From Russia with love...and soup for the soul

Soup for the soul: The restaurant serves hearty soups like borscht and solyanka alongside dense black bread imported from Moscow.

At the recently opened Cafe Berezka in Cau Giay District, Anna Voznesenskaya and her brother serve homestyle dishes like pelmeny and sirniki in a cosy tube house.Elisabeth Rosen reports. ”In Russia we eat everything with bread,” I’m told as the first course arrives. I can see why. Imported from Moscow, the bread at Cafe Berezka is dense and black and flecked with herbs, ideal for a winter night. To accompany it, we order homemade soups like borscht, a mild beet broth filled with cabbage and onion, and solyanka, a sour salami soup far less bizarre than it sounds. Everything comes with bowls of homemade sour cream, a condiment that is to Russian food as chili sauce is to Vietnamese pho.

With the Sochi Winter Olympics in the news and the weather in Ha Noi turning once again chilly, what better time to sample Russian food? Cafe Berezka, which opened five months ago, is an ideal place to do so. Just as at a Vietnamese wedding, the tables are already set with shot glasses. If vodka isn’t to your taste, there is kompot, a bright red juice made from dried or canned fruit that tastes like liquid strawberry jam.

Sirniki – Russian cheese pancakes

With Christmas trees wrapped in glittery ornaments and the owner’s children running up and down the stairs, the cozy restaurant in Cau Giay District feels more like a home than a coffee shop. Indeed, Berezka is a family-run endeavor:Anna Voznesenskaya does the cooking together with her brother, who owns the house. On the second floor, there are private dining rooms; on the third, large groups can partake in karaoke.

I visited Berezka with two friends from Ukraine and Kazakhstan who were nostalgic for the food of their native region. While there were minor disputes over authenticity (do olives belong in solyanka? Should borscht be eaten with buckwheat?) there was general consensus that Voznesenskaya’s cooking was the best Russian option in Ha Noi – more flavourful than rival Cafe CCCP and not much more expensive.

As it turned out, it was a good idea to bring translators: the menu is only in Russian, although Voznesenskaya speaks a bit of English and Vietnamese. Watching us pore over the menu, she suggested that we order pelmeny and varenniki, rich homemade dumplings served in a pool of melted butter. She didn’t steer us wrong. We easily devoured the varenniki, filled with strips of cabbage caramelised to creamy tangles, then pelmeny, stuffed with a mixture of beef and pork and eaten with a dash of vinegar and black pepper.

After the soup and dumplings, the feast was just getting started. Under my friends’ guidance, we ate sirniki, gently sweetened farmer’s cheese pancakes with a crispy exterior, and nutty grains of buckwheat called grechka. If you somehow manage to command an appetite after all that, order mashed potatoes. Served in a massive, creamy pile with ribbons of lettuce, they could conquer any hunger.

Cafe Berezka Address: 239 Tran Dang Ninh, Dich Vong, Cau Giay Tel.: 04 3993 8484 Price Range: VND100,000-200,000 Dishes to Try: Pelmeny, grechka, sirniki

Voznesenskaya, who works as an accountant, has no formal training as a chef. Indeed, her cooking has zero presentation or fanfare, and some details can be off-putting, like the heap of sliced olives that topped our bowl of solyanka. Over 15 years living in Ha Noi, however, she’s acquired a justifiable reputation among her friends for serving reliable comfort food.

At the end of the meal, we were surprised by the appearance of pryanik, a large, crumbly cookie with apricot jam in the centre. Cut into slices, it’s reminiscent of a biscotti, only softer – a Russian Pop-Tart, if you will. As we divided the last slice into bite-size pieces, there were audible sighs of nostalgia.

From Russia with love...and soup for the soul

The ""say cheese!"" culture of Vietnam

Editor’s Note: Stivi Cooke, an Australian expat, has lived in Hoi An Ancient Town in central Vietnam for five years. If you are a regular reader of the City Diary page, you might have noticed some of his contributions last year. Starting today, Cooke will join columnists Scott Duke Harris in Hanoi and Derek Milroy in Ho Chi Minh City in writing about their life experiences in Vietnam every week. Cooke will please you with his humorous style of writing in comparison to contemplative lines by Harris and fast-written but informative articles by Milroy.

My Vietnamese friends and I chat a lot on Facebook or the phone. It’s a mix of jokes, discussions, emoticons and of course, the never ending flood of cute photos. Just one problem, they are truly horrible. I struggle to smile and it’s awkward when you have no idea of what you are looking at and it raises the question: when is a photo in Vietnam’s photo culture good or appropriate? When we go out for coffee, it’s inevitable that they’ll pull out the smartphone and start showing me photos. Now this requires I should be very, very careful with my words…

“Do you like it? It’s us at the park!” I squint and make silly faces with my eyes as I buy time to work out where the heck they were as the photo offers no clues from the grey background and blurred colors.

“Oh, it’s…um.. great! That’s you, isn’t it?” I hope they say yes…

Chat on the phone or Facebook with your Vietnamese friends and you get these grey, washed out, out of focus, over-exposed shots that look run over by a truck shoved as close to your nose as is possible and that all too tragic question, “Great shot huh?”

It does get weird on Facebook and the local forums with a million ‘selfies’ (photos of yourself) floating around. Sure, you get the cute but fuzzy shots of girls standing next to flowers or holding babies but then it gets really strange. Girl standing next to garage can. Boy selfie next to empty table. Couple posing next to dead tree. Wedding couples posing next to buffalo. Student asleep on desk…face down. Is there no shame?

