anythings

Vermicelli with sour soup

Bun rieu, vermicelli with sour soup, is one of Vietnam's most popular dishes. It is offered at hotels, restaurants and markets, or sold by peddlers, but not many people know its origin.
Sour soup vermicelli is for eating any time of the day. It is served for breakfast, lunch or dinner or it can be a temporary dish between two meals. In particular, it is a favorite of women.The soup always has crab. The style of cooking is different in each region and at each restaurant. The main ingredients are vermicelli, field crabs, tomatoes, solid pig blood and fried tofu.Usually, to prepare sour soup vermicelli, people process field crabs first. They wash the crabs, remove their plastrons and shells, scrape their liver-pancreas and keep these separate in a container, then pestle or grind their bodies. The plastrons and shells are not used because they will blacken the soup.In the next step, they knead pestled or pounded crab in water, extract the juice and throw away the waste. Tomatoes, solid pig blood and fried tofu are cut into pieces. The liver-pancreas is fried in oil with some salt.Now, cook the crab juice in a saucepan with a low flame until the crab meat floats. Then, add the processed tomatoes, solid pig blood, fried tofu, some water, and spices. In some regions, people use fermented rice juice to create a sour taste of the soup. Leave the saucepan of soup on the stove with a small flame.To eat the dish, put some vermicelli into a bowl, add some crab meat and broth with tomato, pig blood and tofu. The sour soup vermicelli is accompanied with fish sauce, banana flowers, convolvulus, bean sprouts, scented herbs, chili and lemon. Some people eat it with fermented shrimp paste and tamarind juice. In one bowl of sour soup vermicelli one has a great mix of flavors.A bowl of sour soup vermicelli ranges in price from VND6,000 to VND10,000.
Author: Saigon Times

A meal to remember

I still remember the time when I went to Saigon Mui Ne Resort - not to stay, but to enjoy the bun ca Phan Thiet (Phan Thiet fish noodle soup) at Sea Breeze Restaurant.
I had heard about the restaurant's bun ca for a long time and it was every bit as delicious as I had been told. Long after returning to Ho Chi Minh City, it was not the beauty of Mui Ne that I missed most, but that unforgettable dish. To enjoy this kind of dish, you must have a perfect seat. Some people may disagree and say that location is not important, but there's no arguing the point that enjoying fresh seafood by the ocean is altogether different to eating the same dish in a city restaurant At Sea Breeze restaurant my seat was perfect, surrounded by coconut trees a pool and a pond, with ocean views and the gentle touch of the fresh sea breeze. In my experience, a perfect seat like this and a perfect dish equal a perfect meal. Bun ca is a specialty of Phan Thiet. It is usually served in a single bowl, but at Sea Breeze the chef has updated the presentation of this traditional dish, allowing patrons to assemble their own perfect bowl of bun ca by presenting the ingredients on a bed of banana leaves. At Sea Breeze, when you order bun ca you are served a platter featuring a handful of ca suot (a fish indigenous to Phan Thiet), a handful of boiled pork, thinly sliced fried eggs, star fruit, cucumber and fresh mixed vegetables, alongside a plate of vermicelli, a bowl of banh da (rice cake) pieces and, most importantly, a bowl of sauce. It is up to you to fill your empty bowl with the right combination of ingredients for your own perfect bun ca, before topping your bowl up with stock, mixing the ingredients together and finishing the job by adding chili to taste. I'll never forget the first time I tasted Sea Breeze's bun ca - I couldn't define what made it so good, it wasn't particularly sour, salty or sweet, but simply a perfect blend of flavours. It took me a while to figure out that it is the sauce which brings harmony to the dish's diverse ingredients, and when I spoke to the Sea Breeze chef I found out that making the sauce is the hardest part of all, as it is a delicate mix of ground ripe bananas, peanuts, fish sauce and sugar. But believe me, when it is done right, it tastes absolutely perfect and it took three bowls each before my friend and I finally gave in to our bursting stomachs. Sea Breeze offers bun ca for three people for just VND125,000 and also offers a wide range of seafood and other dishes. The restaurant also offers a daily buffet breakfast and weekend barbeques. Sea Breeze RestaurantSaigon Mui Ne ResortAdd: Ham Tien, Phan Thiet, Binh ThuanTel/Fax: (84-62) 847 302 / 847 307
Author: Vietnam Discovery

