Tag Archives: Hoi An

Hoi An: Vietnam’s Foodie Capital

24 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Vietnam

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Mr. Selfish and I have been all over Vietnam and accordingly have enjoyed the food throughout. However, I found Hoi An to have the best food in Vietnam by far. Aside from the regional specialties being amazing, I found the regular Vietnamese food to be better as well.

Mr. Selfish loves banh mi (Viet subs). We ate some in Saigon, Nha Trang, and Dalat, and they were so so. When he discovered that Anthony Bourdain had been to Hoi An and had recommended a banh mi shop (Tiem Banh Mi Phoung), he made certain that we went there our first day in Hoi An.

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The Hoi An Photo Tour

23 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in Asia, Vietnam

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Mr. Selfish and I took a two-day photography workshop when we were still living in Orlando. Since then, we’ve learned to take photos in manual mode. Mr. Selfish usually uses our Canon Rebel while I still use our Canon Powershot, which is a point and click but still has a manual mode. I also read “Understanding Exposure,” which is a great beginner’s book on photography.

Hoi An was the first place I saw that had a photography tour. Although I thought that the class may be a little basic for us, I convinced Mr. Selfish to sign up for it anyhow. I wanted to do the sunset tour. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available so we had to take the sunrise tour, which starts at 4:45am. It was early but we figured that sunrise photos at the fisherman village would be worth it. The weather wasn’t too cooperative that day since it was completely overcast but we still managed to take some nice photos.

First, we took a boat to the Duy Hai Fisherman Village. It was quite frantic since the fishermen were pulling in their catch from last night and there was lots (and I mean LOTS) of haggling over the prices for said catch. Mostly, the locals ignored us, and we took candid photos.

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The Lessons Learned from the Tailors in Hoi An

22 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by in Asia, Vietnam

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Hoi An is known for its tailors. Competition is fierce since there are so many tailor shops in Hoi An. Mr. Selfish and I knew that we wanted to get some custom clothes made during our visit in Hoi An. Here’s what we learned:

1. Research what type of clothes you want made. Mr. Selfish and I found photographs of the clothes we wanted and put them on our iPhone. After we found the store we liked, we showed the store our photos and emailed them as well. I found a dress I liked but wanted it in red with white polka dots. Mr. Selfish had some dress shirts that he liked and also wanted a casual jacket made.

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Vietnamized in Hoi An’s Old Town

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by in Asia, Vietnam

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Mr. Selfish and I learned that Hoi An was the first site of Chinese settlement in southern Vietnam. The ethnic Chinese played a large role in Hoi An’s Old Town, particularly the construction of the many assembly halls and temples there. Today, there is approximately 1,300 ethic Chinese living in Hoi An, which has a population of around 75,800.

In Hoi An’s Old Town, you can buy a ticket that allows you to visit five out of the sixteen attractions there. These attractions range from temples, assembly halls, museums, handicraft centers, and orphanages. We primarily chose to visit the temples and assembly halls.

Mr. Selfish and I learned a new phase while visiting the assembly halls and temples – “Vietnamized.” Apparently, the ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese get along quite well in Hoi An because the ethnic Chinese have been Vietnamized, which means that they have been assimilated to the point that they even speak Vietnamese to one another in private. We first noticed the term Vietnamized at Quan Cong’s Temple where the Chinese general to whom the temple is dedicated was Vietnamized.

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Market Tour and Cooking Class in Hoi An

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by in Asia, Vietnam

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Mr. Selfish and I certainly enjoy taking cooking classes. Initially though, I wasn’t too sure whether I wanted to take a cooking class in Hoi An. However, after a few days of eating the food, I knew that we had to take one. The food in Hoi An is very different from the southern cuisine from Saigon.

We signed up for a cooking class with Van from Green Bamboo Cooking School, which is the highest rated cooking class on Trip Advisor. The class includes a market tour to buy ingredients and, more importantly, allows each of participant to choose from over sixty dishes to make.

Mr. Selfish and I had previously walked through the Hoi An market and were a little overwhelmed by the selection of produce and meat. It was nice to have Van take us around and show us the ropes. We started in the food stalls area where people were dining on their breakfast. Then, we went to the fruit and veggies area, where we sampled some fruit and Van pointed out the veggies we would need for our dishes.

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Taking in the Beauty of Hoi An

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by in Asia, Vietnam

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Mr. Selfish and I spent five nights in Hoi An, Vietnam. Hoi An is a UNESCO heritage site, and I can see why. Not only is there a lot of culture and delicious food in Hoi An but the city itself is quite scenic.  I took so many photos of Hoi An and still can’t decide which one is my favorite.

The canal in Hoi An provided for endless photo ops. In particular, the children selling paper lanterns to tourists to float down the canal were excellent subjects. Also, the hanging lanterns all over the old town were quite picturesque as well.

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Good Morning Vietnam!

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Asia, Vietnam

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Mr. Selfish and I have been in Saigon for three full days now. Since this is our second time here, we haven’t really done much other than settle into our apartment, made a home-cooked meal, and joined a gym. It has been nice having a routine, and best of all, we don’t leave until Friday.

After that, we’ll be traveling to parts of Vietnam we haven’t visited yet – Nha Trang, Dalat, Hoi An, and Da Nang. So of course, our days will be jammed pack full of activities again.

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At this point, we’re starting to get a little travel planning fatigue. So, please let me know if you have any recommendations for us.