Banning parents from photographing their kids until they are at least two years old might be advisable. Does anyone really want their dad or mum to show the neighbors that picture of you, naked, in the kitchen sink taking a bath? Or that day the family dog kissed you and you cried and cried? Plain embarrassing. And these days, millions of people can see them online. Quick! Hide yourself in a hole. The era of the selfie also seems to go with hand signals which must be a new language about going to the hospital. “V” fingers under chin, called ‘duck fingers’. One finger next to ear. Two fingers above eye and she looks like she’s in pain. Puffed cheeks and folded arms… what? Is she upset? Cute? Or having trouble breathing?

What I often find too funny is the need to take a photo anywhere yet the background isn’t considered as part of the photo. Him next to the laundry hanging in his room. Her next to a dead cat food stall or my personal favorite, the love pose in a restaurant with a pile of dirty, empty plates all around them. Please… look behind you before you show those pics!

Karaoke photos show a particular lack of photographic talent. Oh, look! Here’s me singing! It’s so dark you can barely see the microphone… Hey, aren’t we having fun? Five unsmiling faces caught at the wrong moment are trying to read the words on the screen and another favorite, the girlfriend asleep on the sofa. Oh really? Good luck posting that one on Facebook. Interestingly, there are incredibly expensive cameras here, but somehow the bigger the camera, the worst the picture. It’s great fun to sit in a coffee shop and watch the locals taking ‘snaps’.

This is even more fun around Tet (Vietnam’s Lunar New Year) time, the mid-year festival or national days. The family’s nominated cameraman spends twenty minutes shuffling people, moving elbows and arms, pushing the grandparents, grabbing the kids and generally looking like he’s setting a firing squad rather than a family portrait. And guaranteed, the one on the end of the line is looking down at his mobile phone. Mind you, it looks great when grandma does the ‘duck fingers’! Grandma’s such a teenager. By the way, why do parents always look so uncomfortable in photos? They are happy their kids are getting married, right? I love weddings; everyone looks paralyzed and really angry after being asked “Mot, hai, ba, yo!” (One, two, three, cheers!) for the twentieth time. You gotta love the status symbol of a big camera. There’s power in that thing! Around this time of year, engaged couples trudge around the rice fields with a manic photographer who seems determined to kill them in the summer heat, full wedding gown, groom in a three-piece suit, and both of them dying in the heat. Now it’s time to show his huge camera because it can take pictures of the moon.

His positioning of the hapless couple is great to watch. “Here!  Over…HERE! Now, over there! Not there, THERE! Oh! That dirt patch is perfect next to that really skinny cow! Now I want you to smile… SMILE! Now go back… back…BACK!” They are now half a kilometer away, the bride looks ready to kill him and the groom has lost interest and is busy on his mobile phone. Maybe someone should give all young Vietnamese photography courses in high school, since this is where the ‘selfie’ love affair begins. Boys in particular seem to have no idea of what a romantic or handsome photograph of themselves should look like.

Guys, ‘selfies’ taken in the shower, wash tub or just woken up are big no-no’s. And check your backgrounds again, your buddies are very likely to be checking for pimples, nose hair and bald spots just behind your right shoulder. Girls, super close-ups with eyes the size of motorbike wheels are not cool, ‘duck fingers’ under your chin is not going to make you stand out from the crowd and over-sized glasses make you look like an extremely young accountant, not cute.  I’m kidding, of course. It’s a very funny reflection of what interests young Vietnamese and the growing gap between traditional Vietnamese ways and modern technology. But I warn you, if you show me your grainy, dark, odd photos…I’ll bore you to death of my photos from my childhood.

The ""say cheese!"" culture of Vietnam

Strolling along Xuan Dieu street for eating experiences

Hanoi’s Xuan Dieu Street is a popular stretch with expats, but that doesn’t mean it should be crossed off your travel exploration list. It has a good range of dining and drinking venues, unmatched in Old Quarter, as well as shops selling Western goods and clothes that you may be after. Here are a few of our favourite eating spots.

Xuan Dieu is located at the northern edge of West Lake, in Tay Ho District. Coming from Hoan Kiem or Ba Dinh Districts you’ll join it from Au Co Street

(aka the dyke road). On the initial stretch you will first come across long-

standing Vine Restaurant which serves good quality international cuisine and wine to the slightly better-off expats and tourists — the Sheraton and Intercontinental are nearby.

We’re a fan of the pizzas and the lunchtime selections, both of which are reasonably good value. Watch out for the bottled water though — it’ll burn a hole in your pocket. Next door is Saint Honore, a bakery, deli and restaurant. An instant hit when it opened, the bread

and cakes continue to please and the eat-in menu makes it a good choice for lunch and dinner — although quality of eat-in does seem to have declined slightly recently. It gets busy around

midday so opt for a late lunch to beat the crowds or buy some cakes to take-away and enjoy later.

Another bakery can be found 100 metres or so further on — Nguyen Son is a Vietnamese chain with more Vietnamese-style cakes and they also

sell a reasonable range of bread. Eat-in is also available here. And all spelt correctly. Newcomer BlueBird sits next to Saint Honore in the shop once occupied by Vine’s Wine Cellar. We’ve

yet to try it out but hear good things about the food, particularly the pork belly. It’s at the upper end of the price spectrum for Hanoi, but good value for what you get. Turn left by Exotissimo down towards the entrance to the Sheraton and then right onto the stretch that runs next to West Lake. Here you’ll find Dieu’s Cuisine, a lovely lakeside spot for some decent Vietnamese at reasonable prices. At the end of this

road, and back up towards Xuan Dieu proper, is Victoria’s, which dishes up some very tasty pasta dishes, as well as burgers, pizza and chips and kebabs. We tend to sit outside but if it’s too hot or noisy for you — it is on a lively junction but that’s part of the charm — choose an inside seat. Most dishes come in at around 140,000 VND.

