banh mi thit = pork roll = and another thousand names

i have to tell you i had a awful lot of trouble finding the pork rolls online or even in HCMC. I was searching and searching for pork rolls online and it didnt get me anywhere, later i found the name was actually banh mi, street sandwiches, street rolls, street burgers, sargies etc etc

pork rolls are called banh mi thit (pronounced as barn me tart) and thank goodness to the tourist information centre, i got the actual address of "banh mi nhu lan" store. (which my frd also intro me but gave me a totally incorrect address)

i have to say syd ones are equally good cos they have the fish sauce dressing but the one at HCMC has chunky pieces of pork, a huge spread of pate and mayonnaise/butter suace, very tasty white carrots, very crunchy "HOT" bread fresh from the oven (pic above is the extra pork roll for supper but no longer crunchy hot) ...

.... IF ONLY if they have the fish sauce!

Address: Banh mi Nhu Lan Store - 66-68 Ham Nghi, Q1 (Q1 = District 1)
Tourist information centre: 4G-4H Le Loi St, District 1 - really helpful getting information on spas, restaurants or day trips

ko.

God of Pho at HCMC

half of my intention to go to vietnam is to have authentic vietnam food, so pho, spring rolls and pork roll is on the top of my list!

Pho Le is the god of pho in viet... seriously ... (ok everyone is now thinking OH wat an exaggeration!!) we travlled 20mins from the city to district 5, on the way we passed by local stores and houses and for sure its not the cleanest place to be... the look on my sis face was... "this better be good or ...." so i was quite nervous on the taxi! the minute we hopped off, the smell of beef stew went roaring into our noses...oh man...

the beef soup was mild coloured (which made me panic a bit) but filled with beef taste! we actually had to drink the soup in the end!

the utensils and surrounding arent hotel style so it might be a bit of culture shock but if i made it through, it should be fine for everyone! just close ur eyes if ur a hygiene freak (d? and me?)

Pho Le
413-415 Nguyen Trai St P.7 District 5

ko.

relaxation at HCMC

spa and massage is a must when going to Asian country for holiday! Just chose 2 places by reading books etc... I did a facial at L'Apothiquaire and scrub and massage at Saigon Spa.

L'Apothiquaire
I have heard this place is famous for facials and and their products which are made in france. Their jap customers actually not only swipe out the products at the place but also order online. I was thinking "what doesnt the japs buy anyway???" I was pretty sure I wouldnt buy the products! Anyway I did the facial transparence which is just deep cleansing therapy, doing exfoliating, steaming, removing black and white heads and mask. The therapist was really professional, and the whole purifying process was very comfortable. I actually walked out of the store with a mask and liquid exfoliator!! I wanted to buy more but my budget didnt allow that. At night, my sis and I was back and forth trying to decide if we should try new massage place or just go back to L'apothiquaire

I did facial transparence which was USD34 and the promotion was USD60 including a free mask (the mask originally is USD52)

One package I highly recommend is 4 hrs therapy including scrub, massage, facial and manicure+pedicure for the price of USD70 - I didnt have time for this but i regret not doing it

For more info: www.lapothiquaire.com
free pick up service if you are doing their packages.

Saigon spa
Included free boat trip to and from the place and we saw the building we were amazed of how grand it looked. Sparkling white buidling with green grass! The lobby was a grand entrance of course and what I loved about this was they really payed alot of attention to delicate details. All interiors, furnishings, furniture has the same sensation and colour palette. I really loved we all have to get changed into our halter neck wrap, with a beaded bracelet for the locker key. You actually still look good when basically undressed! Scrub was only so so... but massage was gooooood!

Scrub + massage was USD55, add another USD10 you will to do their jacuzzi bath as well.

A bit more expensive than L'Apothiquaire but both is highly recommended!

For more info: www.saigonspa.net

ko.

Saigon here i come!!!! - my Vietnam break special

I dont know where to start ... the trip has just been so amazing.... sorry but i cant help but mentioning about my proper business class encounter, you know how normally upgraded passengers get treated the same even if ur in business class cos they all know u got upgraded, this time its different! I was actually a proper business class passenger and got greeted with a business class smile whereever and whenever. Champagne, orange juice and water comes every now or so and QUALITY french red is offered and most surprisingly the food is actually hot! (yes even the bread and utensils is hot!!) Napkins are placed on your lap and on your table before meal is placed down And now i realised "manners" does really exist in the plane but I found only in the business class! I dont know if I wll be able to bother to spend so much money on buying a BS tic again but surely I finally understand why they are expensive!

