Experiencing Vietnam for the second time was a totally different experience compared to the first. On my first trip there, I was mostly by myself for a week, walking, touring and exploring things on the tourist route. I was able to see the Cao Dai Temple, the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Mekong Delta and the city in one week. This time, I stayed in the city and soaked up the sights, sounds and flavors while going around on a bike with my friend, Steve, stopping only to eat pho or seafood, photograph the sights, or drink Vietnamese coffee.
I enjoyed taking the tourist route on my first trip as it was easy and guides were everywhere, and there were so many things to soak in and experience for the first time. Now that I had some expectations on what Saigon has to offer, I wanted a closer look at life in Vietnam. I was glad for my personal tour guide (:-p) as he currently lives there and was able to take me through his normal daily route and favorite haunts. One major highlight for me was the various Street Treats we had around the city.
It was fantastic and it is fast becoming one of my favorite cuisines. Looking at the ingredients in the dishes we had, most I know are available in my own country – the vegetables, the fruits, the meats and all that. But the way it was cooked is different. Filipino cuisine has a lot of Spanish, Chinese and American influence. Vietnamese cuisine, although mainly Chinese, seems to have a simpler yet fresher take on the dishes. The smell of the various greens and “vegetables” (they don’t have names for the different veggies!) and the flavors meats and spices infused in the stock fills your senses in seconds and your stomach in minutes! The best Pho we had was near the VUS campus. It was a little spot with around 10 tables, it’s Pho stand by the entance and a television set at the back to keep the store keeper entertained by her Viet soaps. I love how they serve all the greens in a heaping and you can squeeze as much lime into your soup as you please. Here in Manila, the restaurants that serve Pho have a pathetic little slice of lemon and a few stalks of greens. In Saigon, heaps of it are available for you! I finished my meal in a matter of minutes. Afterwhich, I followed my friend and started slurping on the rest of the stock. One interesting thing about Saigon is they never serve water. They would serve iced tea for free but never water. I was told that this was probably because of the lack of fresh water in the old days which led to them just making drinks first or having liquids through their soups. Interesting, but being the water girl that I was, I was a little weirded out by that. Anyway, as I slurped away on my soup, I found something interesting swimming in my soup… a little incy wincy spider was floating and sharing my pho! If I was in a restaurant in Makati, I would have asked for the manager, raised hell and refused to pay for my food. BUT. I was in a little hole in the wall place, with the best Pho in the world, enjoying my evening, and only had to pay a dollar for it all. Do I complain? No I don’t. I put my spoon down and just had my Cafe Su Da. Hey, who knows, spidey may have been the secret ingredient 
Another street treat we enjoyed was the Bo Bia Ngot (in the roll and “sandwich” form.) It’s a desert/snack made of dried coconut, sugar and sugar cane wrapped in sweet crepe or a pancake like “case”. (Check out my flickr page for what it looks like.) This was a very nice little snack to have and costs less than a dollar. Perfect with your iced coffee on a humid day.
The seafood and shellfish were fresh and well prepared. You can have it any way you like – steamed, grilled, or fried – it was there! It costs a little more than your usual meal in the city, but it was worth it. Plus the experience of sitting along the street and talking to the locals, trying to explain what you wanted and how to cook it was extreme fun! I’ve had many seafood experiences, but this meal was one to remember. The oysters and scallops were the biggest I have ever seen, and the juiciest! I expected it to be tough, but it all practically melts in your mouth, top it off with Tiger beer, and all you can do is smack your lips together and say “tính từ” DELISH!
On one night, we were out riding and decided it was time for a second dinner. 
We stopped in one of the streets and had a stir fried dish to remember. It was an egg and dough. Fried egg is one of the most common items in Viet cuisine. I was honored enough to sit in the streets again and watch the chef create her masterpiece. She had a no funny business look about her and did her dish for her customers – from street squatters like me to motorbikers stopping for take out. The garlic taste and the smell of just-cooked-egg and textures of the dish in your mouth was amazing. It would have been better with beer, but the beer guys weren’t around the corner at that time. I crave for it everytime I think about it!
One not so good experience was the dried squid though – which was in every street corner. The dried goods are out in the open and will be grilled for a minute in front of you and put through a dough press. Wasn’t really the best treat compared to the way it’s done here in the beaches of the PH. It’s not as salty nor as sweet as I hoped it would be. I had a bite and that was it
The coffee that goes along with everything else of course needs another blog! 
I shall sign off for now as my best friend is here and we have some catching up to do.
Cheers!
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Business class of course was fantastic as we got front row seats and the most leg room. I spent the entire time doodling on my iPod and watching Hangover. I had a good time… then the dream travel ended as we got off Nagoya and got ready for our 12 hour ride to Detroit…
Japan to Detroit: 12 hours: Coach…
