HANOI ROCKS -- Our Spring Break Visit to Vietnam
Apr 11th, 2011, 12:21 PM
#42
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We did, HT. They both got red Chicago Bulls hats from us.
Bob, plenty more pix where those came from. As you well know. Stay tuned...
Clifton, I think you'd like it there... and it's certainly a shorter trip for you than for us.
m_b: If you have time for it, we thought it was well worth the trip.
Bob, plenty more pix where those came from. As you well know. Stay tuned...
Clifton, I think you'd like it there... and it's certainly a shorter trip for you than for us.
m_b: If you have time for it, we thought it was well worth the trip.
Apr 11th, 2011, 02:07 PM
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ABOUT THE MORE PROSAIC STUFF
For us (Americans), there are a couple of different ways to do the Vietnamese visa—the visa on arrival (which still requires some paperwork up front, I believe) or actually getting the visa in your passport in advance. We chose the latter, and it was really easy and quick. We overnighted a package—passports, applications with photos, money order for fee ($70 p/p for single entry visa), and a pre-paid FedEx return slip—on a Monday to the Vietnamese embassy in Washington, D.C., and received the passports back that Friday.
All the relevant info here:
http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/co...ces/visa_info/
Immigration was pretty painless, too. Our flight landed at about 10:30 pm and was one of two arriving at that time. We managed to get down to the checkpoint quickly and we were through in about 10 minutes. Can’t say, though, what it was like if one was at the back of that line.
To continue the theme of being about the journey and not just the destination, getting there and back certainly took a good percentage of our time on this trip—so much so that we really had to consider it part of the trip. We purchased economy tickets from Chicago-San Francisco-Seoul-Hanoi and the same in reverse—Chicago-Seoul on United and Seoul-Hanoi on Asiana. Then, we used miles and a co-pay to upgrade the United flights to business class. Importantly, the upgrades for the transpacific flights were available and confirmed when we booked this last year (otherwise, we may not have chosen to do this at all). The San Francisco-Chicago flight later cleared but Chicago-San Francisco never did (no big deal—we had some of our favorite Economy Plus seats). The Asiana flights were in economy.
The trip over was about 30 hours door to door, and the trip back took about 37 hours (longer layover in Seoul; more on that later). All six flights were right on time. Having flat bed business seats for the longest segments made a huge difference, particularly for a short trip like this, and we even caught up somewhat on some movies (Black Swan, True Grit, The King’s Speech…).
The Asiana flights were on what is probably one of its least comfortable planes, 763s with 32-inch pitch (ouch! after being in United’s “new” business) and overhead screens. The food wasn’t very good. Flight attendants were great, though, particularly on the return. The Hanoi-Seoul flight is a four-hour red-eye flight, and that’s a pretty rough way to start the long journey home. To make matters worse, our seats were about three rows from the very back and we were surrounded by a very large tour group of Korean women. Just before departure, one of the flight attendants came back to our row and said, “I know how these ladies can be, so you might want to use these”—and then handed us some eye masks and ear plugs.
And just in case wally is reading and taking notes, Asiana’s use of the seatbelt sign was pretty comparable to United’s, and there were extended announcements (including when the seatbelt sign was turned on) in two languages.
The real highlight of the trips over and back, though, was the Asiana lounge(s) at Incheon airport—and particularly the showers. We told Allie not to get too used to THAT, but I’m afraid she’s spoiled for life.
Oh, and our checked luggage (three bags on the way over, four on the way back) made it with us—unlike last year’s spring break, when Turkish Airlines decided that our bags needed a three-week extended vacation in the bowels of the airport in Istanbul.
ABOUT THE WEATHER, AND PACKING
As mentioned above, weather was a consideration in choosing our destination for this trip. After a long, miserable Chicago winter, we were ready for something a little warmer—within reason. Some of Southeast Asia’s steamier locations probably would have been too much of a shock to the system at this point in the year.
So, the weather was about what we expected—overcast and in the 60s (F) early in the trip and through our excursion to Bai Tu Long Bay. Still, we were out and about in lightweight clothing, while the locals were all bundled up in jackets and scarves. One of our Hanoi Kids guides had gloves on and complained about how cold it was. About half way through the week, there was a noticeable change—a sunny day and temps that seemed about 10 degrees warmer.
It rained a few times, but only lightly, and that never interfered with our activities (well, maybe briefly on the boat when we had to come inside for a bit).
