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General Category => Food and Drink => Topic started by: RAGER on December 03, 2014, 06:02:34 PM

Title: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on December 03, 2014, 06:02:34 PM
Look I even made you a thread.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on December 04, 2014, 06:29:57 AM
Yeah l rikey, chop chop
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: deleted account on December 04, 2014, 12:57:40 PM
^^lacist
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on December 04, 2014, 01:23:38 PM
Dumb round eyes.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: mortlock on December 05, 2014, 01:42:35 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/DhkBi.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 05, 2014, 01:02:39 PM
Too hard to resize and upload pics until I get home. I am taking a few food pics though. Just for you!
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 06, 2014, 05:01:13 AM
Coffee here is strong as fuck, and delicious. Almost chocolatey, has an extra richness missing from other types. I was told the coffee is treated with something... Fruit acids? I forget. You can also upgrade to "weasel coffee" here (they poop it out) which probably accomplishes something similar (?) I have no idea, but VN is the #2 coffee producer in the world.

Had a good beef pho today for $1.50, and picked up two dragon fruit for $1.50 as well (might have overpaid for those). In Saigon they give you hoisin sauce, sprouts and herbs to add, but up north (Hanoi) the soup is presented pretty much the way you're expected to eat it (lime and chili sauce and fresh garlic slices available though)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on December 06, 2014, 12:11:22 PM
Yeah the civet coffee.  You have to try some just to say you've had coffee pooped out by a cat.  The coffee is so good there probably because of the French influence.  Is't pho what they pretty much eat for breakfast?
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: mortlock on December 06, 2014, 07:21:09 PM
im still waiting for the women part of this thread..and you guys are talking about coffee made from poop.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: deleted account on December 06, 2014, 09:35:10 PM
Cheryl beats cat poop coffee any day of the week (Vietnam related)

http://m.xhamster.com/movies/2483227/cheryl_dynasty_threesome.html
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 07, 2014, 02:41:28 AM
Quote from: mortlock on December 06, 2014, 07:21:09 PM
im still waiting for the women part of this thread..and you guys are talking about coffee made from poop.
its not made from poop. Digestive enzymes make the coffee smoother (something like that). The weasel eats the coffee beans but poops them out whole. They're cleaned up hopefully and used normally. I don't know if it makes a difference of not... As far as I know, I've never had it.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 07, 2014, 07:36:41 AM
The communists make the best coffee.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: mortlock on December 08, 2014, 08:00:38 PM
if it went in the mouth came out of the butt, its poop..

there are many dumb debates on this site, I never imagined the definition of poop was on the table..
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: deleted account on December 09, 2014, 02:13:26 AM
morty's a Bills fan.  don't try to argue with him about poop
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on December 09, 2014, 07:37:03 AM
Anyway, this thread is not delivering. 

There's two Vietnamese places on Devon Ave, maybe I'll drop in one on Sunday. What should I order? They have no English but have some pictures.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: black on December 09, 2014, 12:56:59 PM
Pho is always a good bet.
It's a good way to determine how their other food will be, as it's kind of like the National food of Vietnam. Kind of like how the hot dog or hamburger have permeated the American cuisine.
Spring Rolls and Lemongrass beef or chicken is a good one at most American Vietnamese restaurants.

My favorite one out here has great Vietnamese Coffee (iced or hot) and does an Avocado Shake that is actually really tasty.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 09, 2014, 03:10:48 PM
Automatic spell check is kicking my ass....

Goi coun or banh cuon... Cuon means rolled up. Salad roll or chopped up pork and mushrooms in a wrapper

Banh Xeo, big eggy crepe thing with bean sprouts inside, Section off piece and use lettuce leaves to roll up along with herbs, dip into fish sauce (and drip on slacks).

Pho is a staple, there are also non-soup pho dishes (pho is the type of noodle, typically served in soup though). One pho version was deep fried noodles (they puff up) with greens, pork and gravy on top. Another was tangled pho noodles sauteed into a sheet which was cut into squares, with greens/meat/gravy (pho chien, I think it was called).

They do eat dog meat in hanoi (thit cho) :( it's not everywhere but I've seen it on some signs.

The coffee here is amazing, it can't be said enough. Hot or iced black, or with fresh milk (milk not all that common on menus though) or with sweetened condensed milk, or with sweetened yogurt. It's all great, although sometimes it's hard to get it 'lightened' without adding sugar too (but black is usually smooth and rich).

I'll try to post pics soon.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on December 10, 2014, 01:54:18 PM
What kind of Vietnamese sex act should I get?
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 10, 2014, 02:01:51 PM
Most boring thread ever :(
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: black on December 10, 2014, 02:02:21 PM
Quote from: MadJohnShaft on December 10, 2014, 01:54:18 PM
What kind of Vietnamese sex act should I get?


Reverse Cowgirl Ox.

(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t274/stokedmofo13/apocalox_zpsda5e3ab1.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RacerX on December 10, 2014, 04:34:23 PM
Quote from: MadJohnShaft on December 10, 2014, 01:54:18 PM
What kind of Vietnamese sex act should I get?


Punji Stick up the butt?
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on December 10, 2014, 05:43:55 PM
Look at these two places:


Hoanh Long

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hoanh-long-chicago (http://www.yelp.com/biz/hoanh-long-chicago)


(http://s3-media4.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/-SWSPYWu3GaVi-7rdBmjkA/ls.jpg)

Hung long! That's what she said!
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 24, 2014, 01:53:35 AM
Finally had some bia hoi the other day... Fresh beer that's delivered daily. Low ABV, I'd guess 3% or so? Weak piss which goes down easy. Place by my Hanoi crash pad had it for 60,000 VND (30 cents) but a trip to Halong Bay tourist area sold it for 150,000 (75 cents). Ripoff! It was a big frosted mug though.

I saw signs around Hanoi advertising Thit Cho (dog is cho, Thit is meat) but on the bus up to Halong Bay, going through the sticks, there were a few signs for "Thit Cho, Meo" too.  :-[
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on December 24, 2014, 02:00:15 AM
Off topic, but the weed is terrible here... Brown, stemmy, seedy stuff that reminds me of the Mexican crap we had to smoke in the 70s. It comes in a super compressed 1 inch cube which is near impossible to pull apart, but yields about an eighth when you break it up. 200,000 VND ($10)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: mortlock on December 24, 2014, 03:01:20 PM
sounds like some of the crap I used to get in phoenix..
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 04, 2015, 02:11:05 AM
I have three joints I've been carrying around for 2 weeks, I don't even want to smoke them, it's a real chore. The weed really sucks, you get buzzed but it's not very pleasurable. Lots of people mix it with tobacco, but I don't smoke tobacco.