Back up on Xuan Dieu, just round the corner from Victoria’s, is fine dining restaurant Halia. The weekday lunch deal is fantastic value and the weekend brunch a real treat — we love the Eggs

Benedict which comes with salmon and bacon. Yum. Staff is fantastic too. Next door is longstanding Highway 4, which has branches across Hanoi. The upstairs dining room is spacious and comfortable and the Vietnamese food

innovative. Don’t leave without trying one of the Son Tinh liquors. Double back slightly and on the other side of the road is a branch of the Al Fresco’s chain, if you have a hankering for thick crust pizza or ribs.

Further back towards Vine are a couple of local places worth knowing about: next to Tracey’s bar — great burgers — is a decent pho shop and opposite is a large place serving noodles and com binh dan at all hours, perfect for after-drinking munchies. The list goes on … Further up the street, just before

Serena Towers (look up) is Linh and Ben’s, a lovely garden cafe serving up tasty paninis, crepes and pasta. Three street food-style places sit alongside, serving bun cha, com binh dan, pho and bun bo nam bo and and you’ll usually find a kebab stand along this stretch as well. A healthy lunch.

Next up is La Salsa, whose original branch remains on Nha Tho in Old Quarter. The garden area here is a lovely spot for a drink but reviews of the food are mixed. We love the donuts and pastries they sell in the upstairs bakery.

Bobby Chinn’s is another block up and from here to the end of the street you’ll find a number of Japanese restaurants. We like Sushi Dokoro, although it gets quite smoky. A final place worth mentioning is steak restaurant El Gaucho, which serves up very tender fillets. Expect to spend a fair bit, by the time you’ve added on the irresistible sides, but it’s so worth it. Book in advance — it’s one of the only busy restaurants on Xuan Dieu.

Vine Restaurant & Wine Bar 1A Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3719 8000

Saint Honore 5 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3933 2355

Bluebird 7 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3722 4165 Dieu’s 25 Xuan DieuT: (0987) 346 843

Victoria’s 29/27 Xuan Dieu

(0903) 280 293

Halia 29 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3946 0121

Highway 4 31 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3718 6377

Al Fresco’s 98 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3719 5322

Linh and Ben’s 45 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 6681 1418

La Salsa 53 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3718 5656

Restaurant Bobby Chinn 77 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3719 2460

Sushi Dokoro 95 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3718 6344

El Gaucho 99 Xuan Dieu

T: (04) 3718 6991

Strolling along Xuan Dieu street for eating experiences

"Bo Bia Ngot" - attractively sweet rolls on Hanoi streets

You’d be forgiven for assuming that bo bia ngot has something to do with beer, but it doesn’t: it’s a delicious sweet snack worth interrupting your Hanoi sightseeing for.

The snack is made to order, streetside. First, two very thin and small pancakes are laid flat, then a sheet of honeycomb is placed on top, and sprinkled with desiccated coconut and sesame seeds. It’s then rolled up and handed over — it’s really that simple. You won’t even need (or get) a tissue with which to wipe your fingers.

While it may seem like this is just an excuse to put two sweet substances together, thought has clearly gone into the compilation of this snack. The combination of soft, slightly moist pancake with crunchy honeycomb and chewy coconut deliver an enticing textural sensation and the flavours work

perfectly together.

How to find bo bia ngot? One good location is along Thanh Nien Street, which runs between Truc Bach and West Lakes and is home to both Tran Quoc and Quan Thanh temples; it’s also near to the Ho Chi Minh Complex and the Botanical Gardens. Chances are you’ll make your way here at some point, so be prepared. Look out for the bicycles parked at the side of the road with white boxes on the back marked “bo bia” in red. These aren’t mobile beer trucks; these are where you’ll find your sugar high. Of course her hands are clean … Some of the bikes also advertise keo keo, another sweet treat of pulled sugar formed into a crispy

stick.

Traditionally the dish was just sugar, but nowadays it’s often filled with peanuts. Another option, “keo nha”, is like a hard caramel with peanuts and sesame seeds. Health conscious, just in case

we need to point it out, these are not! One portion of bo bia ngot, keo keo or keo nha costs 5,000 VND. If you have a sweet tooth but this isn’t doing it for you, Kem Tay Ho is also along Thanh Nien Street; other sweet snacks to be found around the city include popcorn and “banh ran” – deep-fried balls of green bean and sticky rice coated in sugar, honey or sesame seeds. Popcorn runs to around 10,000 VND a bag and banh ran are about 2,000 each — and you’ll want more than one.

Bo bia ngot is not confined to Thanh Nien Street and you may see and hear the vendors calling from their bikes as they cycle around Hanoi. Make sure you stop one of the vendors and try their specialty!

"Bo Bia Ngot" - attractively sweet rolls on Hanoi streets

""Hello Vietnam"" - love from an overseas Vietnamese

I was born in 1987. Already 20 years growing up in Belgium, studying, having fun and, most important to me, learning music! My parents both come from Vietnam but they didn’t know each other until they arrived in Belgium. I sometimes think about what my life would have been like if they had met in Vietnam. But it isn’t so and I wouldn’t wish my life to be different. All the same I do know a bit about Vietnam. Cooking at home is still Vietnamese most of the time. I can understand a few words in Vietnamese and my family used to perform traditional songs and folk dances at Chinese New Year. At the same time, I live and think more like a Belgian. For example, I like to eat chocolate (a bit more than I should…) or to have a beer with my friends. Anyway these two cultures are integral parts of my personality. The more time goes by, the more certain I am it was destiny. And I’m also sure that singing is my way. True, so far I’ve always been lucky in my career.