Although we saw far more clouds than sun (only a problem for photography), I think all of us agree that this timing was preferable to a few months down the road, when it is warmer and more humid. As it was, we never felt compelled to seek an indoor location just because of the weather (fatigue and tired feet…well, that’s a different story).
We weren’t quite sure how to pack for this trip. We knew we probably wouldn’t do any higher end dining, so we were able to keep it fairly casual. Light layers worked pretty well—with one heavier item on reserve for our last day in Seoul, which has a completely different climate. If you like to get around on foot like we do, comfortable walking shoes are a must, as you’ll be on and off of curbs continuously.
For us (Americans), there are a couple of different ways to do the Vietnamese visa—the visa on arrival (which still requires some paperwork up front, I believe) or actually getting the visa in your passport in advance. We chose the latter, and it was really easy and quick. We overnighted a package—passports, applications with photos, money order for fee ($70 p/p for single entry visa), and a pre-paid FedEx return slip—on a Monday to the Vietnamese embassy in Washington, D.C., and received the passports back that Friday.
All the relevant info here:
http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/co...ces/visa_info/
Immigration was pretty painless, too. Our flight landed at about 10:30 pm and was one of two arriving at that time. We managed to get down to the checkpoint quickly and we were through in about 10 minutes. Can’t say, though, what it was like if one was at the back of that line.
To continue the theme of being about the journey and not just the destination, getting there and back certainly took a good percentage of our time on this trip—so much so that we really had to consider it part of the trip. We purchased economy tickets from Chicago-San Francisco-Seoul-Hanoi and the same in reverse—Chicago-Seoul on United and Seoul-Hanoi on Asiana. Then, we used miles and a co-pay to upgrade the United flights to business class. Importantly, the upgrades for the transpacific flights were available and confirmed when we booked this last year (otherwise, we may not have chosen to do this at all). The San Francisco-Chicago flight later cleared but Chicago-San Francisco never did (no big deal—we had some of our favorite Economy Plus seats). The Asiana flights were in economy.
The trip over was about 30 hours door to door, and the trip back took about 37 hours (longer layover in Seoul; more on that later). All six flights were right on time. Having flat bed business seats for the longest segments made a huge difference, particularly for a short trip like this, and we even caught up somewhat on some movies (Black Swan, True Grit, The King’s Speech…).
The Asiana flights were on what is probably one of its least comfortable planes, 763s with 32-inch pitch (ouch! after being in United’s “new” business) and overhead screens. The food wasn’t very good. Flight attendants were great, though, particularly on the return. The Hanoi-Seoul flight is a four-hour red-eye flight, and that’s a pretty rough way to start the long journey home. To make matters worse, our seats were about three rows from the very back and we were surrounded by a very large tour group of Korean women. Just before departure, one of the flight attendants came back to our row and said, “I know how these ladies can be, so you might want to use these”—and then handed us some eye masks and ear plugs.
And just in case wally is reading and taking notes, Asiana’s use of the seatbelt sign was pretty comparable to United’s, and there were extended announcements (including when the seatbelt sign was turned on) in two languages.
The real highlight of the trips over and back, though, was the Asiana lounge(s) at Incheon airport—and particularly the showers. We told Allie not to get too used to THAT, but I’m afraid she’s spoiled for life.
Oh, and our checked luggage (three bags on the way over, four on the way back) made it with us—unlike last year’s spring break, when Turkish Airlines decided that our bags needed a three-week extended vacation in the bowels of the airport in Istanbul.
ABOUT THE WEATHER, AND PACKING
As mentioned above, weather was a consideration in choosing our destination for this trip. After a long, miserable Chicago winter, we were ready for something a little warmer—within reason. Some of Southeast Asia’s steamier locations probably would have been too much of a shock to the system at this point in the year.
So, the weather was about what we expected—overcast and in the 60s (F) early in the trip and through our excursion to Bai Tu Long Bay. Still, we were out and about in lightweight clothing, while the locals were all bundled up in jackets and scarves. One of our Hanoi Kids guides had gloves on and complained about how cold it was. About half way through the week, there was a noticeable change—a sunny day and temps that seemed about 10 degrees warmer.
It rained a few times, but only lightly, and that never interfered with our activities (well, maybe briefly on the boat when we had to come inside for a bit).
Although we saw far more clouds than sun (only a problem for photography), I think all of us agree that this timing was preferable to a few months down the road, when it is warmer and more humid. As it was, we never felt compelled to seek an indoor location just because of the weather (fatigue and tired feet…well, that’s a different story).
