Tag Archive: Asia


Breezing Through North ‘Nam

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Exotic Cuisine, Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
September 27, 2023

Vietnam is a fascinating state with an equally fascinating history, culture and cuisine. I’ve made at least 4 trips here and this fifth time around, ventured into the mountain areas up in Northwestern Vietnam. I have always enjoyed Vietnamese cuisine and thought I knew enough about it and wrongfully assumed Vietnamese cuisine up in the mountainous areas of Lao Cai are the familiar dishes I found in Ho Chi Minh, Hue, Hoi An, Danang and Hanoi. Wrong! Sa Pa cuisine is a culture in itself. Those hotpots and bamboo rice are no way familiar at all. Fish means either salmon or sturgeon. And meat can be beef, pork, buffalo, (black) chicken, horse or (brace yourself) dog meat. So we made sure we struck off horse and dog meat from the menu. Seriously. It is a vegan paradise though , with an assortment of vegetables and herbs served to us. And if you like fish stew, you’d enjoy these soupy dishes. After a few days, we grew tired of the local cuisine and went in search for Western dishes. Pizza, pasta, meatballs, steaks saved us. All’s well 😉

Sa Pa Cuisine

The French may have influenced gustatory arts in the more cosmopolitan areas but that influence may have fizzled out in the mountain areas of Northern Vietnam. Food was nothing “fancy” but served in great quantities, too much in fact. And I seriously missed my desserts 😞. It’s a good thing the coffee scene was soooo great and the coffee concoctions are truly more desserts than coffee in my book! (Tip: try the coffee shops — ate some real good apple crumble in Le Gecko) Best of all, the mountain sceneries & meet- ups with hill tribes are memorable experiences with all the local colors & flavors (pun intended).

Tribal Women and Bebes In Watercolour

Just click on the blog link below for more photos and details.

Touchdown, Sa Pa

Bac Ha Sunday Market

Fansipan Adventure

Dining in Hanoi

Glass Bridge

Cafe Crawl in Sa Pa

Red Dao Herbal Baths & Moana

Bun Cha OBAMA

Coffee Scene in Hanoi

A Museum, More Cafes, Sky Bar

ENJOY!

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Elsewhere In Hanoi

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Not my first time here but I’m traveling with my Nieta who’s a first-timer in Hanoi. Had a list of touristy spots but she crafted her own itinerary which included a visit to Vietnamese Women’s Museum, another café crawl and some honky-tonk noodle joint. Not to forget, she wanted also to check out a rooftop bar with a city view and thankfully , our hotel in Hanoi has a really lovely SkyBar . Would have included a shopping adventure on our last day in Hanoi but there wasn’t enough time . After all, our trip was really focused on Sa Pa in Northwestern Vietnam and we just had to fly in and out of Hanoi. So we made good use of those 2 days in the capital. No war museums, no mausoleum, no prison visits, really nothing that we’d find depressing. Just all positive vibes!

Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Vietnamese Women’s Museum

First off my Nieta’s list is the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. Went there for 2 principal reasons: the permanent collection of women’s costumes is awesome AND we were also intrigued by gender issues within some mountain tribes we met when we visited Sapa. One of our guides there recounted how women in her tribe have no say in choosing their grooms. As early as age 15-16, a man can choose a girl to be his wife, “kidnap” her for 3 days, and then arrange their marriage. Bride kidnapping is a tribal custom still practiced in this day and age. How and why? Let me just say it’s utterly bizarre that the custom is still practiced now. But it’s a culture thing and so let’s skip the subject 🧐

Bun Cha Huong Lien
The best Banh Mi in town?

We also didn’t miss that Bun Cha noodle shop made popular by the show “Parts Unknown”. It’s a hole in the wall now listed in the Michelin Guide. Check out my earlier blog on this. Another popular spot is Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. We grabbed a couple of banh mis to eat in our room but I must say the banh mis I’ve tried in Hoi An is a notch or so better. Just the same, Banh Mi 25 is reasonably good and value-for-money. Once you’ve had your fill, you should be ready for the nightlife. We’re not party people but we sure know how to enjoy a drink or two. Choosing to enjoy a nightcap in our hotel, we tried the Ignite Sky Bar’s cocktails. Strawberry Daiquiri, Mango Margarita, and more. Sunset and city views are perfect from this rooftop bar. La vie est Belle!

