Vietnam food street

Not traveling if you do not try things that smell local, including food. And, ... the latest trip at the beginning of this month visited Ho Chi Minh City or commonly abbreviated as HCMC, the city center in South Vietnam to become a culinary search that is quite unique. So it is still around Southeast Asia.

Precisely in Saigon, which is close to the center of the market, terminal and other heart of the activity of local residents of Vietnam. There is a Benh Thanh Market which is open since morning, but at night the big road next to it also suddenly turns into the Night Market. Around this street we can find local food vendors. Because picking out halal food, I can't try all the local food here.

First day in Saigon, and since crossing the Cambodia-Vietnam border area around the terminal I've seen sandwiches that seem tempting. Large oval bread, inside there are cucumbers, chunks of meat, and sauce. Local residents call it Banh Mi Pate. Unfortunately, most also use pork or baccon, aka pork. But last night in Saigon, I met the halal label seller Banh Mi.

The cuttlefish seller or at HCMC called Muc Chien Nuoc Mam using a bicycle traveling around Saigon The
meeting was accidentally, after friends had dinner at a Malaysian rice stall. Not far from the alley of the Night Market that leads back to the Hostel on Le Lai Road, my eyes glaze with halal writing in front of the Banh Mi (Lebaii isshh) kiosk. The father of the seller Banh Mi thinks I am Malaysian (not willing to be mistaken for Malay), after that he jokes this chicken, is it OK? the price is the same as Banh Mi using pork, 35 thousand Dhong. - $ 2 dollars

It tastes good, because the bread is crispy outside, it looks like French baguette, and the vegetables inside like cucumber and letucce make it fresh. The father not only gave chicken in bread but also tuna. It's really nutritious to have dinner last night in Saigon. Drinking it, I bought a pulling tea at a Malaysian stall, and it didn't taste thick enough. Maybe because this is Vietnam not Malaysia.

Another culinary that I tried around the Night Market is a variety of cassava preparations such as if in Indonesia it is getuk, mixed with black beans, sprinkles of coconut milk and milk.

When I went to the Chu Chi Tunnel, the banker hiding place of the Vietnam War, the guide there said that boiled cassava was sprinkled with peanut, sugar and salt as snacks at that time. We were provided there, after being invited into the hideout banker. Hosh hosh, ... tired cape hiding in a banker only provided boiled cassava.

Kulineran Vietnam is indeed still something like Indonesia and Malaysia, except for processed pork. In Saigon, I also found cuttlefish, or some kind of squid, but this is big in size. If in Malaysia, cuttlefish is sold in supermarkets, spiced or sweet. Now in Saigon, Cuttlefish is more fresh because it is only processed when we buy it.

Tofu flower traders in Saigon
Muc Chien Nuoc Mam or Sotong in Saigon are first burned first, then ground using a grinding tool, shaved, and seasoned with sauce and soy sauce. It tastes good for fun snacks, better than buying cuttlefish at the supermarket. Cuttlefish prices between 30 thousand Dhong. Other types of halal food, a kind of beancurd. I didn't have the chance to buy this because I was full, but my backpacking group friends tried it. He said delicious, cheap again only 5 thousand Dhong or around $ 1 dollar. Anyway, don't forget that mentioning the value of money with merchants is better if you use a calculator, because they like cheating.

There are several other types of culinary that are unique, in Muine 8 hour drive from the city of Saigon, I found food that is similar to Dim Sum. Why do I call Sum? because the basic ingredients of food are from sago, but not fried but boiled. Inside is an egg yolk and shrimp section. The presentation is placed in transparent Tupperware seasoned with soy sauce, sprinkling with fried onions and leeks. Taste? chewy-mouthed in the mouth, then I'm resentful because the seller doesn't peel the shrimp shell as the filling.

Then when going to fisherman village, meet again a unique local breakfast. The appearance looks like a pancake that we like to meet in Indonesia, but why is it sprinkled with chopped chicken and bean sprouts on top of it? not only that, the presentation was included in the chili sauce, which looked very spicy. I want to see nausea. I wanted to buy it, but I'm afraid it's pork not chicken, even though it looks like white chicken. Besides, it was already too full with Dim Sum.

Cuttlefish after seasoning
Although far from the capital city of Hanoi which is located protrudes to the north, Saigon in the South is quite crowded, especially tourists. The Vietnamese currency has fallen below the dollar exchange rate. A paradise for budget travelers like me. But still, even though Dhong's money is cheap, the traders are also cunning.

There are those who appreciate the dollar, also increase two to three times the original price. Not only that, most of the traders there are also jutek and sadistic. First they did not understand English, but after that they were offered an unclear grumble. Make buyers run away.

Look carefully, if you go to Saigon. Local residents, do not remember weekday or weekend. They still gather at a coffee shop located near the highway. They sat on a small bench, in the middle there was a table where they put their food and drinks. They are cool to talk, both family and young young. Not just coffee, they also buy fruits as a snack, while enjoying the bustle of the city of Saigon full of motorized vehicles passing by.

This is what I say is similar to Dim Sum, the price is 20 thousand Dhong
There are still many more culinary delights in Saigon, but the non-halal element limits the search for local food for me here. Others have spring rolls, Pho with pork sauce, or other processed pork. The rest, if you are hungry just choose fruit. At the Night Market there are many kinds of fruit that are sold. The price range is around 30 thousand Dhong for mangoes, oranges in Bali, to Durian. On the bus when you want to go a little away from the city can also be found snack vendors. Don't forget to try coffee in Vietnam too, dear, because I have a stomach acid.