We weren’t quite sure how to pack for this trip. We knew we probably wouldn’t do any higher end dining, so we were able to keep it fairly casual. Light layers worked pretty well—with one heavier item on reserve for our last day in Seoul, which has a completely different climate. If you like to get around on foot like we do, comfortable walking shoes are a must, as you’ll be on and off of curbs continuously.
Apr 11th, 2011, 02:57 PM
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<<<For us (Americans), there are a couple of different ways to do the Vietnamese visa—the visa on arrival (which still requires some paperwork up front, I believe) or actually getting the visa in your passport in advance. We chose the latter, and it was really easy and quick. We overnighted a package—passports, applications with photos, money order for fee ($70 p/p for single entry visa), and a pre-paid FedEx return slip—on a Monday to the Vietnamese embassy in Washington, D.C., and received the passports back that Friday.>>>
FYI, for those of you who live in a city where there is a Vietnam consulate, you can do this in person -- we did it "on the spot" in San Francisco.
<<<Then, we used miles and a co-pay to upgrade the United flights to business class.>>>
We used 125,000 miles each to fly business class (SFO-Seoul-Hanoi,returning Hong Kong-Tokyo-SFO). The outbound flights were on United/Asiana,and the return flights were on ANA. Would you mind sharing how much you paid for your flights -- In particular, how many miles and the amount of the co-pay to upgrade? Do you have to have a particular kind of economy ticket to be able to use miles and a co-pay to upgrade to business class? We've never done that, but business class on this incredibly long flight was so great, that we're thinking it would be the way to go in the future. We flew to Cairo in economy a few years ago, and fun it ain't!!
FYI, for those of you who live in a city where there is a Vietnam consulate, you can do this in person -- we did it "on the spot" in San Francisco.
<<<Then, we used miles and a co-pay to upgrade the United flights to business class.>>>
We used 125,000 miles each to fly business class (SFO-Seoul-Hanoi,returning Hong Kong-Tokyo-SFO). The outbound flights were on United/Asiana,and the return flights were on ANA. Would you mind sharing how much you paid for your flights -- In particular, how many miles and the amount of the co-pay to upgrade? Do you have to have a particular kind of economy ticket to be able to use miles and a co-pay to upgrade to business class? We've never done that, but business class on this incredibly long flight was so great, that we're thinking it would be the way to go in the future. We flew to Cairo in economy a few years ago, and fun it ain't!!
Apr 11th, 2011, 04:18 PM
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<i>Would you mind sharing how much you paid for your flights -- In particular, how many miles and the amount of the co-pay to upgrade? Do you have to have a particular kind of economy ticket to be able to use miles and a co-pay to upgrade to business class?</i>
Sure. Our economy tickets were about $1375. On United, all fare classes are now upgradeable--the co-pay will vary though depending on the fare paid. Here is the chart:
http://www.united.com/ual/asset/MUA_...efore_6_15.pdf
Our fare basis was "S" one way and "V" the other, so $500 co-pay on the outbound and $400 on the return; 25k miles each way.
Is it better to do this or use more miles for award tickets? That all depends on needs and preferences. We prefer to purchase tickets and upgrade (as opposed to using miles for award tickets) in order to accrue elite qualifying miles and maintain at least some level of status (with at least one Star Alliance Gold member)--and this trip contributed quite a bit toward that goal.
There are, of course, other factors. When we booked, there were confirmed upgrades available but not award tickets on a similar itinerary. And even if we could have found three business class award seats together, we didn't have enough miles at that particular point in time.
This was a nice splurge; we don't always do this--but we try to for our longer trips when we can. The fact that the rest of the trip was relatively inexpensive helped.
One final note: the fact that we were able to confirm the upgrades at time of booking was key. Going on the waitlist could have been problematic, with the potential for one person clearing and the others not.
Sure. Our economy tickets were about $1375. On United, all fare classes are now upgradeable--the co-pay will vary though depending on the fare paid. Here is the chart:
http://www.united.com/ual/asset/MUA_...efore_6_15.pdf
Our fare basis was "S" one way and "V" the other, so $500 co-pay on the outbound and $400 on the return; 25k miles each way.
Is it better to do this or use more miles for award tickets? That all depends on needs and preferences. We prefer to purchase tickets and upgrade (as opposed to using miles for award tickets) in order to accrue elite qualifying miles and maintain at least some level of status (with at least one Star Alliance Gold member)--and this trip contributed quite a bit toward that goal.
