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| tasty delicacies in Central Vietnam |
Moving south from Hanoi and Hue, we arrived in Da Nang, where we would be spending our second full month in Vientam. Da Nang is Vietnam's most modern city. It's clean, easy to get around, and very comfortable to live in. The food there is excellent too! As we get further south, there are less veggies and more seafood than before. While living in Da Nang, we also spent a lot of time in the nearby town of Hoi An.
Cao Lau Noodles
Cao lầu is made out of a special type of Hoi An noodle, served with the meat of your choice and topped with fried wontons, veggies, and herbs. Cao lầu must be prepared with a certain traditional technique, and the ingredients used make it unique and very special. Cao lầu noodles are a bit firm and chewy, but not too hard. The noodles are unlike any noodle that I have ever tried. The meat that I ordered was a soft and tender marinated BBQ pork - a perfect combination between salty and sweet. They say that lau can only be made in Hoi An, since the local water is vital to the flavor.
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| cao lau noodles from Hoi An |
Mi Quang Noodles
My Quang is a unique and outstanding noodle dish that you can find all over the place in Da Nang. What makes it so unique? The dish uses a special type of wide rice noodle and cooked with lots of turmeric. The meat used for the dish varies, depends on what you would like to order. Common meats used are chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, and pork. Each bowl is traditionally served with grilled sesame rice paper and herbs on the side.
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| mi quang from Da Nang |
Banh Trung Nuong
Banh Trung Nuong is a type of Vietnamese rice paper "pizza" made with a circle of rice paper as a base grilled it until crispy, and topped with shredded pork, fried onions, shallots, chili sauce, and a fresh quail egg on top. The rice paper is folded in half (like a taco) to make it easy to take home or eat while browsing through the market.
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| banh trung nuong from Hoi An |
Banh Dap
Banh Dap, or "smashed rice paper" in English, is one dish that originated in this charming little town. Banh Dap is different from any other rice paper that you will see here in Vietnam. This menu is good for snacking and as a side dishe. Banh Dap is made from two pieces of rice paper smashed together - one crispy and one soft - and folded together like a sandwich. The cracker is dipped into a sauce made of fish sauce, dry onion, and chili.
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| Banh Dap from Hoi An |
Banh Bao Banh Vac
White rose dumpling are made from rice paper stuffed with meat (usually shrimp). Then, the dumplings are steamed until they are perfectly cooked. The dish is garnished with fried onions and shallots, and served with sweet chili dipping sauce.
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| Banh Bao Banh Vac, Hoi An |
Fried Prawns with Cashew
The towns that we visited in Central Vietnam were all located along the coast, and we had some excellent seafood. One of the best meals was when we spent an afternoon on An Bang Beach, just outside of Hoi An. There, we dined on a feast of seafood. My favorite dish was this plate of fried prawns and cashew nuts.
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| fried prawns with cashew nuts at An Bang Beach |
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