Food, Glorious Food!

After breakfast we made our way to the Gioan Cookery School which was very highly rated on TripAdvisor. We were in a private class of just the 2 of us. We were taken to the local market by a young lady called BC. She took us on a circuit of the market which was split into fruit and veg, meat and fish. She explained all about the different herbs, fruit and vegetables. Some we were familiar with, some we had never seen or tasted before. It was really informative and interesting. The markets open very early in Vietnam as the locals shop and cook before going to work.

Han was our teacher and her English was excellent. We cooked 4 dishes and all of them can be recreated in the UK with available ingredients. We made fresh spring rolls, country pancake with prawn and chicken, chicken with lemongrass and beef pho. They all tasted wonderful and I am sure that the next couple of dinner parties may be Vietnamese themed! Any takers? ....

We got a taxi back to the hotel with the intention of spending an hour by the pool. But the heavens opened and scuppered that idea. So we just chilled and once the rain had passed we went back into the Old Town. You have to buy a ticket to enter the Old Town which also gives entry to 5 of 'the historic attractions'. We visited the Assembly Rooms on route to find a bar. We found a bar that enabled us to sit on the first floor, facing the river so we could once again watch the town come alight with lanterns.

I bought a lantern with a candle from a cross legged elderly lady sitting on the quayside for about 30p and set it on the river with a wish. We watched it bob along for a while and then decided we were feeling peckish again.

We headed for a restaurant called Streets. Think of Jamie Oliver and Fifteen ( in terms of purpose, not food). Streets was set up by a non profit making organisation that takes people off the streets, provides healthcare, support, English lessons, living accommodation, and an 18 month training program covering front of house, management and cooking. On graduation, the participants can apply for jobs in the top hotels. There is only 1 restaurant at the moment but they hope to roll it out globally.

We were very lucky to get a table, as it was full and they were turning people away. We arrived just as a couple were paying their bill. The food was lovely. We had green papaya salad with dried beef, pink dumplings, seafood fried rice and Asian chicken curry.

We say goodbye to Vietnam for a few days tomorrow as we pop over to Cambodia. We will spend the morning in the Old Town and do the historic attractions ; bridges, Vietnamese tube houses, assembly halls and museums. I think there are about 8 in total, the ticket allows entry to 5 and we have already done 1 of the Assembly Halls. They are small places so it is not going to take hours.

Stranger Things

It's still Christmas here!