Getting better with chopsticks but still eat a little sloppy, and some places have no napkins, or use toilet paper or really tiny napkins, and even had some places using little squares of regular paper. A lot of runny noses from the chilis, it can be a problem. Plenty of situations where a fork or spoon is used, too.

The people in central Vietnam have been the most friendly so far. I may be getting hitched to a sweet little grandmother in Hoi An. Only half joking...

In some places the street vendors won't leave you alone, in other places they don't give a shit. The smaller towns are usually much more relaxed in comparison to Saigon and Hanoi (gotta make that big city rent I guess). In central Vietnam you can tell them you don't wanna buy anything, and then have a conversation. Especially with the older guys. Most people don't speak any English except possibly hello, a few are conversational in English. It's only occasionally a problem but you can make it work with a few key phrases, Google Translate (I got a SIM card) and miming.

Trying to take food pics for you jerks, but I had to skip some opportunities to avoid looking like a total douche in front of the locals (he takes pictures of his food??) I eat at the occasional touristy place but mostly at the cheap and dirty stalls that tend to have the real deal, actually put condiments on your table, etc. I had a killer Bun Rieu (noodle soup with a big lump of ground crab meat and a chunk of pork) I did take a pic of the lady who makes it though, from outside the stall.

Home in about 5 more days!
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on January 04, 2015, 12:05:41 PM
You're still there??  Way cool.  That's the way to do it.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 06, 2015, 07:37:12 AM
Stomach is burbly a lot. Could be the water (everyone drinks bottled water) but I'm sure many places use it to make soup or tea, wash leafy greens, and I use it to brush my teeth. Could be the dubious hygeine of some of the food stalls, stands and restaurants. Or maybe too much chilies.

I told some Vietnamese friends that I love the Vietnamese style drip coffee, and they got all pissed off and started saying that "Vietnamese coffee is bullshit! It's full of artificial flavor!" So, additives... Regarding the "weasel coffee" it's expensive as fuck. I saw a small weasel coffee setup today, maybe a dozen in individual cages with nothing in there except a wooden box to curl up in. They may be force fed, it wouldnt surprise me.  :(

The beer situation from best to worst:
1. Bierre LaRue - decent
2. Bia Hoi - fresh beer, weak, easy to drink
3. Saigon - it's sorta drinkable
4. Tiger - bleh
5. 333 - malty, crap
6. Hanoi (bottle) - horrible
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RacerX on January 06, 2015, 04:04:27 PM
So basically, the food is okay and the weed & beer pretty much suck, but the coffee is good?
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: deleted account on January 06, 2015, 04:57:28 PM
is weasel-shitted coffee vegan as long as they're not force-fed?
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: black on January 06, 2015, 06:02:17 PM
Only if the weasel is a vegan.
Otherwise you're dealing with all the meat-based stuff that never leaves it's weasel colon.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: mortlock on January 07, 2015, 12:49:31 AM
Quote from: Lumpy on January 06, 2015, 07:37:12 AM
Stomach is burbly a lot. Could be the water (everyone drinks bottled water) but I'm sure many places use it to make soup or tea, wash leafy greens, and I use it to brush my teeth. Could be the dubious hygeine of some of the food stalls, stands and restaurants. Or maybe too much chilies.

I told some Vietnamese friends that I love the Vietnamese style drip coffee, and they got all pissed off and started saying that "Vietnamese coffee is bullshit! It's full of artificial flavor!" So, additives... Regarding the "weasel coffee" it's expensive as fuck. I saw a small weasel coffee setup today, maybe a dozen in individual cages with nothing in there except a wooden box to curl up in. They may be force fed, it wouldnt surprise me.  :(

The beer situation from best to worst:
1. Bierre LaRue - decent
2. Bia Hoi - fresh beer, weak, easy to drink
3. Saigon - it's sorta drinkable
4. Tiger - bleh
5. 333 - malty, crap
6. Hanoi (bottle) - horrible

I thought you could get budwiesers over there.. 
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 07, 2015, 01:20:11 AM
No Busweisser, but Heineken is everywhere (which I hate, so I didn't bother ranking it). There's not tons of Western brands here... I see Wrigley's gum, Mentos, Chupa Chups, Pepsi and Coke, stuff like that. No American cigarettes. They have their own snacks and candy, etc. Clothes are pretty cheap here, because a lot of it is manufactured here for the global market. Lots of knockoff brands too (Pogo Club, Chanes, etc). Tshirts with English logos and phrases. They're communists, they don't have unrestricted trading with the west.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: mortlock on January 07, 2015, 01:23:03 AM
weird..i thought buds were worldwide regardless of the countries governing style..
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 07, 2015, 09:52:36 AM
I'm in the airport in Saigon, and they have Bud here. So I dunno. But the appeal of cheap beer like Bud... the local beers are 50 or 75 cents. Who needs Bud, the cheep beer category is swamped. I didn't come across Bud anywhere else, but I didn't really hang out at expat bars, maybe they have there.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 01:38:26 AM
DIAL-UP WARNING -

I'm about to post a bunch of photos... 112 or so. Hold on to your buttocks.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 02:53:16 AM
These seem to be high school girls wearing the traditional Ao Dai ("ow-zeye") which really enhances a lady's figure... pulls tight across the bust, but flowing around the hips. Slit up the sides, pants are worn underneath.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/ao_dai1_zps05e77473.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/ao_dai2_zpsbdd33eaa.jpg)

This concludes the "hot ladies" section of the thread (i didn't want to appear too pervy, taking photos of strangers.)

As you can see, jumbo size eyeglasses are a thing there....
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 03:09:52 AM
Okay, so the money... 20,000 VND (vietnamese dong) is about a dollar. To calculate, remove 4 zeros or digits, then divide by half.