It all began when I won a song contest on TV. I met my manager there. He guided me to my producer, who then made my duet with Marc Lavoine possible. Then with “J’espere”, I followed Marc Lavoine on tour around France, Belgium and even Switzerland. It is really incredible for a young artist to have such an experience. But he didn’t stop there and wrote me my first songs, including “Bonjour Vietnam”. Actually this song already has its own story. By mistake, the unfinished version of the song got put on the internet. A few days later, Vietnamese people around the world heard “Bonjour Vietnam” and were quite touched by its message, I suppose. Well, I hope all this will go on and lead me to other places, other people. Perhaps it will guide me to meet you… I hope so. (Quynh Anh/Ramona Shelby). It is the english version of the track however that will be released as her first single. The song, in an english adaptation by Guy Balbaert, is called ” Hello Vietnam”.

""Hello Vietnam"" - love from an overseas Vietnamese

Nostalgia about hanoi peddled wares

For people living away from home, it sure no one country one breed. When someone referred to his memory, they image to customs, customs, festivals … remember that the landscape, where they were born and raised. Hanoian’s own, when memory of the homeland, many of them remember to taste sweeter, simple peddled wares, of empty. Born in Hanoi, they grew up with the herald of the hawker. The retail hours that not simply as the herald, it has become a tone, a part of life where they have lived the childhood.

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone lived in the surely have used the last good bridesmaid – shrimp paste. On the summer , streets shade of Sau trees, the sound of cicada the rich as a summer with the broken rice, Simple carry soft noodle , succinct. Under the original plans of selling her goods with broken rice, noodle place rattan or bamboo frame. A side of mud, beans, shrimp paste, aromatic vegetables, a side of the pan, bowls, spoons small. Just a few thousand now you have a lunch appetite, to eat. The short white thread broken rice, noodle, flexible software with the paste to squessze lemon juice, chilli scented very difficult forgotten. Fry bridesmaid pieces to the outside to the gold the bowel top, soft and fat. Just a cheap food, just delicious but full of nutrition.

Who has the age of poetry in Hanoi still sure you buy your candy sweeter drag. I also remember the small, I often supplication for his father spit hair deep prize cents to buy candy. Every hear the herald’s first medical candy drag street children is flood radiate coil, be in an eager bustle. Many request, requiring 10 is but the child may only have 2 child is money to buy candy. Taste of the delicious candy new, attractive young flood us how! Now every time I think to feel the sweetness of the sugar, circuit house, fragrance of ginger in the candy.

Then the summer. Lotus flowers bloom all over the lake surface. The smooth leaves of green lotus spread across the lake. When it is time to Cốm season. Perhaps the individual, the character of Ha Thanh is carry cốm. Rattan or bamboo frame sometimes with a few flounder on the mix of her and bring her cốm fragrant incense go across 36 wards uproarious city. The seeds cốm flat, flat. He that color, smooth cốm by those who look like gems makes it difficult to forget the dishes cốm Hanoi. Government’s green cốm have a concept of color, blue com. Cốm appetite and want to be long packages in lotus leaves picked fresh from the morning. Now that the leaves are closed the morning dew grain glitter, reagent of heaven. Cốm packages in lotus leaves 2 times and the external force in the fiber straw yellow sticky him. Cốm is not only a gift but dissipated into a gift to bring the full flavor of the very individual Hanoi.

The Hanoi still wandering outside the city and then to the marijuana to carouse simple. To winter, the cold – frozen to the bone. Until now I still remember the long cold last winter in Hanoi. The cold cut the skin, cut meat. But the Hanoi still wandering outside the city and then to the marijuana to carouse simple. Only a small table, two chairs, three things, a few cups and a jug of that you have a warm tea. Tea were raped to be to the average, in my skin with water only straw should always hot. The heat has just enough moisture to enjoy but do water and only in comparison. Clothes, caps, towels, two hand embracing the tea cup for moisture, slot whimper as the cold, find the sweet-fat candy bar at last, all the animals that drink the tea cup.

Of spring, growing fruit trees . Hanoi flowers bloom the same race, showing the flowers throughout the village along the lake west. At this town Hanoi as flaring with oddments load color. I would dare sure that one will not have a place in Vietnam and the world as a type of flower sales very poetic, very romantic as in Hanoi. Fresh flowers full color, all types hold loads at the end of carrying village girls, village like the full color butterflies flying around town eel crowded. And many, many of the items in the peddled wares. Each item has its attractive features of their own, but all create beautiful soft, ancient Hanoi in the eyes of people in Vietnam as well as international guests. Street, Hanoi people will know how sad you are missing out peddled wares.

Nostalgia about hanoi peddled wares

Hanoi daily life in Nha Tho Street

Both ancient and modern, the integration between the two cultural forms old make Nha Tho street that became extraordinary. Hanoi has long sinuous streets, but also the small street just a few hundred meters long and always seem to contain many interesting and unique things to remember. Nha Tho (Church) street also in the list of such streets. It is known as a place that contains many interesting and special.

 

 

Church Street is always busy foreign tourists visited

Streets located not far from Hoan Kiem lake, next to Hang Hanh street. Although street no words “Hang” on the head but people still ranks Nha Tho street in the old town of Hanoi. Short and small city, but never deserted. Here, we encounter more opposition between two very unique form of new and old culture, both conscious system Buddhist religion and Christianity. It is easy to know which is more than the contrast between two schools of Eastern and Western architecture. Besides the classical style house float waving moss odor of time, you will easily feel the squeeze of architecture and modern Western. The luxurious cafe or fast food restaurants serving foreign guests grew close together. The idea this would lose the historic character of this famous street, but it seems that the familiar harmony between two opposite styles that make distinctions of re Church Street.

 

Hanoi minster is ancient and grave

Called Nha Tho street because there’s Hanoi minster. The church was inaugurated on Christmas in 1887 and known for the most typical and characteristic of the art of medieval architecture with curved arches, wide, toward the top of heaven, get light. With the architecture, will certainly realize that the church was built in line with impressive Gothic architecture patterns, characteristic patterns. This architecture has always impressed on a solemn religious space. Each year when Christmas is here again to become more vibrant than ever. The christian believer come up here to welcome a new Christmas wish good prayer for life.

