Miles Traveled: 46,134
Days before we left for Vietnam, it started. Tony would make a little comment here, a twitch there. I knew I was in for trouble. Tony had a need and it could only be satisfied in Vietnam.
Pho!
Tony had fallen in love with this dish long before I had met him. As Tony describes it: “Pho is the ultimate comfort food. It’s yummy goodness in a bowl. It has everything – beef, pork, seafood, vegetables, spice, salt… aghmhhm.”
When we landed in Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon before and during the Vietnam War), it was around dinner time and luckily we didn’t have to go far to find a restaurant famous for Pho. Pho Hoa is a little restaurant with a big reputation, having been in its location since the 1960s. We understand that many restaurants in the U.S. have used the same name and try to mimic the original. Since Pho is typically a breakfast item, we didn’t have to wait long to get a bowl for dinner.
Check out the anticipation…
And then the utter joy …
We loved this restaurant’s unlimited fresh herbs – which included basil, sawtooth coriander and regular cilantro. Unlike other dishes which taste much better in their native country, this Pho tasted similar to the Pho we find in the US (but better).
With full bellies and Tony’s satisfied grin, we faced our next major obstacle – how to get home. Between us and our hotel were wide roads with heavy traffic that needed to be crossed. But without any traffic lights and with a seemingly endless line of motor bikes and cars, we were at a loss. Tony called it ‘amoeba’ traffic because motorbikes and cars seemed to be going in all different directions. It just didn’t end.
After a few failed attempts, we found a local and used them as a human shield. When we got back to our hotel, we researched how to cross streets in Viet Nam. Had we read a guide book, we would have learned that crossing the road is a big deal for tourists. Luckily there is a trick. You HAVE to learn the trick or you will not be able to walk anywhere in HCM (or Viet Nam).
The trick = finding a break when there are less bikes and then cross slowly and steadily. The motorcyclists are used to this and will avoid you. It actually works really, really well! Here’s a shot we took as we crossed.
With our newfound skill in place, we ventured out on the town. We visited the Reunification Palace. The Palace was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It was also the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon when a North Vietnamese army tank crashed through its gates.
The Palace was constructed in the early 60s and has been well preserved. Check out that 60’s style!…
… and the phones… there was even the infamous ‘red’ phone still displayed in the President’s office.
We also visited the War Crimes Museum which was a pretty depressing and somewhat (North Vietnamese) biased look at the atrocities of the “American War” as the Vietnamese call it. It’s definitely worth a visit (unless you are a Vietnam Vet), but be prepared for propaganda and some gruesome photos.
And – of course – we ate! We tried to find where the locals go and try local / regional specialties. Banh Xeo – which literally means ‘sizzling cake’ – is a savory pancake or crepe with shrimps, pork, mung bean sprouts and then fried. You are meant to stuff it with herbs, and then dip in fish sauce. Here’s how they make it:
And here’s what it looks like. We also ordered a few other dishes to go with it.
Stay tuned for our trip up the Mekong Delta and into the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Click through to see our full set of photos from Ho Chi Minh City:
[flickrslideshow acct_name=”Tony-chen” id=”72157625912492902″]