There are, of course, other factors. When we booked, there were confirmed upgrades available but not award tickets on a similar itinerary. And even if we could have found three business class award seats together, we didn't have enough miles at that particular point in time.
This was a nice splurge; we don't always do this--but we try to for our longer trips when we can. The fact that the rest of the trip was relatively inexpensive helped.
One final note: the fact that we were able to confirm the upgrades at time of booking was key. Going on the waitlist could have been problematic, with the potential for one person clearing and the others not.
Apr 12th, 2011, 05:53 AM
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One small but important point to add to my LW's cost analysis...
When you look at the cost of the flight plus the upgrade co-pay and multiply times 3 travelers, that really does seem like a lot of money. Especially on a trip this short. But the overall cost of the trip was significantly limited by the incredible value of nearly everything else we enjoyed during our stay. By all rights, the cost of our accommodation alone should have cost 3 times what it did. Maybe more. And by my loose estimate, the amount we spent per day on food and beverages was about one-sixth of what we were spending last year in Norway.
It all comes out even in the end.
When you look at the cost of the flight plus the upgrade co-pay and multiply times 3 travelers, that really does seem like a lot of money. Especially on a trip this short. But the overall cost of the trip was significantly limited by the incredible value of nearly everything else we enjoyed during our stay. By all rights, the cost of our accommodation alone should have cost 3 times what it did. Maybe more. And by my loose estimate, the amount we spent per day on food and beverages was about one-sixth of what we were spending last year in Norway.
It all comes out even in the end.
Apr 12th, 2011, 08:44 AM
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<<<By all rights, the cost of our accommodation alone should have cost 3 times what it did>>>
I totally agree with that. We stayed at the Elegance Diamond, and it was fabulous, with a fantastic breakfast included (see my other post about the french toast!). We paid $99 a night for a middle-size room (what they call a "junior suite", but even the regular room at $75 would have been terrific.
I totally agree with that. We stayed at the Elegance Diamond, and it was fabulous, with a fantastic breakfast included (see my other post about the french toast!). We paid $99 a night for a middle-size room (what they call a "junior suite", but even the regular room at $75 would have been terrific.
Apr 12th, 2011, 09:00 AM
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I didn't have the french toast, but someone (Allie??) did. We also liked the hotel's really thin banana pancakes. Tried to replicate that at home last weekend--not quite there, but one more try might get close.
On that note, I think mr_go is writing about food next. And if I make some progress with my "real" work today (on which you can see I'm procrastinating, as I'm checking Fodors), I'll try to get some more photos up this evening.
On that note, I think mr_go is writing about food next. And if I make some progress with my "real" work today (on which you can see I'm procrastinating, as I'm checking Fodors), I'll try to get some more photos up this evening.
Apr 13th, 2011, 07:58 AM
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ABOUT THE FOOD
Some great cities are a feast for the eyes; Hanoi is a feast for the nose. As you walk down any street, you run face-first into a symphony of smells coming from restaurants, sidewalk “kitchens,” street vendors, tea shops, bakeries and produce markets. All are offering goods that are impossibly fresh and inviting, and astoundingly inexpensive.
Our tongues were tantalized from the moment of our arrival, as the hotel served us sweet, refreshing fresh-squeezed OJ in the lobby while our bags were carried to the room. The feast continued the next morning, first with the complimentary fruit bowl in our room and then with the made-to-order breakfast of savory omelets, flaky croissants, the aforementioned banana pancakes, quality coffee and a fresh-sliced plate of watermelon, pineapple and bananas.
As hearty as these breakfasts were, we always made a point to save room for lunch and dinner… most of which were excellent. Some highlights:
Quan An Ngon – A huge and wonderful place, it’s comprised of a large central courtyard with individual stalls around the perimeter cooking local specialties, all surrounded by interconnected buildings. There is a huge seating area with tables in the courtyard, plus even more tables set up inside the buildings. Despite the high volume of seating, there are lines to get in the place during lunchtime and dinner… undoubtedly due to the vast menu, tasty offerings and dirt-cheap prices. We ate here twice, once for lunch with the Hanoi Kids and once for dinner on our own. And I’m fairly confident that you could order randomly from their Tolstoy-esque menu and be satisfied. Quite possibly the best sheer value of any restaurant we’ve ever been to… ms_go, correct me if I’m misstating the case.