It also Ba Da pagoda, also known under the name Linh Tu pagoda. Ba Da pagoda is located at 3 Nha Tho street. Today, the temple is the headquarters of the Buddhist association of Hanoi City. Today, Nha Tho street youth also known as a place where there are many delicious and popular cuisine. The fermented pork roll fry (Vietnamese meaning: nem chua nướng) of Ms Thanh was 85-year-old . This place is always crowded at any time of day.

Do not know the shop of fermented pork roll fry appear here , the young of Ha Thanh just know that ten years living in Hanoi, they knew shop of fermented pork roll fry, and this place became gathering points often their stories with no beginning no end. Whenever sunset falls, the area around the church has become more robust. Despite sitting nestled between small cramped seats, nobody is sad, irritable or complain. Both the bustling streets by happy laughter, conversation, the call up … same idea as being a small Hanoi show up in your eyes …

Hanoi daily life in Nha Tho Street

Saigon, Vietnam - Saigon Seafood Stalls

 

You don’t need to go far to find food in Saigon. All you really have to do is stand and do a 360, and you’ll realize that it is actually the food that finds you. Pho was cooking on the left. Banh mi was being prepared on the right. But straight ahead, we were attracted to a small stand lit by the greenish, fluorescent lights that seem to be so prominent in Asia. Like moths in flight, we headed towards the light source.

 

 

There are many tough decisions you make in life, like friendships, relationships and careers. Add this seafood dilemma to the long list because there was just too much going on. I love extensive menus but when almost everything looks appetizing, I get very annoyed. So we picked a few, mainly rarities, and she asked if we wanted a choice of garlic, spicy garlic or sweet & sour tamarind sauce. We asked for one of each with our dishes.

 

Saigon, Vietnam - Saigon Seafood Stalls

The ancients have a saying: "Bat Trang pottery Van Phuc silk village Thu Hong bamboo Ngu Xa cast bronze ... "

Between close streets, the magnificent buildings on the West Lake, a village still exists with many cultural relics, ancient history.  

 

Gate of Ho Khau temple

Visitors to Hanoi but not to the West Lake in Hanoi is not considered, because this is an ancient symbol of Hanoi, along with To river and Nung mountain. This is the center of Hanoi where old-full of myths about the chang waste land into cultivated areas West Lake, mining area Long Do and also presents many monuments temples, pagodas, temples, shrines the most in Thang Long. Ho Khau is a village located in the ancient land. The village is next door to the lake  with To Lich river so called Ho Khau.

 

Three door temple gate of Ho Khau now no 374 Thuy Khe

According “Ho Khau take notes”, the village is exploring from Hung Vuong period. To the Ly-Tran-Le, village administrative staff is located in Vinh Thuan district, the Phung Thien palace, Thang Long – now the third ward neighborhood Buoi ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.  The beauty of the village system first in the village gates massive and monumental blocks connected together on a road length of about 300m.The middle three door temple gate was built architecture 4 pillars is based on the curved roof after roof tiles and fish scab. 2 columns between 45cm wide, 7m high. Above the 4  pillars bank Ranh Ranh fruit stylized flanking four sides. 4 side of pillars are located in parallel sentences. Door step built three step staircase, have large to rest step , both sides wait seat.

Chuc Thanh pagoda

Attached to three door temple gate on the left is the north entrance of the village. To the right is the entrance to the Chuc Thanh temple. Through the Ve Quoc temple entrance Giap Dong of village. Gate system was a group of cultural heritage village unique in Thang Long.

Duc Thanh temple

 

Home gate is Duc Thanh Mau Thuy Tinh Princess sanctuary, the daughter of Dong Dinh Vuong, the villagers still called “Dien Mau Thang Long”. Outside the village, apart “Dien Mau” aslo the “Giap Dong” temple worship Duc Thanh Em, temple known as the “Ve Quoc” temple.  The village has three temples, two temples located outside the village and a temple built in Giap Bac, worship Duc Thanh Ca, called Duc Thanh temple.

Two saints worshiped temple in Giap Bac and Giap Dong because of deserve well of country in the career defeat Tong and Nguyen invader. Besides they deserve well of setup village, water treatment should be Duc Thanh Hoang worshiped in communal house in the village. It was an old communal house located on the beyond of West Lake, then to the Nguyen dynasty moved in the village, located at the center of the village today. Communal house in the village has many worship objects and horizontal lacquer.  All three are natives build temples from the Ly dynasty was 3 certificate in years Vinh Thinh 6 (1711), Canh Hung 22 (1762), Canh Hung 44 (1784). Ve Quoc temple was ranked in 1995. Duc Thanh Temple was ranked in 2005.

Sai pagoda

Village has 2 pagodas, legend will be starting up from the Ly, a stele scored big restoration in Canh Thinh VII (1799.) The pagoda is located in the village of Chuc Thanh, the pagoda establish of West lake known as Tinh Lau or Sai pagoda. This is an ancient monument built on a large campus of 3 hectare, there are many ancient trees that state were ranked classified national in 1995, identified as a pure cultural relic of Buddhism village of Vietnam.

Many generation lived here

Being a long ancient village, Ho Khau has 5 generation, is still full preserved worship hall, descendants still happy crowded.

The ancients have a saying: "Bat Trang pottery Van Phuc silk village Thu Hong bamboo Ngu Xa cast bronze ... "

Visit Sapa to taste special ""Tao Meo"" wine

Visiting to Sapa, everyone not only sees natural scenes of mountain and forest but also goes into ecstasy with special foods of the land of fog and especially you can enjoy the aromatic flavor of apple cat wine.