So 30,000 dong is $1.50
40,000 dong is $2.00
100,000 is $5.00
10,000 dong is fifty cents
5,000 dong is a quarter
The food there is VERY cheap unless you splash out on a fancy Western style buffet or something. Almost everything I ate was a buck or 1.50 -- 20,000 or 30,000 dong (soups and main dishes). Banh Mi (sandwiches) were 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 dong (.50, .75, or a dollar)

This is two orders of Banh Cuon already in progress... cuon means "roll up". It's delicate rice flour crepe with chopped up mushrooms and grilled pork inside. Fried onions on top, and a bowl of cilantro and other herbs is nearby. Dip into a bowl of fish sauce (probably diluted with water - not full strength) and hot chilis added to taste. I think each plate was 15k, so .75 cents each. Oh yeah, I think those are kumquats on the side to add a little tartness to your fish sauce broth. Condiments are important, and herbs are too. Included in your banh cuon dipping bowl is a couple slices of pork roll (sorta like a meat loaf I guess).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_cuon1_zps5fda21d4.jpg)

Different place, a lady is making the rice flour crepes for Banh Cuon. Hers are $1.25:
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_cuon2_zps62c7406b.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 03:32:09 AM
Nuoc Mia (fresh sugar cane juice) being pressed near the commuter and tourist docks in Hoi An. She charged me 20k (a dollar). Tourist prices. It's all going into a big pitcher underneath.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/nuoc_mia1_zpsfefa99a4.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/nuoc_mia2_zps761a41eb.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/nuoc_mia4_zps756ca0c5.jpg)

This lady in Dalat operates a nuoc mia stand in front of her hair salon. Diversification. She only charged me 5k (a quarter!). She also ran a kumquat through, which added a little citrus zing.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/nuoc_mia6_zps5384555d.jpg)

This is Bia Hoi, fresh beer made daily. 75 cents for this (15k) on Cat Ba island (Halong Bay). Ripoff! There are bia hoi places in Hanoi where the beer is 30 cents (6k). Weak piss that goes down easy.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bia_hoi_zps28fd9d8a.jpg)



Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 03:53:36 AM
Soup is eaten any time of day. I ate a fair amount of Pho, not many Pho pics though. In the south, for Pho they give you all kinds of add-ins... a pile of sprouts, herbs, oyster sauce, chili sauce, lime. In the north, you just get a lime and chilis, maybe garlic. It's a more basic version of pho in the north. "Pho" refers to the type of noodle, btw... not all soup is pho! Not all pho is soup!

Here's a Pho Ga (chicken pho) in Hanoi.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/pho_ga1_zps933a07df.jpg)

Pho Bo (beef pho) in Hanoi.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/pho_bo1_zps80456a97.jpg)

Bun Bo Hue (bun is vermicelli type noodles, so beef noodle soup in the style of Hue ("hway") a town in central Vietnam. Tomato and annatto in the broth, and without the aromatic herbs that pho uses.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_bo_hue_zps67f6cab1.jpg)

Bun Ca - a noodle soup with fried fish. Loads of fresh dill.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_ca1_zpse3317f06.jpg)

The bun ca shop. Many places are open air (the inexpensive places). Some vendors don't have a shop, they set up on the street or in an alley between buildings, etc. Ambience costs money.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_ca2_zps9d822855.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_ca3_zpsc14aee5e.jpg)

Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 04:12:18 AM
Bun Cha Ca - noodle soup with fish loaf and shrimp loaf (uh, croquette) slices. Dope!

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_canh_ca2_zpsf8023c4f.jpg)

Close up of the Bun Cha Ca condiments. The purple sludge is baby shrimp paste. You only use a little dab of that, it's very intense. The first time I ate Bun Cha Ca, I used too much shrimp paste, and my soup tasted like I was drinking a river. (I still ate it though).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_canh_ca_condiments_zps4d5a0ad1.jpg)

Another place's version of Bun Cha Ca, this one with sweet potato. I chomped the potato a little bit, then I thought it would be good to break it up. So the soup was sweet, hot from chilies, and fishy. Yum. Most all of my pics are shown "pre-condiments"... you know I mixed a big bunch of lettuce and herbs in there. And now a word about napkins... they are hard to find. Some places use toilet paper, some give you tiny flimsy napkins. This place in Danang had squares of paper for napkins. I have a beard, I'm eating soup, I'm not that great with chopsticks, I'm kind of messy anyway, and spicy food makes my nose run. It could get challenging.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_canh_ca_zps65ec85df.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 04:31:37 AM
Who's still with me?  :D

Here's what passes for marijuana, which you can obtain from taxi drivers apparently.  :(  It sucks pretty bad.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/weed_zps492f778b.jpg)

There are bakeries around (excellent french bread is everywhere) and they like the occasional pastry.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/pastries2_zps2a5e3e28.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/pastries1_zpsf3ea2b4d.jpg)

They have their own snacks:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/snacks1_zpsc60d4adc.jpg)

Bolt's favorites:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/snacks3_zpsa9ae09f7.jpg)

and

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/snacks4_zps1f774816.jpg)

Red Bull there is uncarbonated. I never drink it here at home, but I tried it there to see if it was different. I did catch a buzz, it might have been my imagination though.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/redbull_zpsa6cff79b.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 04:53:41 AM
Who wants some delicious Rua Xe? (wash your motorbike). If I was in the sign making business, I could make a fortune there. There are signs everywhere.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/rua_xe_zps8fb1682c.jpg)

Okay, now some dog-eating content. (Thit Cho = Meat of Dog) It seems to be a thing mainly in the north, and there aren't dog restaurants everywhere - I'd guess maybe 1% of restaurants around Hanoi serve dog - but they definitely exist. Supposedly it's bad luck to eat it except at the end of the month (?) when it's good luck (something like that). Which might explain why all the dog restaurants seemed to be closed, except one which was empty (I wasn't there on the lucky dates). I did see plenty of dogs who lived at restaurants (rat chasers I guess) who looked fat and happy. And owning dogs is trendy in Hanoi, with some people getting large and exotic breeds (I saw a husky, and a bunch of large pit bull types). And you see idiots exercise their dogs by running them while they ride their motorbikes (which sometimes looked a little sketchy). Anyhoo...

Lau is "hot pot":

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cho_1_zps190dfe36.jpg)

Looks like it's only a garage now:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cho3_zps31c97694.jpg)

Empty, phew:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cho_3_zpsda11973b.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cho_2_zpsf1f6bd35.jpg)

In a couple of outdoor markets, I did see a couple of cooked dogs being sold (and butchered, obviously, they are sold per kilo), they appeared to be smoked.  :'(
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 05:20:14 AM
Backyard and front yard chickens. Attn: Shaft. Chickens are easy to find. Did you know they make a horrible racket while you're trying to sleep?

This one is giving me a hard look:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/chickens2_zpse1a18945.jpg)

This is Bun Cha, a popular meal in Hanoi. Bun is the type of noodles. You get a bowl of fish sauce/broth with a few sliced pickled vegetables plus grilled pork belly and grilled minced pork patties. Add a mess of herbs and chilies to your bowl, then dunk the bun noodles in there. Cucumbers and lettuce too. Not pictured: Nem (fried spring rolls). It's hella good. YES, that is a big bowl of chopped garlic with bird chilies.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_cha1_zps00fe4c1b.jpg)

Another bun cha, this one in progress. Comes with nem! Nem Cua (crab nem).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_cha2_zps0d00c87b.jpg)

The fine establishment which serves the 2nd pic (and bia hoi, but this was lunch - too early for me to drink beer:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_cha6_zpsa391b503.jpg)

This lady in Hanoi makes a good bun cha. Here she is, eating her lunch (not bun cha):

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_cha5_zpsde93bdd7.jpg)

Another popular meal is "com" (big plate of rice) where you pick what meats and vegetables will go on top. Price is based on what items you pick (and how much you look like you can eat, somebody told me).

