A Vietnam Obsession

For several years, Molly’s sister kept extolling the virtues of Vietnam. Having lived there for many years, she had sufficient ‘street cred’, and recommended Hoi An as a great introduction to Vietnam. It turns out that Hoi An is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Every time we have visited similar UNESCO sites we have enjoyed them. So, two recommendations make a trip … or is that two points make a line? Either way, we made a line for Vietnam. Cute? Obtaining the necessary visa for Vietnam requires a bit of effort. Getting to Hoi An is much more straightforward. With direct flights from Seattle, we opted to connect through Hong Kong. The schedule was selected in part so that we could celebrate Molly’s birthday in Hong Kong. Great duck … I made serious hubby points. What was not planned is that our visit coincided with the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong and the Tet holiday in Vietnam. Oops. I guess that is why I got such good deals on flights and hotels. So much for those hubby points.

Based on previous experiences at other Anantara properties, we chose to stay at the Anantara Hoi An. The room was spacious and very comfortable, with a wonderful balcony overlooking the river. It is an easy walk through the street market to the Old City.

As it turned out, the Tet holiday was the perfect time to visit Hoi An. The city was adorned with lanterns and at night, families would congregate around the river to release small paper boats and candles with various wishes for the new year. There are ample activities throughout Hoi An. A quick scan on Trip Advisor demonstrates that capitalism is being fully embraced in Hoi An. There are hundreds of eager entrepreneurs finding creative ways to separate tourists from their Vietnamese đồng. Despite the Tet holiday, many were eager to show us their hospitality.  Here is a sample of things I suggest doing in Hoi An.

Eat Bahn Mi

Just about every travel or food website, blog, book, TV show, or guru seems to hype Vietnamese food. It pains me to say … they are right. The food is amazing. Fresh ingredients, powerful flavors, multiple cultural influences, simply prepared. The best example is the Bahn Mi sandwich. The best place to taste one is ‘The Banh Mi Queen’. It is almost impossible to explain the Bahn Mi. I know … it is just a sandwich. However, a sample of the ingredients should be a clue. French baguette, Laughing Cow cheese, fresh Vietnamese veggies, fish paste, and pâté. An obvious combination, right? Two sandwiches and two beers for about $4 USD. Priceless. Because of the Tet holiday, ‘The Banh Mi Queen’ was only open two of the days that we were in Hoi An. We ate there both days.

Find Bahn Mi

When your travel companion suggests that your obsession with ‘The Bahn Mi Queen’ is bordering on stalking, it is probably time to seek out some other Vietnamese cuisine. We often find that the best way to sample the local flavors is to hook up with a food tour. In Hoi An, we joined Phuoc from Coconut Tours for an evening tour of street food vendors. Without Phuoc, there are places in Hoi An that we would never have found, and some we would never have tried. Each stop was unique, local, and tasty … including various noodles, sweets, snails, and several unfamiliar dishes. After more than 20 stops, I began to worry that there might be some sort of tourist exit tax at the airport based on the amount of weight gained while in Vietnam. Fortunately, the last stop was for Bahn Mi. OK … I guess one more. I ate part of Molly’s as well.

Cook Bahn Mi

As Vietnam becomes a mecca for foodies, a growing number of cooking classes are popping up throughout Hoi An. Molly and I have taken several cooking classes throughout the world, but none can match the energy and enthusiasm that Vina at the Gioan Cooking Class provides. This is truly an interactive cooking spectacular and Vina is a bundle of energy that is part Julia Child, part Vietnamese ambassador, and part game show host. It has taken me quite some time, and a bit of therapy, to shake off her name for me … ‘Sauce Boy’. Vina provided recipes and information on everything we needed to make several dishes at home. Fortunately, since our trip to Paris, Molly’s baguette is now Bahn Mi worthy.

Relax After Bahn Mi

As previously noted, Molly has a thing for massages in Asia. A wonderful lunch in town, a massive downpour, and a short walk from the hotel was a perfect excuse for a massage at Aaron Spa. That’s it. They didn’t serve any Bahn Mi. If you want to know more, ask Molly.

Take Photos of Bahn Mi

During our stay in Hoi An, I went on a morning photography tour with Pieter from Hoi An Photo Walks. I admit … we did not take any photos of Bahn Mi, but I needed to keep the theme going. Actually if you look carefully in the bicycle’s basket. Never mind. Pieter is very knowledgeable about photography and Hoi An. He was very helpful in providing some technical suggestions for me as I learn how to transition from film to digital. We walked through the back streets of Hoi An and were able to meet many people that he has obviously built a relationship with. I enjoyed the time on the tour. More importantly … I can see an improvement in the quality of the photos that I took after the tour and my most favorite souvenir from our trip to Vietnam were the photographs that I took during our stay.

Yes, there is more than food in Hoi An, Vietnam. There are a lot of activities to do, shopping, and sites to see such as the ancient town and My Son Sanctuary. People are incredibly friendly and the entire country is very picturesque. But seriously … the Bahn Mi is really good. Can you guess what wish I wrote on my paper boat ?