Lao Cai is a famous region with many kinds of delicious wines which bring the flavor of mountain and forest such as San Lung specialties (Bat Xat), corn wine (Bac Ha), and nearly, Sapa is well- known with apple cat wine which is popular but special.

 

Apple cat trees rise commonly on Hoang Lien Son Mountain.Apple cat is a fruit which keeps the flavor of forest, sunshine, and wind in high area so it has enough four main flavors such as sour, sweet, acrid, and bitter. Apple cat is soaked carefully to create wine- apple cat wine. Apple cat is the same as a worthy present which nature gives to Mong people.  It has other names like sour and acrid fruit, or loving fruit because of its typical flavors. With the name ‘loving fruit’, people said that boys or girls who are single will love each other when drink a bow of apple cat wine together and then they will become a couple and live each other forever. They will share the bitterness, acridness, sourness, sweetness in apple cat wine as well as in life.

Apple cat usually bloom flower in final spring (March – April) and rise fruit in autumn. Therefore, visitors can buy apple cat within August and October. At this time, apple cat is sold the most common in all market of Sapa people. This time is also the most convenient for you to buy apple cat and make wine and then some instructions will help you make wine easier and more delicious as follows:

• Firstly, you should wash apple cat with water and put dry. Then you cut two heads of an apple cat without throw its seed, cut apple into equivalent two parts, soaked in fresh water about one hour and next soaked in salt water about a half of one hour and wash it again with fresh water.


• Secondly, you soak apple cat with sugar. Specifically, two kilograms needs 1 kilogram of sugar. After two weeks, apple cat come to the surface and a lay of sugar is in the bottom.


• Finally, you take water from soaking apple cat with sugar and then soak it with wine. Noticeably, an amount of wine is a half of volume and after two weeks, you can drink this wine.

Apple cat wine is a nourish beverage which can treat many diseases such as tranquillizer, platelet, blood pressure. Besides, you can get out of sleeplessness when drinking a little apple cat wine. Furthermore, except for making apple cat wine, you can cut apple cat into thin pieces and dry. It also has the same effect as apple cat wine.  In short, if you have chance, welcome you go to Sapa. Let‘s make the most of the wonderful and amazing flavor of apple cat wine !

Visit Sapa to taste special ""Tao Meo"" wine

The Red river- peach silk across Hanoi

Red River is a river very own Hanoi, Vietnam’s mother land. The river was not only to build the Red River civilization – a civilization in the 36′s but also the world’s largest river system in Northern Vietnam, the No. 2 on the Indochina Peninsula (after the Mekong river – or other name Cuu Long river). With a length of 1126km, through Vietnam’s territory is 556km accounted for 49.3%, the whole basin area is 155,000 km2, accounting for 45.6% of the area. In addition, the Red River tributaries also have to take 614 from level 1 to level 6, there are major tributaries such as the Da, Lo, Chay …

 

 

Red River originates from the ovary Nhuy Son mountain (1776m high) near Dai Ly lake  belong Nhi Do District, Van Nam province, China flowing from the Northwest – Southeast typical in Vietnam at Ha Khau (Lao Cai) through 7 provinces in the sea 10 estuary, the main estuary is the Ba Lat estuary(Nam Dinh). Para Red River flows through Hanoi 91 km long, the lower part. Before the French name for the Red River, it has many names. Each locality has a name of its own rivers as Thao river, Cai river, Nhi Ha river, Nam Sang, Hoang Giang … so it is also seen as most rivers have many names.

One of the cultural ethos of Vietnam is a water theme. The ancient town of Vietnam’s history is largely associated with waterway as Co Loa, Thang Long, Pho Hien, Hoi An organizational culture … In personal life, the water aspect is also a critical factor. Vietnamese people think that we’re children of the Fairy and the Dragon from “Lac Long Quan – Au Co” story. Lac Long Quan is King of Xich Quy, was called the father but the people living in the palace of the river god, claiming to be like dragon heads underwater species. Vietnamese people have to worship water-nymph. Naiad has many names, exists in many different forms, most commonly in wetland worship Mau Thoai (read deviate from Mau Thuy to show that respect). Long time now, the festival of spring and autumn, the Red River again busy drums, gongs of the dragon boat team went out to take the river water procession Mother River (Cai River) on the church and bath statue. River travel is no longer a new form again, but the tourism resources along the river has been confirmed a long and increasingly attractive domestic and foreign tourists. Main trips of this ancient poet default client also imprinted in the legend, in poetry.

Red River also is considered a historical mark victories against aggression. The great victory of our people in history are mostly waterborne battles: Bach Dang (938), (981) was a first Tay Ket battle , the second Tay Ket, Chuong Duong, Ham Tu, Rach Gam – Soai Mut (1785) … The area of the Hang Than head slope, head of the Long Bien Bridge (formerly as Dinh Bo Dau) where the glorious battles of the military and people (01/29/1285) dislodge 30000 Mongols army retreat, ending the glorious struggle against the Mongols invaded the 2nd (1285).

“People can not bathe twice in the same river.” The philosophical significance of the movement, then it is absolute. But say, history is never repeated, “… It is still the invaders North. It still pulled in by sea. It is still being ambushed at the estuary Rut river, Chanh river  – two branches of the Bach Dang river. It still lost by a stake. It was still about a breach boat by ironwood stake…,  you go to the Bach Dang river to ponder history against invaders of the nation and remember the 2 line of verse of Truong Han Sieu in ” Bach Dang prose”:

” Red evening clouds in the bottom water

Thought that this enemy blood is still here.”

About three or four hundred years ago, the Red River in Hanoi gave the vitality of a commercial center. Goods from lowland follow the Red River back plain, down to shore of the mountainous province, mountainous forest products back plain in the Red River delta. The shore of the Red River had been comparable to the busy ports of Europe, all merchant vessels of France, Japan, Italy, Portugal … busiest in Red River dock in revolutionsagainst the United States, France.