Back to the real story. Day 1 : Cooking class

Menu:
Spring rolls with fish sauce
Caramel pork in clay pot
Clams soup with dill in clay pot
coconut rice steamed in clay pot

I was really hesitant with this course cos its mostly for Western tours but because the other cooking class did not open the only choice to kill so much time was to attend one which was available, however in the end this was the wisest choice ever. We actually cooked things which were makeable and easy but super tasty.

Spring rolls was the best, there were many hidden secrets taught to make a nice Vietnamese spring rolls, we used ingredients that was ready available in asian supermarkets. The only thing which you must buy in Vietnam is the special fish sauce and the net spring rolls paper (i actually carried 2 bottles of fish sauce and 2 packets of spring roll paper back!), however its not a must!

The pork and soup was again really easy to make and very tasty, didnt take more than 10 mins... people who live by themselves.. and most importantly ingredients are easily available and doesnt need major preparation.

Last but most difficult was the coconut rice in clay pot, the coconut water must be just right so that the rice is steamed wiht a bounce feeling on the rice. The rice must also add a bit of salt so that it doesnt become too sweet. The chef made the rice perfect, dunno if I can do the same tho....

Foood lovers that cant cook surely wont fail this menu hahaha ( S.Mo Im directing this to you)

People who want to join: please visit their site www.vietnamcookery.com located around 20 mins away from city

Ko.

beijing special p.2

Beijing has nothing to buy AT ALL, basically when it comes to souveneirs, you really need to think hard and deep because they are just plain crap! The best place i recommend for shopping would be "Nan Le Gu Xian" Its an alleyway (basically called hutong), this little alleyway has many western cafes with comfy sofa seats and interiors. Most importnatly got more quality stuff to buy for friends and families. Warning: It is quite expensive! I bought 2 tees for 90 bucks each... only cos my sis said she wants it!

Just a bit about hutongs, they are tiny alleyways and paths with history of 700-800 yrs, it is now protected by the govt as historical landscape. These alley ways are famous to be the place for Chinese style nightclubs where the chinese emperors look for prostitutes! The interior is exactly as seen on tv, pretty intersting indeed! Going around by bicycles for an hour was quite relaxing (after 5 hrs of walk at the forbidden city), and a good view of how old beijing was like!

Ko.

bejing (more like peking duck) special

Da Dong

Made in China

Qianjude

Beijing was fun despite the traumor on the flight back... I spent 2000 bucks extra off my budget and I AM NOT IMPRESSED!! however I guess when I think back to the Peking ducks i've had, im happy again. Theres been lots of saying that beijing peking ducks are overrated, Hong Kong are better etc etc... actually I think the total opposite. In Hong Kong, they just slice up the whole peking duck so every piece will have the skin and meat, and flavoured with sweet sause with cucumber and shallots and the bread.

Beijing peking ducks actually is like a 3 course meal, the duck seems blown up like a balloon hence on the breast of the duck, there this piece of skin blown up and detached from their meat, its like a A4 sheet of crunchy skin, this part will be dish 1. Dish 2 will be duck drum sticks sliced up so hence the meat will be especially tendor. Dish 3 will be cutting out all the remains of the body and lastly dish 4 which i didnt touch is the duck head. My favourite was dish one where the skin was crunchy like chips, these chips was juiced up with duck oil.... Im lover of duck so this was heavenly....

Beijing has more side dishes to have the duck with. Cucumbers and shallots and sweet sauce obviously the main ingredient. They also included sugar and garlic paste which I thought enhanced the taste, I think I will do this the next time I eat Peking duck in Hong Kong.

Generally, the duck was juicier and more fresh, like you know how when you eat meat, it gives a bounce when you bite it?

Restaurant 1: Da Dong - was recommended by lots of people but rate it the least, the bread was too stiff and the meat wasnt as fresh. THe duck soup which followed was the best!
Address: Dongcheng district

Restaurant 2: Made in China - this is the heaven of god peking duck! THey actually sliced up a very big dish of crunchy skin and the thickness was just right. It was around 4mm-5mm. I didnt like their soup tho.... by the way I saw diane von furstenburg there ... hhehe
Address: Grand Hyatt Wangfujing, not expensive at all !

Restaurant 3: Qianjude - this is the most famous place in Beijing for ducks, no bookings allowed. People said this place is the worst but I thought it was quite good! Only thing I have to complain about is the service and slicing the duck performance was quite sloppy!
Address: Wangfujing street

Eating 1 whole duck each nite, I have now lost my voice and dont mention about my pimples, they are everywhere!

Ko