Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
You begin with the implements. Take a tissue (or more often than not a small square of cut paper) and carefully wipe the chopsticks and spoon. We felt a bit uncomfortable doing this at first, thinking it smacked of Western arrogance - but it has to be done. Then the cup or glass. Pour a dash of tea, swirl it round and tip it on the floor/footpath/nearest pot plant or into the bin which is sometimes under the table. Tea comes with everything, even coffee and the most commonly served tastes like it's made with toasted desiccated coconut. I quite like it now I've gotten used to it.
The Vietnamese eat with chopsticks and spoon, often using the chopsticks in the left hand just to place food into the spoon. Good system for me, since (the family will be amused) most chopsticks are of the rough wood variety. Owen can't quite lose his Chinese habit of eating just with chopsticks - and slurping the soup straight from the bowl. Bones and scraps are dropped onto the table/floor/bin. At the roadside stalls dogs will often wander past polishing off the tastier bits. Efficient waste management system or what?
All meals are also served with soup, often cold, which tends to arrive first but I think is generally eaten last. The most common soup here is made from a slightly bitter green leaf in a chicken stock. Quite yummy. Local specialities include noodles, fried as well as the rice noodle soup with meat and lots of fresh herbs, sprouts etc to add to the bowl to quickly cook in the hot broth. There are also some rather different chicken and beef dishes and delicious local seafood, some of which involve wrapping in pancakes or leaves and dipping in a variety of sauces.
Where we are it's mainly cheap eateries nearby (lunch for two $1.50) which we enjoy, and we're often joined by students keen to chat, but it gets a bit the same. There's also a vegetarian one which is nice for a change. The cafes at the supermarkets and in the centre of town are a bit more upmarket ($3-4) but we've recently discovered some rather posh restaurants as well. We've been taken to a couple of real surprises - large restaurants and coffee shops which we'd never guessed we're there, invisible from the street down narrow lane ways.
We went to the beach one weekend. It was quite a hot day and the beach was pretty deserted except for a few people fishing or preparing their nets. We ate at the resort hotel, which has an excellent restaurant, where we had the best crab I've had in ages. We caught the bus to the beach - went to the bus station and asked around for the right one to catch. Met a young girl who was delighted to spot us and got the person behind to change seats so she could chat to us all the way there to practice her English. This was much to the amusement and slight horror of the staff when they heard about it. They're always concerned we'll get charged foreigner prices and want to know how much things cost us. Went too early it seems, in the late afternoon the beach is usually crowded with people from the city who go out there for a swim.
We're still in the guesthouse and looking forward to getting into a place of our own and being able to do some cooking for ourselves. I'm hoping I'll find someone to teach me to make some of the local specialities.
- comments
Darryl Stock I was hungry until I read about having to clean the bowl spoon etc. Ugh. I think I'll stick to my supermarket! Thanks for the blog - keep it up! (I am listening to Curtin FM here in London while I do accounts so I am having a Perth Sunday morning. Oh well time to get out the roast - oven cooked not via Wok!)
avenel Oh for a nice oven roast! Actually all the wiping isn't really necessary (except perhaps for the glasses, which tend to be a bit wet), it's just a ritual. I'm sure it doesn't make any difference to the hygiene.
Maree It seems to me Avenel that you both chose the perfect time to go to the beach. Not too crowded!! And I'm sure you will both be 'cleaning your chop sticks and spoons and cups' with the best of them. I'm sure practice is all it takes! Its the Runner's b'fast this saturday at Lyn & Franks, You will be remembered of course. We leave for the USA on next Tuesday.Looking forward to it. The food all sounds very nice. Cooking lessons sounds like a great idea.. go for it!