Bat Trang market on the Red river

Thousands of years, the Red River was flowing into a very important part of Vietnamese history, which flows into a thousand-year history of Hanoi. It became part of the flesh of the land it crosses, by many generations, of every human being of flesh and blood with it. Each person has a Red river for itself. How much Hanoi people carry out a war of resistance to live with Red River and lived with Nguyen Dinh Thi poet every croon “Oh, Hong Ha, I miss the old fall, waves return as flag wave when the military come to the capital ….” Red River in” Thao river guerrillas”  are grand song in  the most beautiful sound of the war against France. And late in 1954, how many people from North Vietnam in the forests of gloomy housing recovery is also excited about Hanoi with invitation To Huu poet:

“Song Thao be an eager bustle wave.
Somebody come to Hanoi then accompany  the boat!.”


According to ancient Chinese bibliographic around before the VI century, the Chinese call this river is Diep Du. And now China calls the Red River upstream from where the play area is Nguyen Giang or Ma Long Giang. Near to the Vietnam-China border area called the Lien Hoa or Le Hoa. On Vietnamese land, each country has  Red River for yourself. From Lao Cai to the Viet Tri, river flowing like silk train between two sides of  fan-palm forests and tea hills of  Phu Tho should call it the Song Thao (mean as silk). Thao is also a semanteme in Lam Thao,  name of a suburban district of Phu Tho district where the river flows through. From Viet Tri  Hanoi on the Bach Hac (White Crane) river.

See the Red River on Long Bien Bridge

The French are very romantic and rational when looking at the alluvium water call it the Red river, the name was officially called to this day. Red river curved to hug Thang Long from Minh Mang dynasty is called Ha Noi (in the river). Love it, peach silk of Red River – lap of orient robe tie round slender legs of Hanoi girl.

Thank association of a Greek poet, but the beautiful Red River never fade in his memory:

” I will never forget the Red River

Embroidered red color in Hanoi orient robe” 

The Red river- peach silk across Hanoi

A Lunch at Pho Binh Cafe

There are way too many things to see in Saigon, and heaven knows if I’ll ever get to see them all. This particular pho shop was in my guidebook, and the two or three sentences that followed the name had me completely smitten.  This was just a place we had to see. Chuck as usual, was all atwitter about what kind of place is this, and who goes there, and what not.  

Motorbikes are always parked either on the sidewalk, or inside the shops. Actually, at the Indochine Hotel, they had 3 of them parked in the reception area. It was not very crowded inside, but the entire area around the restaurant was bustling. Chuck was definitely antsy, but I got a bit closer to check the noodle stand outside the premises. After our second trip to Vietnam, it was a foregone conclusion that you cannot have a bad bowl of pho, no matter where you eat it.

Now doesn’t that look yummy? If you don’t know it, pho noodles are rice based, therefore much lighter than wheat based noodles and very easily digested. Vietnamese have pho any time of the day, including breakfast. We did go inside, and I wanted to insure that we had found the right place. The man who owned this pho shop played host to both American soldiers and Viet Cong during the American War, and his son has amassed quite a collection of pictures and citations in the name of his father. As we were the only Westerners in the shop, a tall man came toward us and for lack of understanding each other, I showed him the guide book, and he immediately understood what I meant. He showed us to a table, and returned with many albums.

There was obviously tremendous pride in what Ngo Toai had done during the war, and his pho shop rose to prominence, but he absolutely refused to give his tables and chairs and any of his war memorabilia to the War Museum. The restaurant floors beg for a good scrubbing, but it is with reverence that one enters the premises.

Here we are below, completely captivated with reading and looking and pictures, while enjoying the best bowl of pho ever, and I squeezed as much lime as I could find into it. If you look at the picture on the right, above are two framed certificates. I was able to capture on camera a close up of the larger one, and the other one has a photo of Ngo Toai with American soldiers eating in his soup kitchen. Many wrote him letters after they went back home. The newspaper clippings are stained and in some disrepair, but they are a greater source of pride as they are written in English.

There are certificates on the wall bearing the red communist star; medals are photographed but now shown.  When the war ended, Ngo Toai returned to his beloved noodle shop and continued to serve his magical brew. It seems the menu has not changed much since that day. Heartwarming are the photos of U.S. veterans who returned to this shop, and have their arms around the old man.

The Reuters article above provocatively begins this way: “ In the early years of the Viet Nam war, Ngo Toai lived a double life: seller of noodles to U.S. personnel and surreptitious revolutionary”. And of course, you read on. Apparently, a few days following the Tet offensive, a South Vietnamese tried to kill Ngo Toai, but somehow he escaped death only to find life imprisonment and torture instead. As you can read, Toai was captured and tortured; our guide to the Mekong Delta would later inform us that many people were sent for “re-education”. I leave it to your imagination to figure this out.

The shop served as a front for the undercover command post from which the plan for the Tet offensive was devised. After the war, foreign tourists would pay up to $13/night to put their heads on a pillow in the very area that served as a gathering place for the Viet Cong. I regret that we didn’t decide to do likewise, but we had quite an itinerary on this first trip, which had been set back somewhat due to an unexpected food poisoning episode. All things aside, this café does serve a wicked pho. They also have “bia“, which is the Vietnamese word for “beer” , which actually came from the French word “bière”.

 

A Lunch at Pho Binh Cafe

marinated grapefruit flowers- the interesting fragrance in Vietnamese food

Tapioca drinks wire is a very common throughout Vietnam then Hanoi people there are very subtle way of processing such as to maintain the natural scent of earth and sky in white tapioca nuts. In other regions, people also marinated the jasmine flowers such as cassava lines to be fragrant. But grapefruit flowersmarinated with cassava lines for special fragrance only in Hang Dieu and Hang Than, Hanoi.