Strawberry Margarita
Ignite Sky Bar
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Parts Now Known (Hanoi)

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September 21, 2023

Parts Unknown by Anthony Bourdain is one of my fav shows. Lamentably, Tony is no longer around to guide us. Not only in terms of what and where to eat, but on how to appreciate food in the context of culture and even traditions. One show on Hanoi food adventure is that one where Bourdain dined in some honky-tonk joint with no less than THE PRESIDENT OBAMA. So what do you expect from a food show that features a dinner date between Tony and Barack?

Bun Cha

I remember searching for a pho joint in Ho Cho Minh City whose claim to fame is that President Bill Clinton happened to eat there. Pho 2000 isn’t bad but I’d say food taste is really just your average Joe. Or average Huy or Nam, if you like. And now, there’s Bun Cha Huong Lien. But first a lesson on what is pho vs Bun Cha. Pho is a noodle soup while bun cha is more dry. Like having barbecued pork over your vermicelli plus some really, really good broth flavoured with sweetened vinegar and fish sauce. I love bun cha!

They call it Combo Obama👌
The Combo Obama goes with this Seafood Roll

Price-wise, this joint is a winner. You can’t go wrong at these unbelievably low prices for some truly good soupy dishes. And the servings are soooo generous. The veggies and vermicelli are all laid out on a platter even before you order anything. I guess the veggies and thin noodles go with anything you order. Go help yourselves, folks. Just don’t expect fancy tableware nor linen service 😂 . Service is not impeccable but fairly prompt and standard. Honky tonk that it is, we actually enjoyed the same bun Cha and Combo Obama that Barack and Tony Bourdain enjoyed. Value for money it is.

Bun Cha 👌

Oh, btw, “bun” in Vietnam means vermicelli and “cha” means grilled pork. Bun Cha is one of the iconic dishes here in Vietnam and certainly worth a try! And once you’re done eating, how about going up to the upper floor to check out the glass-encased box on display where Obama and Bourdain ate their bun Cha along with their dining sets and tiny stools. Such is Bun Cha Huong Lien’s claim to fame. Enjoy!

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Café Crawl In Sapa, Vietnam

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
September 20, 2023

Back in Manila, we’d schedule our cafe or bar dates at least once a week. The prospect thrills us and the actual experience is always a delight. On our trip to Sapa in Northern Vietnam, we spent an entire afternoon for our post-lunch cafe crawl. We haven’t had a proper dessert since we got here but first off, we just had to try the popular egg coffee and coconut coffee.

Cong Cafe
Coconut Coffee now tops my list of iced coffees

This is our first time to try coconut coffee. Cong Ca Phe is 👍that we recommend it — iced! More dessert than coffee, actually. Back in Hanoi, we tried egg coffee but it wasn’t the best so we went in search of good egg coffee here in Sapa. Found one in Le Gecko. In both coffee shops, we took “front seats” to appreciate the street scene. People-watching can be habitual if I were to live here. The cars and motorbikes with passengers or cargo (unbelievable!) passing by is what life is all about here. Sapa may be 6 hours away from cosmopolitan Hanoi but it certainly isn’t a sleepy town or ghost town. Sure, it’s in the boondocks but commerce and tourism has touched this mountain town and even the hill tribe folks are quite comfortable plying their wares in the streets here.

The street scene from Cong Ca Phe.
Inside Cong Ca Phe

Cong Ca Phe is in a two-storey building, but the best seats in the shop are those in the porch. There is even a resident fur baby who seems so “at home” here. As for Le Gecko Cafe, it’s in another busy section of this mountain town near the pond area. Again, we took the “front seats” from where we enjoyed our egg coffee and an apple crumble pie. So yum! The egg coffee here is more dense, foamy and frothy than the one we tried in Hanoi. So so good that we actually thought of heading back after our dinner!

El Gecko
Egg Coffee
Oh, that apple crumble!

P.S. We actually trooped back the following day for another iced coconut cafe and to try the Cot Dua Com Xanh or Coconut Green Rice Coffee. So so refreshingly good!