New Day – The only other place where we ate twice, this busy three-story restaurant sits directly across the street from the Hanoi Elegance Emerald hotel in the Old Quarter (about a 15-minute walk from our hotel). The service staff is friendly and not shy if you ask for a recommendation, the food is fresh and flavorful, the beer is cold and the price is right. The marinated barbeque pork and Shanghai-style sea bass were memorable dishes. Two appetizers, three mains, drinks & tax… about $15 total.
Bun Cha Dac Kim – This place is definitely nothing fancy, but what an experience! This is a very popular lunch spot, and it’s about 40 yards away from our hotel’s front door. They serve exactly two dishes, bun cha and fried springrolls (nem), and you don’t actually order… they point you to a table and just start bringing you food soon after you sit. You get a massive bowl of grilled pork in a tasty broth, an even more massive plate of fresh greens (including thai basil, cilantro, lettuce, etc.), fresh rice noodles (which they cut up with scissors for you), a bowl of zesty dipping sauce for the nem, a bowl of chopped red-hot chilies and garlic, and an empty bowl for each person to mix stuff up in. How you choose to eat it all depends on your chopstick skills. It’s all delicious, far more food than we could possibly eat, and cost less than $9 for the three of us (plus drinks).
Bun Bo Nam Bo – Two or three short blocks away from our hotel was another notable lunch spot, which serves just bun bo… which is a big, savory bowl with thin rice noodles topped with marinated beef slices, cooked torn lettuce, basil, cilantro, lettuce and peanuts. Small pitchers of spicy peanut sauce are also provided (and recommended, btw). You just sit down at a communal table, tell them how many bowls and what drinks you want, and it appears a minute later. Mix it all up with your chopsticks, and dig in! It’s not quite as well known among tourists as the bun cha place mentioned above, but the value and deliciousness are pretty much equal.
In general, everywhere we ate, the food was not only tasty and interestingly prepared and served… it was fresh. Fresher than fresh. And while the portions were tremendous and our appetites hearty, we never really had that sluggish, unpleasant feeling you get sometimes after over-indulging. It was all very good, and probably good for you.
It is worth noting that were very careful about not drinking the local tap water, nor any drinks with ice in them. I’m happy to say that none of us experienced any digestive distress during our stay, as some other unlucky travelers have been known to encounter.
Some great cities are a feast for the eyes; Hanoi is a feast for the nose. As you walk down any street, you run face-first into a symphony of smells coming from restaurants, sidewalk “kitchens,” street vendors, tea shops, bakeries and produce markets. All are offering goods that are impossibly fresh and inviting, and astoundingly inexpensive.
Our tongues were tantalized from the moment of our arrival, as the hotel served us sweet, refreshing fresh-squeezed OJ in the lobby while our bags were carried to the room. The feast continued the next morning, first with the complimentary fruit bowl in our room and then with the made-to-order breakfast of savory omelets, flaky croissants, the aforementioned banana pancakes, quality coffee and a fresh-sliced plate of watermelon, pineapple and bananas.
As hearty as these breakfasts were, we always made a point to save room for lunch and dinner… most of which were excellent. Some highlights:
Quan An Ngon – A huge and wonderful place, it’s comprised of a large central courtyard with individual stalls around the perimeter cooking local specialties, all surrounded by interconnected buildings. There is a huge seating area with tables in the courtyard, plus even more tables set up inside the buildings. Despite the high volume of seating, there are lines to get in the place during lunchtime and dinner… undoubtedly due to the vast menu, tasty offerings and dirt-cheap prices. We ate here twice, once for lunch with the Hanoi Kids and once for dinner on our own. And I’m fairly confident that you could order randomly from their Tolstoy-esque menu and be satisfied. Quite possibly the best sheer value of any restaurant we’ve ever been to… ms_go, correct me if I’m misstating the case.
New Day – The only other place where we ate twice, this busy three-story restaurant sits directly across the street from the Hanoi Elegance Emerald hotel in the Old Quarter (about a 15-minute walk from our hotel). The service staff is friendly and not shy if you ask for a recommendation, the food is fresh and flavorful, the beer is cold and the price is right. The marinated barbeque pork and Shanghai-style sea bass were memorable dishes. Two appetizers, three mains, drinks & tax… about $15 total.