As fragrant incense grapefruit started by the wind everywhere it is also at the house or sidewalks in Hang Than, Hang Dieu appeared a pristine white, the white of the fresh cassava. People use large winnowing basket to expose for drying cassava. Arrange thin layers of tapioca may be powder dry evenly. Cassava lines were exposed to sunlight, the crisp new white color and keep the smooth. People here to buy big cassava tubers grind and filter flour. Cassava lines residues after filtering out the water like salted shredded meat. It also uses the fiber pulp is cooked into drinking water is also very cool. After drying is complete, each base tapioca looks like thin ice, it will break up into tiny little cassava. The tablet of this cassava after being exposed to sunlight that is firm, only waiting to see the water as it melts to create a great drink to help cool the body in this hot summer day.

When the fresh white powder dry surgery preparation was bound into the package that’s time people gather flowers grapefruit. The flowers are fragrant grapefruit mixed with cassava as scent cherished and preserved until the following season. Cassava drying are marinated with flowers bring sunshine grapefruit, close to 0.5 kg each package; 1kg … easy for the consumer choice. Grapefruit flowers want to wait after the days of drizzling rain, dry weather. When the flowers are not afraid fail, new fragrance is passionate and keep longer, when brought cassava flour seasoned with bold lines, the new truth.

Through the transparent cellophane bags, we still see those cassava tablet fine white  inside. Tapioca white, a square bar or powder, is contained in the ball bag that works breeze kept the scent of flowers sometimes longer. When people bought and put into use, open the rubber string out, the bag occasionally flashed the thought of the intoxicating fragrance, fragrance makes people have a long memory. Especially when enjoying a glass of water with ice cool cassava lines with white tusks, do not carve very constant, open system which is the dried flower petals yellow grapefruit in the cup.

Sips of water cooling lines cassava bold floral grapefruit feeling cool, fresh, seemed tired all go away, onlypassionate charm smell of the grapefruit flowers somewhere.

marinated grapefruit flowers- the interesting fragrance in Vietnamese food

Exhibition on temples of literature’s development opens in Hanoi

Visitors to the exhibition

More than 80 photos of architecture, gates, bell towers, courtyards, steles and exhibits related to examinations at the temples ofliterature are on display at an exhibition which opened in Hanoi on January 21. 

The exhibition provides visitors an overview of the country’s system of literature temples, especially the Hanoi Temple ofLiterature and the Hue Temple of Literature.

 

A number of architectural items excavated from the old base of Hanoi Temple of Literature in 1998, its books, documents, woodblocks and steles carved with the names of those who had high scores in examinations, are also exhibited.

The event aims to help people study and preserve Vietnam’s cultural heritage, encouraging people to restore their literaturetemples.

The exhibition will run until February 15 at the Hanoi Temple ofLiterature

Exhibition on temples of literature’s development opens in Hanoi

The most famous romantic Love Streets in Hanoi

Hanoi is famous for beautiful ancient paths and street corners. Especially, the beauty of the capital changes in terms of time and space. Thus in different moments, people observe Hanoi in diferently ornamental sides. And there are several streets renowned to the youngsters as Love Paths for their romantic sights, which is ideal for photographing and dating.

Korean – Japanese Streets

It will be a serious mistake to list ideal Valentine spots without mentioning to Korean – Japanese Streets that lie along Tay Lake. Nobody knows the origin of these lovely names. In fact, it was because of the sceneries and houses in this area: one side is the large lake, the other is the houses with luxuriously modern architecture, resembling Koreans films. “Japanese” street is also a popular lakeside street for its sidewalk vendors and relatively secluded spots for couples.

In the evening, the two streets lit up with lampposts, outstanding from the surroundings. It was the giant Ferris wheel in the Water Park nearby shining that make the whole picture much more ornamental and “korean”.

In summer, these are actually Love Streets for couples as the lotus blooms, bring about a fragrantly romantic space.

Kim Ma Street

This is certainly a familiar street to the young Hanoians and photographers. It is a quite alluring street with old tree-lined and red brick sidewalks. However, it brings most thrilling feelings in the winter – the leaves-falling season. Through the lens of photographers, the photos of couples strolling in the brilliantly red-yellow path have made viewers moved.

Moreover, walking hand-in-hand with lovers in the bitter cold weather of Hanoi winter will engrave on your memory.

Phan Dinh Phung street

Located within blocks of architectural planning, Phan Dinh Phung street bold influenced by Western architecture. We must first mention the high-villas nestled next but soaring trees. Although tinted paint stain over time but still beautiful ancient, stately, giving people the feeling nostalgic.

Not random, Phan Dinh Phung street is widely called the beloved “Dracontomelum trees street.” Dracontomelum are grown on the roads, street corner of Hanoi, but most have to mention Phan Dinh Phung street. The old dracontomelum found on Phan Dinh Phung street has a history of hundreds of years, bushy tree – trunk, dense foliage,covered the road. Flower of dracontomelum alligator is not brilliant as many others that have simple and beloved beautiful flowers. The tiny of white flowers brunch tucked hide in green foliage, spread bitter scent but passionate .

Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien is a historic cantilever bridge cross Hanoi’s Red River, built by French in 1898 – 1902. It is believed that the bridge is designed by Gustave Eiffel, the man behind Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty.

With its charming vintage look and incredible view of the Hong (Red) River, Long Bien, the oldest bridge in Hanoi , has been a favourite spot for young people to get together. After a slow ride on motorbikes, people often stop at a fine spot on the bridge, where they enjoy conversation with one another or stare at the magnificent view. On the bridge, couples could possibly forget about time and stand or sit on the side of the bridge for hours. There are vendors there who are willing to serve them with snacks or drinks.

Many young couple also place locks on the fence to keep their love ever-lasting.

The most famous romantic Love Streets in Hanoi