Iced Coconut Coffee and Green Rice Coffee
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Dining in Hanoi

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 1 Comment
September 19, 2023

We are actually headed for Sapa in Northern Vietnam, some 5-6 hours away from Hanoi. But there’s time enough to check out some Hanoi eats before the “nature trip” up North starting with this Hanoi signature dish called Cha Ca. Served with dill, spring onions and vermicelli, this turmeric fish is a classic. Cha Ca La Vong is its full title but in Hanoi, they simply call it Cha Ca. One of the popular restos serving this Hanoi specialty is just right across our hotel. The Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant in the Old Quarter of Hanoi has 3 outlets IN THE SAME STREET but the one across our Hotel Peridot has a tiny, narrow courtyard leading to a two- storey French-inspired structure in faded yellow hues. The main ingredient is the grilled catfish marinated in turmeric and cooked with dill and spring onions right on the table. We were taught to fill our individual bowls with vermicelli before spooning in the turmeric fish with dill and other herbs like coriander and mint. There were also peanuts one can throw in with some fish sauce mixture to taste.

Cha Ca
Vermicelli goes into bowl first, then spoon in the fish and herbs. Next, throw in the nuts and some sauce.

If you’re dining here, don’t think there are many menu options. People come here really for the Cha Ca dish. You may order some fried rolls just for variety but I didn’t find them particularly good. The Hanoi beer is a good accompaniment, or you can go for some tea instead. This is not my first time in Hanoi but it’s my first time to try this Hanoi dish.

Egg Coffee
Hanoi Beer

Post-Chaka lunch, we trooped to the cafe a few meters away to try the EGG COFFEE. Introduced way back in 1940s during the French war, egg as a milk substitute just burst out as the perfect remedy at a time when milk was in truly serious shortage. I can’t say I was floored, but under the conditions when it was resorted to, I bet it was a hit! Now a popular Vietnamese coffee aside from that which uses condensed milk, the egg coffee is bold, foamy, dense, and syrupy. Best spooned than sipped. Almost like a dessert. An experience, if you like.

Rolls and Prawn Pad Thai
Chicken in Skewers

After Sapa, we’d stop by Hanoi again before flying out. Let’s see how we make out in the dining department. In the same hotel where we stayed, I wouldn’t mind repeating some of the dishes we enjoyed in the lovely Grand Peridot Boutique Hotel. Not exactly traditional Vietnamese cuisine, but the prawn pad Thai, rolls and chicken in skewers made for a delightful dinner with all the theatrics in presentation, capped by a dramatic cocktail concoction. Xin Chao!

Cocktails With A Flair
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A Beach Affair To Remember

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Musings & Ramblings, Philippine Travels, Seniors, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

The Resthouse

Once you cross 50 years since graduation, you treasure every moment, every minute, every get-together not knowing when the next one would be. Nor who’d be around at the next reunion. This sentiment prompted many based abroad to come home, and for the core organisers to line up as many events. Any excuse to see each other in the limited time everyone is around. Amazingly, the adrenaline of seeing each other again must have pumped up these “energiser bunnies” as every event, every single affair proved to be well-attended, well- organised, and superbly enjoyed! Best of all, that very same energy pushed these senior ladies to brave the long drive to LAIYA, San Juan in BATANGAS and to pull an overnighter in this wonderful paradise of a beach resort.

As one rolls into their 70’s, the service demands grow several notches higher. Food, customer service, cleanliness, convenience and leisure/entertainment option all become mandatory rather than simple wish lists. It would be a nightmare to fail their standards. But The Resthouse truly delivered. The 9-hectare beachfront estate provided the sea breeze, stillness, tranquility and scenic views to soothe the nerves after long drives. The memory of a beach affair among giggly, life-loving, cheerful and cool, rocking grandmas is a gift made possible by The Resthouse management and staff. Five stars won’t suffice. And the fond memories will last for a very long time.

Thank you, The Resthouse, for granting our wish of this lifetime memory. We treasure our time spent in this slice of heaven on earth. Till our next gathering there!