This tonic is so refreshing in the heat

Nuoc sam, a type of drink prepared from herbal plants, is one of the most popular drinks of Asians when the heat is at its worst. In Ho Chi Minh City, nuoc sam is usually sold from handcarts vendors set up on the pavements along busy streets.
Under the scorching sun, passers-by buy a glass of nuoc sam to satisfy their thirsts before continuing on their way in the middle of a throng of vehicles or pedestrians. This drink is usually divided into four types: rong bien (seaweed), bong cuc (chrysanthemum), mia lau (dwarf sugarcane) and nuoc dang (bitter-flavored water). A glass of nuoc sam costs from VND1,500 to VND3,000. Apart from nuoc dang, the drink is usu­ally served with ice. You can also find nuoc sam at night-time on the streets in Cholon in District 5, better known as Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown. A difference is that nuoc sam in the evening is served at a warm temperature instead of with ice. Nuoc sam is usually prepared from those herbal plants said to be good for health like ma de (plan­tain), mia lau (dwarf sugarcane), hat duoi uoi (seeds of duoi uoi fruit) and bi dao (winter melon). After brewing the ingredients, a little sugar is added to make it easier to drink. To brew nuoc sam with a bit­ter flavor, or nuoc dang, people usually add other ingredients like artichoke, pennywort, chrysanthe­mum, and la-kwa. Nuoc dang is said to be helpful for those who suffer from constipation and high blood pressure. Many residents of Ho Chi Minh City are addicted to this type of tonic because it is also a delicious drink. If you are a foreigner visiting Vietnam, ask for a glass of nuoc sam and you will understand why this drink is so popular among Asians.
Author: SGT

Hoang Anh Dalat Resort

Located near central Ho Xuan Huong Lake in Dalat, the new five-star resort boasts 250 rooms and a Health Centre with sauna, Spa and Jacuzzi, plus tennis courts, heated swimming pool and conference facilities.
Celebrating their opening on July 10th, 2005, Hoang Anh Dalat Resort is currently offering a special promotional rate of $19 per person per night (Superior Room), inclusive of VAT, service charge and breakfast, valid until August 31st, 2005. For more information, please contact: Hoang Anh Dalat Resort Add: 3 Nguyen Du St, Dalat City, Lam Dong ProvinceTel /Fax: (84-63) 810826 / 549036E-mail: dalatresort@hoanganhhotelgroup.com

Dambri waterfalls - Da Lat - Lam Dong province

Dambri waterfalls - Da Lat
The Dambri waterfalls are situated north of Bao Loc in Lam Dong province. According to the Ma ethnic language, Dambri mean "cascade of the lion", and according to the Coho ethnic language, "the stream of hope".
The climate around Dambri waterfalls is cool all year round. The falls are also surrounded by hills of mulberry, tea and palm trees. Cruises on the area's lake are also available.
Author: Traveltovietnam

Discover beauty in the highlands

There's a city set among the immense forests of evergreen pine and sur­rounded with grassy hills and imposing mountains. Villas lie hidden amid beautiful gardens that are enhanced by mimosa trees with their yellow blooms. But visitors can find flowers of all colors everywhere in Dalat, The City of Flowers.
Flowers blossom by fences or on roofs; roadside flowers welcome tourists and flowers embellish sides of mountains. Everything in the town, also known as The City of Love, makes visitors think they are lost in a fairyland. Dalat is 300km from Ho Chi Minh City. It takes just six hours to get there by coach or 40 minutes by air from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Lien Khuong Airport, some 25km from Dalat. Unlike Ho Chi Minh City with its bustling atmosphere and high-rises, Dalat impresses visitors its fresh climate, picturesque scenery and pine forests. Many say that Dalat is a city in the forest as you can see pine trees everywhere in the town. Pine trees are at the beautiful golf course; they shade schools and small winding paths from the sun, and grow around villas and hillside houses. Dalat is usually hidden in fog early in the morning, particularly between February and May. It has an average temperature of 18ºC. It is also famous for beautiful lakes and imposing waterfalls. Going 25km northward from the heart of the town you reach Dankia and Suoi Vang (Golden Stream) lakes. It is said that in 1893, Doctor Alexandre Yersin discovered this region on the Langbian Plateau for the French. He suggested to the then French governor of Indochina, Paul Doumer to build a resort and health spa for government officials and foreign dignitaries in the present-day Dankia-Suoi Vang area. The Suoi Vang Lake is surrounded by forests and low hills. In the distance is Langbian Mountain, the highest mountain near Dalat, which is also call Nui Ba (Lady's Mountain) as it has two peaks like the breasts of a young woman. The inhabitants of this beautiful region are friendly and hospitable. And one more thing - many visitors leave Dalat with images of the beautiful young girls of Dalat fixed in their memory. Those shy smiles and rosy cheeks are special.
Author: Chao