Here's a Com situation in Dalat. I don't have any close-up pics of a com vender's wares. But these aluminum and glass trolleys are typical. Dalat seems nice and clean compared to Hanoi! (It kind of is).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/com2_zps8459bc9d.jpg)

And a couple of plates, which set me back about $1.50. Nice option if you're in a hurry, or want a lot of food, or you're tired of noodle soup. Those are roasted peanuts, and a shrimp somewhere, a fried egg, etc. And nem! (spring roll). Good ol' nem.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/com3_zps4a6d0ba9.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/com1_zps47caa44e.jpg)

Sort of related (not at all, actually): Com Ga. Rice with chicken. It's not ala cart, so this is a lousy transition. But rice is involved (rice cooked with chicken stock). Nice pieces of chicken meat (no gristle in Vietnamese chickens, apparently). Black pepper. And a little giblet or something (that olive-looking thing) which I didn't eat. Com Ga! Humble but good.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/com_ga_zpscb4f5708.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 05:47:20 AM
This is Com Hen... rice with baby clams. It cost me 20k (one dollar). You pour the clam juice (pictured) over everything, and stir it up. All kinds of flavors and textures in there (starfruit, roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, shrimp paste & chilies, pork cracklin', fried something (noodle?), rice crackers, herbs). It was positively symphonic. I looked around for this dish, finally found it on my last day in Vietnam, in the 'food court' of the Dalat central market. It killed.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/com_hen_zps0258092e.jpg)

This is Bun Rieu ("Bun Zeyue" in northern Vietnam, "Bun Deyue" in central Vietnam... they have their own dialects). It's noodle soup (bun noodles) with crabmeat patties and in this case, a slab of pork shank. There's that shrimp paste again. I had some very average Bun Rieu in Saigon which made me think it wasn't a good dish. But this lady in Dalat made great Bun Rieu. OMFG.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_rieu1_zps78136c4d.jpg)

She doesn't smile very much.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_rieu2_zpsaac34777.jpg)

Her restaurant is on a little lane sandwiched between a busy highway (highway? road) and another road with a bunch of hotels and shops. There looked like a bunch of good food on this strip (lots of local people eating there).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bun_rieu4_zpsbeef2858.jpg)

More later.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on January 16, 2015, 07:30:29 AM
Yeah! heroic man.

I love all the toppings and condiments on everything. Amazing.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on January 16, 2015, 10:50:52 AM
Fukn great man!  Really inspiring.  Looking forward to more.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: peoplething on January 16, 2015, 03:12:48 PM
Pretty cool Lumpy.

did you get the impression most of the ingredients were grown or raised by a small farmers or the people that actually cooked the food? or is it like here were one enormous  farm in california grows all the lettuce?
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: deleted account on January 16, 2015, 04:20:44 PM
epic posting, Lumpy!
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 16, 2015, 10:35:58 PM
Quote from: peoplething on January 16, 2015, 03:12:48 PM
Pretty cool Lumpy.

did you get the impression most of the ingredients were grown or raised by a small farmers or the people that actually cooked the food? or is it like here were one enormous  farm in california grows all the lettuce?


The climate is tropical (I guess that's what you'd call it?) so they are growing crops all over the country. Climates do vary, it's cooler in the north but even there, agriculture is big. The small food vendors sometimes have their own little herb and vegetable gardens on the side of the road (my friend said it was impressive, until you see a dog peeing there). Produce used to be controlled by the state for the bigger growing operations, I was told that is getting more privatized under "innovation" programs (same grow operations but privately owned). I will post some produce-growing pics. I don't know if this answers your question? I would say that "locally sourced" is typical, with most produce. Climate is kinda great, and national transportation infrastructure is kinda crap. Certain regions seem to specialize though, but I don't know for sure what that means. I was told that flowers from Dalat (central, moderate climate) were shipped to Saigon for sales (south, hot). Maybe it's not possible for one region to supply virtually all of their produce needs themselves?

/word salad
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: mortlock on January 16, 2015, 11:08:23 PM
the soups and food look unreal. especially the soup. wow. the chicks are hot in those first pics,  id def hit up the red light district.. the weed looked like the Mexican dirt weed I used to get in phx..

nice adventure lumpy..
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 12:07:33 AM
I didn't see a red light district. The sex industry is much more easier to find (and I think maybe the average girls are easier?) in Thailand. In Vietnam, it's more repressed. Public displays of affection are taboo. If you kiss a girl, that's supposed to mean something significant. I asked one of my friends if the young people in Vietnam are fucking each other (because there are tons of young people all over the place, and most of them are attractive). He said most young people live with their parents (even into adulthood) so if you wanna have sex with your sweetheart, you gotta get a hotel room together. Hence there are a lot of short-time hotels all over the place. Not for necessarily for hookers, but for couples. There probably is a professional sex industry there, it's just not on the surface like Thailand.

Signage for short time hotel. I had some pics with a cluster of these signs together, but it seems to have vanished. They usually have "rain curtains" (strips of plastic) as a visual barrier, so you can duck inside with your sweetheart, and nobody can see your face while you're checking in. Pic of the rain curtain is missing too.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20various/nha_nghi_zps3f36f40d.jpg)


Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 12:23:42 AM
Agriculture pics taken outside Dalat (central highlands... in January, 70* daytime, 50-55* nighttime). Not greenhouses, the screens are for insects, I was told they don't use pesticides. Long shots are taken from a train ride 20-30 minutes outside Dalat. I don't know what they're growing... Housing styles in the distance show the French and European influence and probably date from the early 20th century (wild guess). In comparison, Hanoi is 1,000 years old and housing looks much different (although there are French style buildings there too). (The fucking French, never let them give you shit about being an imperial American, it's just sour grapes talking).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture2_zpsd2b2c00a.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture3_zpsf10f6d8a.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture4_zps6d014837.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture7_zps5aeaa497.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture9_zps6afc1f25.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture10_zps8ae0ce45.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture11_zps0af1afb6.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture12_zps81da3002.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture13_zpsbf0cbc31.jpg)

Now some close-up shots. You can see the earth is red clay. Supposedly a result of volcanic activity. I believe that means it's especially fertile as well?

