussie accent. The menu has a great selection of both Vietnamese and Western dishes but I didn’t come to Vietnam to order fish and chips so I opted for a green mango and prawn salad to combat the warm weather.

Lunch was certainly plentiful and nicely presented on a large white plate. The salad was crisp and light with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables, crunchy peanuts and a liberal use of finely chopped red chillies to provide a touch of heat. The prawns were lacking a bit of flavour and were a little soft in texture but otherwise it was delectable.

KOTO also offers cooking classes which I thought about doing given that I had the afternoon free, however 24 hours notice is required for bookings which now ruled me out of contention.

http://www.koto.com.au/about-koto/koto-enterprise/koto-hanoi-restaurant

I got a little lost meandering through the streets in the afternoon, dodging motorbikes and trying to capture photos of street vendors in their conical hats. The lady with the fried treats wanted 500,000 VND($28 AUD) for a couple of doughnuts so I kept on walking much to her disappointment.

Street vendors, Hanoi, Vietnam

Just before 6pm, I wandered down to the hotel lobby to meet my local guide and the other tour participants. Giang, the local guide for Hanoi and the only female guide for Travel Indochina in Vietnam, introduced herself and then informed me that there was one other guest, who would also be my roommate, on this particular trip. Eeek! The last couple of tours had over forty guests, and whilst this was a small group tour limited to fifteen in number, the prospect of being on a relatively private tour was a little daunting. My tour companion was arriving later in the evening, so as dinner was included Giang offered to take me to a local restaurant for a welcome drink and more local fare.

A short distance away from the hotel, Giang led us into a small lift in a lobby off the street and through a series of stairs and then into an elegant dining space. The Cau Go Restaurant takes its name from the street where it is located and we were shown to the outdoor balcony area that overlooked Hoan Kiem Lake and stunning view of the city.

Tonight’s dinner was a seven course feast of contemporary Vietnamese cuisine consisting of Shrimp salad with green mango, Fried seafood spring rolls, Stewed “Hu” fish in traditional claypot, Clam soup with fennel, Sautéed broccoli with garlic, steamed rice and fresh fruit.

I was expecting a local beer and some rice noodle soup however the food, wine and ambience surpassed all expectations. The standout dish was the shrimp and green mango salad, which eclipsed the meal I had at lunch time. The prawns were succulent and the sesame seeds on the salad added another dimension of flavour and texture to the salad.

In our culture soup is usually served at the start of the meal, however in Vietnamese cuisine, the soup is brought out towards the end of the meal as a palate cleanser and to help with digestion. The subtle flavours within the seafood and fennel soup were refreshing and not too heavy on the stomach. It was truly a fabulous dinner and an exotic start to my culinary experiences in Vietnam.