Danang, Vietnam January 2018 Part 2
Our Mini Moon
January 2-6 2018
the Last two day of our minimoon and I was not ready to leave.
Day 4
January 5 2018
we both had loved our previous visit to hoi an so we definitely wanted to go back. i had remembered one of my favorite meals in hanoi at morning glory restaurant. i had wondered if it was still around and still good. upon checking on their website i saw that they offered cooking classes. so instead of just eating the DELICIOUS food, i thought it would be a fun experience to learn how to cook some vietnamese food. so we booked a class that included a fresh food market tour, some tastings of vietnamese dishes and then a full cooking class.
First we took a short boat ride to the other side of the river to the fresh food market. there we walked all around to learn and to see the different VARIETies of vegetables, seafood, fruits, and other DELICACIES of the region. it is a huge market that stretches for several blocks that is open daily. there is also spices and dried fruits that you can buy and take home.
Variety of Beans
Variety of Fruits such as Lychee, Rose Apple, and Milk Apple
Flying Fish
Milk Apple
Different Types of Rice Noodles
After our tour we took the boat back to the cooking school. on the ground level is a food emporium for local vietnamese food (Vy's Market restaurant), which is open to the public. it is a great OPPORTUNITY to try many different kinds of vietnamese food in a nice, easy to understand environment. before cooking we went around to the different stalls to try a few small bites. most of them were very good, and a few well let's just say were interesting.
First Stop
Second Stop
Banh Mi, a staple sandwich all over Vietnam
Silk Worm Salad
Duck Egg Embryo
Crispy Pancakes with Shrimp
After filling up on all this food, it was time to begin our cooking class. i surprised at how fast paced and intense the class was as it's SUPPOSED to be for tourists and home cooks. nevertheless it was a lot of fun and very tasty, it reminded me of being back in culinary school.
Many Ingredients
First Dish- Cabbage Leaf Parcels
Second Dish- Crispy Pancakes with Shrimp and Pork
Final Presentation
Last Dish- BBQ Chicken and Lime Leaves with Mango Salad
Lemongrass Ice Crem
if you are in hanoi and have some time i would recommend taking a cooking class. Who doesn't love vietnamese food. if you are short on time and want to see the other sites of hanoi and the surrounding areas then i would recommend dining at one of their restaurants. i have only eaten at the original morning glory restaurant but seems they now have SEVERAL restaurants and bars all around hoi an.
Taste Vietnam by ms vy
https://tastevietnam.asia/
as it was still early in the afternoon we decided to walk around the old town and we clearly noticed that a lot had changed. it was more crowded and touristy than we both had remembered, it had lost its charm. but i guess that's what happens to many places around the world, the cycle of life which can be good or bad. i am happy that it has grown so rapidly but also sad that it has lost its unique character. besides the old ancient town of hoi an there are also several interesting places to visit close by such as the imperial city of hue and my son sanctuary, ancient ruins of hindu temples. i visited them last time, they are worth a trip.
what a long day. we were pretty tired by the end so we went back to the hotel to have a simple dinner at the barefoot restaurant and lastly a NIGHTCAP at the long bar before bed.
Grilled Octopus Salad
Seafood Fettuccine
Grilled Local Fish
Mango Sticky Rice
Day 5
January 6 2018
of course the sun came out on our last day in vietnam, we were happy to enjoy it even if it was just for a little while.
so after our last breakfast of pho and tropical fruits, we hit both the beach and the pool to savor the last few moments of our holiday.
Fresh Coconuts are really the best!