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture14_zps73da15e9.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture15_zps29cfa627.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture16_zps11d58975.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/agriculture17_zps88be5da5.jpg)

Here's a couple of coffee plants from a Dalat coffee farm. One kind is "moka" and the other is arabica I think?

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/coffee1_zpseb80c349.jpg)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/coffee2_zpsb94eb74a.jpg)

"Weasel" coffee drying in the sun :(  Shit is hella expensive. I have other shots of regular coffee drying, in much much larger quantities (but it's on video). :(

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20agriculture/coffee_weasel_zps5a933d71.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 01:11:30 AM
Public square around Ho Chi Minh's tomb. A lot of government buildings in this area. No photos allowed...

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20various/hochiminh_tomb_zps7d7cd975.jpg)

Boulevard leading to that area. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas the peoples' victory!

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20various/boulevard_zps2e1abc71.jpg)

The communists make the best coffee!

Tall coffee with fresh milk from Cafe Cong, a North Vietnamese franchise with a Viet Cong theme (cafes look like bullet-ridden military outposts). Great coffee there!

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee2_zps84b1f7ca.jpg)

Now some pics from Cafe Duy Tri ("zwee chee" I think), a Hanoi cafe that hasn't changed in 80 years... Ca Phe Da (iced black coffee with sugar). Coffees are usually short and strong. These usually come in 6-8 oz glasses, do not be fooled by the close-up photography. They are not big tumblers. Strong like motor oil, but smooth. Designed to be sipped.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee4_zps3d74aa40.jpg)

Black gold, they aren't fucking around.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee5_zpsc12e097f.jpg)

I think this is Ca Phe Sua Da (iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk) from Cafe Duy Tri

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee1_zps16a02a70.jpg)

I met this kid at Cafe Duy Tri, he wanted to practice his English on me. "Hello, How are you?" (He was pretty good). They are well-off, because Dad has a laptop. The average income is like $300/month, something like that. I told the kid that the crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe. Everyone agreed.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee_customers_zps77859cfc.jpg)

More ca phe da (black, sweetened ice coffee). These cost about 15-18k (75-90 cents)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee7_zps16c9a7c4.jpg)

More ca phe da (iced coffee). ZOMFG. Look at that shit, it's almost pornographic:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee3_zps59ce7b1e.jpg)

These were 6k each (30 cents) because we were outside the city and I had a Vietnamese guide with me:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee9_zps737bcd22.jpg)

In case you didn't notice, you usually get free hot green tea with your coffee and food. (Ice tea costs extra.)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee11_zpsb0326812.jpg)

Ca Phe Den (hot black coffee)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee10_zps8fdc6e61.jpg)

Ca Phe Sua Chua (coffee with sweetened yogurt) almost a snack. It's hella good. From a different Cafe Cong.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee8_zps5091b24d.jpg)

To-go cup. The bunnies aren't as excited as I am, about my iced coffee. I usually had two hits per day.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/coffee12_zps78a77765.jpg)

Did not find: Cafe Trung, coffee with frothy egg white on top.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 01:41:27 AM
Banh Mi... it's really about the bread there (banh mi means bread). Sandwiches are not over-stuffed there, like in America. (pronounced "bang me")

People lined up for this place (especially good) in Hoi An.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi6_zps2e7544bb.jpg)

Three ladies are behind this, making sandwiches as fast as they can. They have like a dozen varieties. One of them was "garlic bread."

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi3_zpsb88babb5.jpg)

Results (BBQ pork version), cost 20k (one dollar):

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi4_zpsea1e0f5e.jpg)

Action shot of a ham/roast pork #9:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi5_zpsc8d9ea7e.jpg)

Pretty unremarkable Banh Mi from Hanoi. That's a sliced wiener, yes. I think this one was 15k (75 cents). Good bread though.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi1_zps496bee67.jpg)

Action shot:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi2_zpsed54a3bb.jpg)

Banh Mi workstation at a bakery in Dalat (good pastries there, banh mi was okay). Like 20 different types to choose from.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi8_zps4e76e5a0.jpg)

Here on the roadside, you might get 2 or 3 Banh Mi styles to choose from. I think they sell petrol at the stand next door. Petrol and cigarettes and cold drinks.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_mi7_zps6740dbd1.jpg)

it took me a while to find a good Banh Mi, because I was always looking at night. It's more of a breakfast/lunch thing. By the end of the day, the bread often seems to be sold out, or stale. Unless you can find a bakery.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 02:22:14 AM
I don't have a good feeling about this buffalo's future. Tied up in Hanoi outside a beer hall. In Dalat they have a "Buffalo Stabbing Festival" (apparently it's just as it sounds) aka Buffalo Eating Festival. Maybe this is for similar purposes.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/buffalo_zpsef9357e9.jpg)

Egg distribution in Hanoi. None more fresh! (I know that's a rooster).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20various/egg_distributor_zpsce1fa8ce.jpg)

Awesome meal at Ba Le Well in Hoi An. You put a rice paper sheet in your palm, pile on pickled and fresh vegetables, then the grilled meat skewer. Roll it up tight and pull out the skewer. Dunk in sauce (fish sauce and meaty too... maybe a little bit of liver in there? Couldn't taste it.) You also got two small Banh Xeo... crisp eggy crepes with shrimp and bean sprouts. Break them up and roll them up in rice paper, the same procedure. My meal here (a ton of food, plus a fresh lime-aide and a mango pudding) was $7. A big splurge. (Almost forgot - good ol' Nem too! Fried spring rolls. I ate a lot of nem).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bale_well2_zps99af5a1f.jpg)

Ba Le Well menu and sign. Located in a side alley. Just sit down, and they will start putting the food in front of you. Oh shit, I see it's ram and not nem. Not sure what the difference is. I think you roll nem up in rice paper with lettuce, and that makes it ram? I didn't roll mine up.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/bale_well3_zps5cbbc160.jpg)

Some examples of "imperial" cuisine most popular in central Vietnam... stuff made with glutinous rice flour. It's okay, I didn't love it. I tried it a couple times. Everything here was doused in fish sauce, good idea because it's relatively bland otherwise. This is a typical breakfast meal, I think. Banh Beo, Banh Nam, Banh Loc (I think). Banh Beo are the glutinous rice discs at the top of the plate. Banh Nam are the retangular pieces at the bottom of the plate. Banh Loc are the translucent parcels with a shrimp inside, in the middle. I forget what the roll-ups are called, maybe it's Banh Cuon. And pork cracklings on top, for some flavor.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_beo1_zps621c77dc.jpg)

Mine was the combination plate for 12k (60 cents). This is the same little lane in Dalat where my grouchy (but delicious) Bun Rieu soup lady was. I tried this food in Hue too, where it originated from, and should really shine. I was luke-warm on it there, too.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/banh_beo2_zps0c8fb488.jpg)