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Bac Ha Sunday Market

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The Bac Ha Market some 3 hour drive from Sapa totally overwhelmed me. But what’s most interesting isn’t so much what they sell but how the hill tribes of Northern Vietnam have created a community here. The Flower H’Mong, the Phu La, the Black Dao, Tay and La Chi Nhung minorities. How to tell one tribe from another? Don’t ask me 🧐

The forecast was one rainy WEEK, but we’ve been enjoying sunshine since we reached Sapa here in Northwestern Vietnam. On the day we visited this Sunday Market, it was totally humid. The animal trading — horse, buffalo, dogs, etc — wasn’t my cup of tea. So my travel mates and I spent more time in the fabrics/textiles area. Along the way, we passed some organic plants, herbs, nuts and fruits. There was a display of assorted natural “viagra” and the sales pitch is one for the books. We chanced upon a couple on a mission to stock up on a few of these herbs and the entire sales spiel was quite an entertaining spectacle. 😜

Local Color To The Core

The once-a-week market is truly both a community and commercial affair — a social and trading event that has lasted over a century now. It’s a privilege to witness this exotic cultural experience. The open, outdoor market stretches over an expanse that it would be easy to get disoriented. In particular, I enjoyed the local color and flavor such as finding a “barber shop al fresco”. It’s your mobile barber in action! Or a motorbiker with a basket full of chickens. I didn’t have the heart to try horse stew there though. Not for moí. Sorry.

Bac Ha Sunday Market
Barber Shop?

After lunch somewhere within the Sunday Market’s periphery, we headed for the Ban Pho village just a few minutes away. Corn wine was available but I took one sniff of the stuff and promptly avoided it. Must be over 50% alcohol, enough to knock one out after a few sips. If you ask me, you can give this visit a miss. The market is quite interesting even if some of the products can be found in the town and city malls, but the local color and experience cannot be replicated in the more cosmo and commercial spots. Nor the local herbs and ethnic vibes. The locals are also very friendly yet not pushy to make a sale which I like. The “pros” in the city shops give me a headache, actually. I’m glad we came despite enduring 6 hours on the road. Along the way, we also checked out the Vietnam/China Border. Separated only by a river, it’s amazing how these “neighbors” can literally wave to each other across the river. 👋

The Way to Bac Ha Market
Vietnam-China Border
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Of Cable Cars, Funiculars And Glass Suspension Bridges

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Fansipan
Fansipan Cable Car

Too much excitement in one day! The Fansipan adventure involved cable car and funicular rides to reach Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam. Touted as the “roof of IndoChina”, it is actually higher than Machu Picchu at over 3,000 meters. Hoang Lien Son mountain range spans the horizon as the cable car climbs up to the peak. Once there, some 600 steps await you. Along the way, there are temples, outdoor Buddhas and restos. One can even ride horses in the complex run and operated by Sun World Legend. We were a big group of adventurers who endured the long drive from Hanoi to Sapa just to get here. Seniors, young professionals and toddlers all out to enjoy each other’s company and savor the sense of family we’ve come to adopt, having traveled together way too many times and seeing the family grow.

The Fansipan Complex is huge! The cable car and funicular rides are run efficiently and the dining outlets and food courts within the entire park look promising. There are also snack booths and massage chairs to fill up one’s time and the crowds seem to be manageable. The entire time we were here, the day grew from cloudy to sunny back to sunny with some breeze. Luckily it didn’t rain. Just a slight drizzle.

Fansipan Funicular

Easily, one can spend 3 hours or more here. Longer, if you linger over lunch or snacks or if one is doing the temples. The ride to the peak via the funicular can be crowded and once at the top, it is quite magical to see, even feel, the fog envelop the area where one finds the tallest flagstaff of IndoChina. Be warned though : it can get windy and cooler once you reach the top so be sure to wrap up.

Glass-Bottomed Bridge

After Farsipan, we took on another challenge. The Bach Long Glass-Bottomed Bridge is touted as the longest in the whole world. Not one for the weak of heart. Nor one short of patience. We took too many transfers — 2 short van rides, an elevator that took all of 3 minutes, along with some waiting time in between transfers. Now, this phenomenal structure left us confused and inconvenienced. There are vans to take visitors from one level to the next. An elevator that takes a full 3 minutes to reach the suspension bridge. Why was this built, you’d ask? Just to land in the Guinness List? To draw in tourists, visitors seeking thrills and excitement? We found many locals when we visited. Thrill-seekers? I took a few steps and that’s enough. Why walk the entire stretch of 700 meters, pray tell?