Bun Cha Dac Kim – This place is definitely nothing fancy, but what an experience! This is a very popular lunch spot, and it’s about 40 yards away from our hotel’s front door. They serve exactly two dishes, bun cha and fried springrolls (nem), and you don’t actually order… they point you to a table and just start bringing you food soon after you sit. You get a massive bowl of grilled pork in a tasty broth, an even more massive plate of fresh greens (including thai basil, cilantro, lettuce, etc.), fresh rice noodles (which they cut up with scissors for you), a bowl of zesty dipping sauce for the nem, a bowl of chopped red-hot chilies and garlic, and an empty bowl for each person to mix stuff up in. How you choose to eat it all depends on your chopstick skills. It’s all delicious, far more food than we could possibly eat, and cost less than $9 for the three of us (plus drinks).
Bun Bo Nam Bo – Two or three short blocks away from our hotel was another notable lunch spot, which serves just bun bo… which is a big, savory bowl with thin rice noodles topped with marinated beef slices, cooked torn lettuce, basil, cilantro, lettuce and peanuts. Small pitchers of spicy peanut sauce are also provided (and recommended, btw). You just sit down at a communal table, tell them how many bowls and what drinks you want, and it appears a minute later. Mix it all up with your chopsticks, and dig in! It’s not quite as well known among tourists as the bun cha place mentioned above, but the value and deliciousness are pretty much equal.
In general, everywhere we ate, the food was not only tasty and interestingly prepared and served… it was fresh. Fresher than fresh. And while the portions were tremendous and our appetites hearty, we never really had that sluggish, unpleasant feeling you get sometimes after over-indulging. It was all very good, and probably good for you.
It is worth noting that were very careful about not drinking the local tap water, nor any drinks with ice in them. I’m happy to say that none of us experienced any digestive distress during our stay, as some other unlucky travelers have been known to encounter.
Apr 13th, 2011, 08:09 AM
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I'm so pleased to hear that you got to Bun Bo Nam Bo - my favorite restaurant in Hanoi. I was unable to eat at Bun Cha Dac Kim as my husband does not eat pork and there were no alternatives for him there. How I miss the Vietnamese food!
Apr 13th, 2011, 09:42 AM
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Great report. Bring back delicious memories.
jdc26, Pork is very much of the Vietnamese diet. I suggest you have someone write something in Vietnamese to show to the restaurants that you don't eat pork. You can ask the front desk people in the hotel to do it for you.
jdc26, Pork is very much of the Vietnamese diet. I suggest you have someone write something in Vietnamese to show to the restaurants that you don't eat pork. You can ask the front desk people in the hotel to do it for you.
Apr 13th, 2011, 11:32 AM
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Yeah, jdc, I'd say that if pork isn't your thing, there are several thousand better alternatives to Dac Kim in town. And Bun Bo Nam Bo is just a stone's throw away.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that we missed out on a whole bunch of places and tastes that we researched and planned to check out but never got around to. More upscale places like Indochine, French/Asian fusion places like Green Tangerine, a 'cook-it-yourself' hotpot place we read about, etc. Our guidebook even mentioned a little place that only serves fresh-grilled steaks with a schmear of pate' on top.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that we missed out on a whole bunch of places and tastes that we researched and planned to check out but never got around to. More upscale places like Indochine, French/Asian fusion places like Green Tangerine, a 'cook-it-yourself' hotpot place we read about, etc. Our guidebook even mentioned a little place that only serves fresh-grilled steaks with a schmear of pate' on top.
Apr 13th, 2011, 02:24 PM
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Thanks, HappyTrvlr. I wish we had a good local Vietnamese restaurant out here in the far western Chicago 'burbs. There are some in the city on the north side, but that is a trip, in itself, for us.
Apr 13th, 2011, 04:52 PM
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I'm sure you're right Mr (Ms) G. Hanoi would be right up our alley. (we've even got a discount airline that goes there via Kuala Lumpur). Someday, near the top of the list.
Lovin' this food stuff! I liiiiive for VN food. Wish I'd timed this better, I could have read over last night's take away pho from the neighborhood here (although, as good as it was, probably would pale in comparison to eating in Hanoi. But I feel lucky to have it nearby. Never had anything like this in St Louis).
The routine at Bun Cha Dac Kim sounds fantastic! I think one of the first eatery recommendations I actually wrote down from a TR. Don't want to miss that one.
Lovin' this food stuff! I liiiiive for VN food. Wish I'd timed this better, I could have read over last night's take away pho from the neighborhood here (although, as good as it was, probably would pale in comparison to eating in Hanoi. But I feel lucky to have it nearby. Never had anything like this in St Louis).
The routine at Bun Cha Dac Kim sounds fantastic! I think one of the first eatery recommendations I actually wrote down from a TR. Don't want to miss that one.