I liked this lady's cafe for coffee and fresh sugar cane juice. In Dalat. She was really nice. I wonder if she upgraded from a street cart to a storefront. Kind of seems like it.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cafe1_zps2c8de90c.jpg)

Other items she sold. Snacks and sundry items. Not pictured - her lazy pre-pubescent son who laid around on the couches playing Game Boy.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cafe2_zps5146b540.jpg)

Ché - a sweetened pudding. There's like a million kinds, some of it is hot and some cold. This is a hot one, I believe it's taro root pieces cooked in honey syrup and ginger with coconut milk. Something like that. This will cost about 50 cents. A good snack.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/che1_zpsf966d6f0.jpg)

Purchased from this place in Hanoi's old quarter:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/che2_zpsfc5f1798.jpg)

I also had Che Thai which is over ice, with black jelly, red beans I think, lychee fruit, little gummy bits. Kind of like Halo-Halo (from the Philippines) if that rings a bell (bunch of mixed sweet stuff over shaved ice).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/che_thai_zps568a78a9.jpg)

Photo of a random Che stall in Dalat. There is a million kinds of ché. Teenagers like it.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/che_stand_zpsa80ad35d.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 02:56:14 AM
Here's the Banh Beo which I ate in Hue. Meh. Part of a combination dinner, so it's only a small order. A round disc of glutinous rice flour with pork cracklin' and a baby shrimp on top. Scrape it from the dish, and eat with fish sauce. Whatever. "Glutinous rice flour" - just doesn't give me a boner.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/hue_banh_beo_zps082b77ca.jpg)

Nem Lui which came with my combo meal... grilled chopped pork wrapped around lemongrass skewers. Wrap it up in rice paper, blah blah blah. The sauce in Hue is made with fish sauce and meat gravy. It all sounds very good on paper, but it wasn't that exciting, IMO. Not bad, but not the best food on my trip. I didn't take photos of the rest.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/hue_nem_lui_zpsffb3ea08.jpg)

Fried bananas on the roadside in Hanoi for 7k (35 cents). She also had sweet potatoes and something else (french fries?). Greasy but good.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/fried_bananas_zps6b3e1364.jpg)

Smaller fried bananas operation in front of a store in Dalat. I ate me some fried bananas. Near the lady with nuoc mia (sugar cane juice).

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/fried_bananas2_zpsbfa3df0f.jpg)

Fry station cart in Hoi An (ancient city). Donuts, red bean paste parcels, sesame something-or-other (sesame paste inside?) and shrimp/crab clusterfucks. Shells included. That's what I ate, for a dollar the shrimp/crab thingy. It was too greasy, her oil wasn't hot when I made the purchase. Would not buy again. There are a lot of these carts in Hoi An, and many of them seem to cluster together. Like one cart gets popular, and the other ones are copycats. I think.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/fried_snacks_zpsb94e129d.jpg)

This was a gym next to my hotel in Hoi An. I didn't plan on working out, but when there's a gym right next door, it's hard to resist. They didn't care if I had "gym clothes" or not. I think I paid $5 for a week's membership, I'm sure that was the inflated tourist price.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/gym_zpsc1331112.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 03:34:53 AM
I ate at a couple of fancy places too... once in a while, you wanna have a meal where you're not sitting on a plastic foot stool. This was at Highway 9 in Hanoi, a chain of 'nouvelle Vietnamese cuisine' or whatever (traditional favorites updated with modern twists). My friends liked this place, so I wound up eating here 3 times in 3 weeks. Clockwise from left: greens in mushroom sauce, oyster fritters with bun noodles, panko fried chicken with mango sauce or somethin', garlic short ribs. It was okay. It was probably $25-30 for this. :(

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/highway9_zps9393df91.jpg)

Semi-fancy place in Hoi An. There are a lot of touristy places and in some locations, it can be hard to find other options. Or maybe I got tired of eating in alleys for a few days. Pomelo salad with rice crackers and shrimp (only 2 or three small ones, cut in half). It was good though.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/pomelo_salad_zps1f1a1101.jpg)

Same place, grilled chicken. I think the whole meal was about 8 dollars, including fresh lime juice (lime-aid). I should probably stick to discussing the street food, it's more interesting.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/grilled_chicken_zps2d473076.jpg)

Cookies (look, they're conical hats) which I bought on the street in Danang for about 50 cents. They came in handy. Not too sweet.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cookies_zpsb7e79ba3.jpg)

I ate snails for the first time at this place in Dalat. (Oc is snails). I didn't know what to order, nothing looked familiar. They didn't serve any noodles, rice or vegetables, only shellfish. Mine was a bowl of snails steamed in lemongrass and herb broth, with a plate of raw basil. The fuck am I supposed to do with that? I saw some other people brought their own bread. Hmm. And at the next table, somebody was eating cockles? They were corkscrew shaped shells that they sucked the meat out of. Whatever that is. I was a little lost in there.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/snails_zps1c7c7e45.jpg)

Which reminds me, I got a fair amount of quizzical looks when I would go out to eat. Not so much because I am a Westerner (I think occasionally for that reason, sure) but more because I was eating alone. Eating is a big social activity in Vietnam, you eat with your friends, family, or a date. I also got some attention for going on tours alone too. "You're traveling by yourself?? ??" I would tell them "Oh no, I have friends in Hanoi. But they stayed in Hanoi".  The looks were more like "Why is this guy eating alone? Doesn't he have any friends?" I was always the only person eating alone. A few times, I walked past restaurants that looked good because there was a big group partying in there, and I didn't want to walk in there alone.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 04:00:58 AM
Here's more "imperial cuisine" from central Vietnam. This is "white rose" - an appetizer - which is delicate rice paper dumplings with shrimp and pork inside. It's fine, but it's not worth traveling across town for, IMO. I like bolder flavors.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/white_rose_zpsf919dc87.jpg)

All kinds of business is conducted on the street. In Hanoi, you can get your hair cut on the road side, or keys made. It's not that expensive to become an entrepreneur, just get a couple chairs, a mirror, a good pair of scissors... I asked for permission to take his photo (I'm not a complete dick). He said okay, but stopped working. So this pic doesn't look like much. He's wearing a winter coat because it's 60-65 degrees. That is cold for them.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/barber_zpsc84c7611.jpg)

My Xao Bo... fried "me" noodles with beef. It's kind of "drunk food" served at a place that was open 24 hours, not very good.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/my_xao_bo_zpsef79981a.jpg)