Glass Bridge
Nearly 1 Kilometer Suspension Bridge

So there. Two major altitude challenges in one day. The first challenge was justified by the magnificent view of the mountain range. As for the glass-bottomed bridge, we must be insane to even consider coming here. 🤣

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Unmistakably Japanese

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Japan, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — 1 Comment
January 17, 2023

We are home, and still dreaming of the sites we visited and the food we enjoyed. Times are better and “lost in translation” is soon a thing of the past. Google translate and the young helpful Japanese make life so much easier. When we touched down and trooped out of the Namba train station, we couldn’t figure out which direction to take to reach our hotel. When the map says it’s near, hailing a cab is out of the question and that means we should drag our luggage to our hotel just a couple of blocks away. A pair of young Japanese happily walked us to our hotel — crossed 2 streets with us and even offered to take my suitcase. Using Google translate, the young fellow asked if there’s some other place we’d like to pass by before checking in at our Namba hotel. Bless their hearts!

Love how these young Japanese ham it up!

On the way to our hotel — both in Osaka and Tokyo — we took note of all those red and gold lanterns, lightings, food stalls and shops where purchases are so neatly wrapped. Those snack foods packed in cute boxes and bags, as well as young adults in twinning outfits or in school’s winter uniforms. I just love how traditional structures, decor and traditions have survived and withstood the onslaught of modernity in all aspects of Japanese life. Like onsen, tea ceremonies, food alleys, Shinto and Buddhist shrines, temples and pagodas dotting the city landscapes. And how the locals show respect with a bow after rendering service even when no one is looking!

My love affair with Japan began long before I started traveling. Back when I was still in school, I had a weekend foster brother who is Japanese. Kazuhiro is from Osaka but we’ve lost touch many years ago. How I wish we remained in contact. My father who never had a son readily welcomed this Japanese lad on the many weekends he spent with us in our ancestral home in the province. I remember his fastidious attention to cleaning the bathroom that our family made sure he bathed LAST. My father would egg us all to hit the showers before Hiro — as we fondly called him — took his bath. Invariably, Hiro left behind him sparkling clean bathroom tiles after all the scrubbing. And that includes brushing the bathroom slippers squeaky clean!

My only regret was that we were too busy feeding Hiro with local delicacies instead of leaving him to try his kitchen skills. Back then, we weren’t too keen on Japanese cuisine. Sushi and ramen were totally not favoured over mami and siopao to ignoramus like moí and eating raw would have been unwelcome even to my Pa and Ma. Too bad. At the time, what I considered “unmistakably Japanese” then was limited to thoroughly clean, a manicured and pebbled garden, a bow to show appreciation, welcome, and bye, perfectly-cooked rice and good tea!

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Train-Hopping Towards Fuji

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Japan, Travel, travels — 2 Comments
January 14, 2023

Mt. Fuji isn’t hiding behind any clouds this winter. From the Observatory of Metropolitan Government Building across our hotel, Mt. Fuji can be spotted clearly. One morning, we decided to hop on a JR line to reach Otsuki (pronounced Otski) for a closer view of the majestic mountain. But we found many of the other train passengers heading towards a rail express line towards Lake Kawaguchi. Seeing a poster in the station of Mt. Fuji viewed from the lake, we decided to pay extra for another hour-long train ride towards Kawaguchiko where we found a taxi to drive us around the lake then back to the station. We’re happy with the photos we snapped but knew they’d have turned out better if it was later in the day when the mountain is reflected in the lake waters. At noontime, no such dreamy reflection as the sun shone brilliantly.

Viewed from Tokyo Metropolitan Building in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Viewed from the Train

Our taxi driver took our photos as he very kindly offered so we two can be photographed in a single frame. We tried not to squint our eyes and stood still for more posterity shots. There were not too many tourists at the time and the few we met are staying the night in one of the lakefront hotels. Next time I come here, I should do that. The view is fantastic especially when the dame shows up in all her splendour sans the clouds.

Viewed from the Taxi
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