Day 12 – Wednesday Dec 18, 2013 – Hoi An

We arrived at Danang airport and was promptly picked up by our hotel, Hoang Trinh Hotel located in Hoi An, a small town 40 minutes away. The ancient town of Hội An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Majority of the streets are pedestrians and bikes only.

The town is also home to many custom tailors. Their shops all have mannequins to show you designs and lots of fabric spools. You can even bring an article for them to copy. They have dresses, coats, blazers and just about anything. I didn’t need anything made but Uncle Dee wanted two suits. He negotiated $450 USD for two jackets, vest and pants, and one dress shirt at Bebe Tailors. Time was not an issue because suits only take 24 hours! It was incredibly fast. Uncle Dee was measured and advised to come back for the first fitting in 6 hours.

In the meantime, we went to Cơm gà Bà Buội, specializing in chicken served three ways. It was flavorful but not impressive. I think I’m just too used to the Canadian juicy meat. The chicken was mostly bones with minimal firm meat.

We shopped around the ancient town and bought exotic fruits from the market. The mangos in vietnam something to mention. They have a very strong sweet mango taste. It was the best mangoes I’ve ever had.

We relaxed at the Reaching Out Teahouse that is run by speech and hearing impaired staff. The tea and coffee were an aromatic delight! I really liked their coffee coconut snack and the frozen coffee cubes for my Vietnamese coffee was a nice touch.

We continued roaming towards a bánh mi shop to take out sandwiches for our day trip tomorrow. A friend had recommended this shop, Bánh Mi Phượng because it was showcased by Anthony Bourdain. I had to sample some so I know how good it is fresh. It was different from the bánh mi in Canada… Tomatoes? Eggs? Mint Leaves… What? Oh, but it was delicious! The French baguette was perfectly soft inside and crunchy outside. The meat and toppings were bold and satisfying.

We devoured the sandwiches and headed off for more food! I picked Morning Glory for dinner because of all the good reviews I’ve read. It did not disappoint as the bánh bao vạc “white rose,” steamed rice noodles filled with shrimp was excellent. I also loved the Bánh ướt thịt nướng. It was unlike any Vietnamese dish I’ve had before… —steamed rice noodle skin served with the bbq meat kebabs.

When we finished dinner, it was dark out and that’s when the town really came to life. The lanterns and riverside was romantic and calming. It was simply beautiful, just like an old Chinese movie.
Uncle Dee headed to his first fitting where 80% of the suit was done. We ended the night on the balcony eating mangoes, durian and custard apples.

Day 13 – Thursday Dec 19, 2013 – Danang/Hoi An

The day started with breakfast at the hotel. I ordered the Cao lầu, another Hoi An specialty, a dry noodle dish. The flavour was very different from what I’ve had before. Not exactly like curry or fish sauce. It was great though.

We hired a driver for the day to take us sightseeing in Danang, the major city we landed in. The streets in Danang were much more spacious and less busy compared to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Our first stop was Marble Mountain, a cluster of five marble and limestone hills with caves, tunnels and temples. We climbed up many stone steps to reach one of the temple grounds. The temple was spaced out with some areas in caves. It was fun to explore but I think we missed one of the important viewpoints.

Next, we drove along the beach which was lined with nice resorts but no shops, restaurants or bars. It was too cold and windy for beaching anyway. From far, you can start to see Sơn Trà Peninsula and the large female buddha, Kwan Yin.  We got to the Linh Ung Pagoda that housed this Buddha and it was massive —beautifully constructed with lifelike features.

Our final stop was at Ba Na Hills Resort where we took the world’s longest cable car that lasts about 20 minutes. It was a exciting ride at first but then it got boring. 3/4 of the way there, we go into the clouds. I was really hoping they would dissipate but we were stuck in the fog. It was miserable and disappointing! We couldn’t see anything. There wasn’t much to do at the top aside from a indoor kiddie amusement park and a temple —nothing impressive.

We took the car back down and went back to Hoi An for food. My dad and aunt were reminiscing about eating bánh canh, a tapioca noodle soup since they got to Vietnam. We saw a sign for it in a alleyway next to the bánh m shop yesterday. So we were heading there. Oh man, this must have been the dirtiest place I’ve ever eaten at! A bit scary but it was an experience. They cook in the front of the alley and you sit on some tables in the back. No menus and only one option, bánh canh. The walls were covered in dust and dirt. You wonder about where they wash the dishes. There is a bucket in the front with cups to fill your own drinking water. Of course, I didn’t have any. The service is nonexistent but they bring you the bowl of noodles eventually. Was it worth it? Maybe… The tapioca noodles were chewy and a nice texture but the broth could have had more depth. The meat and toppings were barely there. All for about $1.50.

Since we were so close to the bánh mi shop, everyone wanted more. I was trying to reserve my stomach for a planned dinner but had half a sandwich anyways. This time I got the fried egg but it wasn’t as good without the meat. We walked around for a bit and Uncle Dee went for a final fitting. It fit perfectly and just needed to be pressed and cleaned up. We stopped at Palmarosa Spa for $20 full body massages —inexpensive and relaxing.

When we all had stomach room again, I took everyone to Bale Well, another hot spot in Hoi An that serves nem nuong, bbq pork that roll into rice paper and dip into peanut sauce. The service was nice. The lady showed us how to make the first few even though we knew how. It’s odd that their rice paper isn’t dipped in water to soften up first. Apparently, that’s common because this type of rice paper softens up when you put lettuce and food on it. Wow, the meat here was superb! Soft, smoky and flavorful. It paired nicely with the peanut sauce and other toppings. This was possibly my favourite meal in Hoi An… and Vietnam so far. Yes, Hoi An is a foodie heaven.