Same place had pretty good My Van Than (me van tan)... noodle soup in a Chinese style (dumplings). I paid extra for two shrimps, I think this was 35k ($1.75). I ate the shrimp head, but not the tail.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/myvanthan_zps278381d2.jpg)

Menu in this same 24 hour dive. My Van Than, yes. Sparkling puller? Maybe they mean pullet/poulet (chicken?)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/storefront_menu_zpseae474f0.jpg)


Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on January 17, 2015, 08:49:00 AM
What's it like getting around? Does everyone speak a little English? Is it safe? Are people friendly?
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: deleted account on January 17, 2015, 11:42:37 AM
this is what mutant colors should have done after his Thailand trip
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on January 17, 2015, 11:50:10 AM
For Sure

Anthony Bourdain  Cambodia show is on and that food looks very similar to this
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on January 17, 2015, 01:18:35 PM
So just out of curiosity, how much msg and other preservatives do you think you've ingested while there?  Are you like me where you avoid all that shit or do you not much care?  Of course lots of fresh veg and meat but all those pastes, seasonings, and sauces always have tons of preservatives.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on January 17, 2015, 01:27:11 PM
There's probably more about pesticides, and heavy metals and what not in the soil.

there's nothing wrong with MSG.

Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 17, 2015, 04:07:43 PM
Quote from: MadJohnShaft on January 17, 2015, 08:49:00 AM
What's it like getting around? Does everyone speak a little English? Is it safe? Are people friendly?


Getting around in taxis is cheap. Public transportation is nonexistent, except for busses (rather than pay 30 cents, I splurged on 3 dollar cab rides). I walked all over the place, sometimes you gotta walk in the street because motorbikes are parked all over the sidewalks (not dangerous if you pay attention). In-country short hops are cheap (about $80 to fly from Saigon to Hanoi). There are overnight trains with sleeper cars which save money on hotels and are kinda fun, once anyway. Overnight sleeper busses (did not do).

Some people speak a little English, many people speak none. The more touristy the situation, the more English you encounter. The more cosmopolitan the location, more common to speak "some" English. I learned a half dozen phrases which were super handy (hello, goodbye, thank you, excuse me/sorry, how much?, etc) which is usually appreciated. Sometimes there will be a bilingual person around to help. When I got in a cab, I would have the address I wanted to go on a slip of paper, or ready on my smartphone.

It is super safe, violent crime against tourists is virtually non-existent. The air is not super clean, and the food and water supply is not super clean. If I was a single woman I would have taken more taxis (I walked a LOT, I walked for miles every day, at all hours).

I thought people in Central Vietnam were the most friendly. Saigon (south) was kinda like NY or LA, lots of chain stores sprinkled in, fast paced and mostly about making money. As a tourist, you are there to supply cash. Hanoi in the north was kind of like San Francisco or Seattle, more relaxed and funky, more art and culture there. Somewhat more friendly. Central Vietnam is less cosmopolitan, less touristed, and politically it was contended territory. Several locals approached me there - older guys who spoke almost zero English but were super stoked to buy you a beer. The younger people were less jaded there. They were happier to see tourists there. If you told a tout you didn't want to buy anything, you could transition into a conversation (were you born in Danang? where's a good place for coffee?). As a New Yorker I preferred Hanoi because there were small scenes to participate in, with clubs, galleries and weird music. I spent 3 weeks in Hanoi with friends, so I experienced it more like an expat than a tourist. Lots of tourists, some expats and professional English teachers are around, in the metropolitan areas. It's the developing world, the streets are dirty and it's chaotic. But it's really different from home, and that's what I wanted. Would it be a good destination for the Shaft clan? I dunno, I think we all like different things, and traveling with family members would make things different as well. I might suggest to you (as was suggested to me) to go to Myanmar (Burma) which opened up to tourists just a few years ago, and is supposedly like going back in time. Few tourists there. Tourists are ruining everything, the world has gotten to be a smaller place and I dunno if that is actually good. If you want more detailed discussion of visiting Vietnam, let me know. I also have a few contacts there now, some better than others...


Quote from: priest on January 17, 2015, 11:42:37 AM
this is what mutant colors should have done after his Thailand trip

He had a bunch of stuff on his blog. Videos and photos. Some of it was about food. He was busy with school, too.

Quote from: RAGER on January 17, 2015, 01:18:35 PM
So just out of curiosity, how much msg and other preservatives do you think you've ingested while there?  Are you like me where you avoid all that shit or do you not much care?  Of course lots of fresh veg and meat but all those pastes, seasonings, and sauces always have tons of preservatives.

Good question. A couple of times I felt like I had eaten a sodium bomb, but rarely... most of the food wasn't dosed with chemicals, preservatives, salt, or MSG in my experience. A lot of the food really is like a big pot of stock that cooks all day, throw in some noodles and veg and meat to order, "TA-DA". Hygiene is somewhat of a problem, as far as refrigeration, insects and vermin. The markets are old fashioned (meat sitting out all day, etc). Pots and pans at food stalls are washed in small tubs, and later you'll step in a puddle of that water on the sidewalk, on your way home in the darkness. Etc. It's not up to Western standards of food safety, and not for the squeemish. A lot of the flavors come from fresh herbs, fish sauce (kinda gross if you know how it's made), chilis and stocks etc. It's not as highly spiced as say Thai food or Indian food. So I don't feel like that kinda stuff was an issue. More concern about what kind of water was used to wash the lettuce. Infrastructure issues, as opposed to additives. A lot of food is local, and (for example) noodles don't need to be imported from China, they are domestic products. Cleanliness of the food supply there is an ongoing concern, as expressed to me by a college student I met.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: khoomeizhi on January 17, 2015, 04:34:17 PM
thanks for posting this all, lumpy. fun shit.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 18, 2015, 06:17:26 AM
Thanks for the nice feedback everybody. Almost done.

Vietnam has plenty of problems - last year, 30 political bloggers were jailed. When we played music at this guy's cafe in Hanoi, the cops came at 12am, so we rolled the metal gate down and turned off the lights while we packed up. The next week they arrived at 11:45. They didn't do anything, they parked across the street and watched. But it was awkward (That was Hanoi - but in other smaller towns, I didn't see a single police car).  Anyway, it was a trip with normal amounts of boredom and frustration, besides the food. Sometimes the food was the best part of the day.

Cao Lau, a dish from Hue in central Vietnam. Noodles, fried wonton skin, pork, sprouts and herbs, and wet with sauce (not a soup). Supposedly, only found in Hue.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/cao_lau_zpsb43bb607.jpg)

And now, similar but totally different, My Quang, another central Vietnam dish. Different type noodles, rice crackers, pork shrimp and roasted peanuts. Saucy but not a soup. Mix it yourself.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/my_quang2_zps3e1c7af3.jpg)

My Quang again ("me qwong")

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/my_quang3_zps128d0961.jpg)

I started mixing this one up before I took the pic, duh...

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/my_quong1_zps4f0b0cfe.jpg)

This My Quang seems a little too wet (?)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/my_quang4_zps2eaf3554.jpg)

Condiments for the last My Quang - look at the marinated chilies, they are translucent! Trippy. I was afraid of those, I used the chopped up kind.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/my_quang_peppers_zps8ed7ff8c.jpg)

Pho Chien... fried Pho noodles topped with beef, greens and gravy. The pho puffs up in the hot oil.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/pho_xao1_zpsb0c7370d.jpg)

Action shot of the fried pho, before spilling food on my shirt:

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/pho_xao2_zps3fef1c25.jpg)

Eating a different Pho Chien in Hanoi with the OMG English School staff and friends, on a Saturday outing. The westerner is my friend who's been living in Hanoi off & on for the last 3 years, he volunteers at the school sometimes. 11 people ate a light meal, sharing orders of Pho Chien, Banh Cuon (mushroom/pork crepe rollups) and ice tea, for less than $20.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/omg_zps648cbfbb.jpg)

Now some market photos, I didn't take many pics of markets but I have a few so here they are. I tried not be a dick with my camera, wandering through the market (a mall, basically) taking photos of everybody like they're in the zoo (I did that in Thailand).  :-\  So these pics are pretty terrible at describing what a food market is like.

Foot of a small market street in Hanoi. Twice a day, they set their stuff up (like 11am and 4pm, something like that). This is where I saw smoked dog for sale.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/market1_zps1593adf0.jpg)

Long shot of the central market in Hoi An at the end of the day. If you could only see inside!   :-[

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/market2_zps64f5b8e8.jpg)

Close up. All the meat vendors are grouped together, the produce vendors, the nuts and candy vendors, etc. I dunno how the locals decide who to buy from. Past experience I guess. There are usually food stalls in these places too, where you can eat cheaply.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/market3_zps139fe181.jpg)

Outside corner of same Hoi An market. All your food is covered by a sprinkling of fine carbon powder from vehicle exhaust.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/market4_zpscb3ddd38.jpg)

On the border of the massive central market in Dalat. For some reason, I didn't want to walk through the markets taking pics (live chickens! big pile of squid! etc.). Now I wish I had.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/market5_zps4c40adcd.jpg)

Menu from the food court in the Dalat central market. The most expensive item costs $1.75 (35k) for Bun Bo Dac Biet (Beef Noodle soup "special"). The cheapest thing costs a quarter (5k) for Ca Vien Chien (fish balls on a stick, thanks Google!)

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/menu_zpsf569b4af.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 18, 2015, 06:44:06 AM
This lady has a vegetarian food stall, just up the road from where I stayed with my friends in Hanoi. They were regulars there, so she loved us.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/veg_souplady_zpsa4edcb62.jpg)

Vegetarian Bun Rieu (crab soup). No fake vegetarian crab meat, she floats some fried tofu in there instead. Good!

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/veg_bun_rieu_zps4ad27fb1.jpg)

This was vegetarian "banana soup" (I dunno if that's a knockoff of a meat soup, or what it's called here). All her food was good.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/veg_banana_soup_zps5e5acf62.jpg)

Vegetarian Banh Xeo... put a rice paper sheet (or big leaf of lettuce, depending on where) in your palm, add vegetables and a piece of the omelette, roll up tight and dunk in sauce.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/veg_banh_xeo_zpsce64fffe.jpg)

Vegetarian menu at another place in Hue. I like "Fried Bumps" I wonder what that is. Just one page - their menu was huge. A lot of Buddhists in Vietnam who don't eat meat.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/veg4_zps49bc8732.jpg)

Fried jackfruit from that restaurant (i had the mixed com rice special combo plate, and a side order of fried jackfruit). I think it's a tamarind sauce? It's sweet.

(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/Bloater/vietnam%20food/veg_jackfruit_zps7b16a1c8.jpg)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on January 18, 2015, 07:03:14 AM
Thanks for looking at my stupid pics!


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUsDKkwPYGk/UykNpMFxIRI/AAAAAAAAKw0/rxj03cHrpvA/s220/photo%2B%25281%2529.JPG)

Ooh, this lady has recipes:

http://thuyancom.blogspot.com (http://thuyancom.blogspot.com)
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: khoomeizhi on January 18, 2015, 09:51:37 AM
as a plant and produce geek, i would have a fucking great time in those produce markets. dude.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MadJohnShaft on January 18, 2015, 08:45:39 PM
Totally. How fun! I made a beef pho for dinner. I couldn't take it anymore.

Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on January 19, 2015, 08:33:16 PM
Goddamm outstanding I'll have to say again.  I keep looking through to pics just cuz.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: black on January 22, 2015, 03:50:27 PM
Thank you for all of that, Lumpy!
Outstanding.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RAGER on January 22, 2015, 04:09:49 PM
Quote from: Lumpy on January 18, 2015, 07:03:14 AM
Thanks for looking at my stupid pics!


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUsDKkwPYGk/UykNpMFxIRI/AAAAAAAAKw0/rxj03cHrpvA/s220/photo%2B%25281%2529.JPG)

Ooh, this lady has recipes:

http://thuyancom.blogspot.com (http://thuyancom.blogspot.com)

I'll bet she does.  Recipe for sucky fucky.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Beta Cloud on January 24, 2015, 01:29:25 AM
dude, been following this for a while... fantastic pics and info man. kudos-
;D
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: juan11 on April 23, 2015, 03:11:45 PM
bump for fucking awesome thread.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: RacerX on April 24, 2015, 01:47:34 PM
^
Pulled a juan11.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: MikeyT on June 03, 2015, 07:45:17 AM
Quote from: Lumpy on January 18, 2015, 07:03:14 AM
Thanks for looking at my stupid pics!


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUsDKkwPYGk/UykNpMFxIRI/AAAAAAAAKw0/rxj03cHrpvA/s220/photo%2B%25281%2529.JPG)

Ooh, this lady has recipes:

http://thuyancom.blogspot.com (http://thuyancom.blogspot.com)


    She's a babe- and she lives in Indiana.
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: Lumpy on June 04, 2015, 12:47:39 AM
Quote from: MikeyT on June 03, 2015, 07:45:17 AMshe lives in Indiana.

That poor woman...
Title: Re: Lumpy's Vietnamese food and women pictures thread.
Post by: ez on August 25, 2015, 12:01:13 PM
I was in Hanoi in December. Guess I should check this forum more often.