Welcome dinner

“You won’t believe the food in Vietnam; it is delicious, unique — and inexpensive.” So said people we spoke to, and our Welcome Dinner at Quan An Ngon did not disappoint (you will need to run that link through your translator; or just read on).

We all gathered for a family-style Vietnamese feast with starters:

• Gỏi bò bóp thấu (Salad with beef)
• Chả Giò Sài Gòn (Fried spring rolls served with fresh herbs)

Starters

 Next came the main courses:

• Mực hấp gừng (Steamed squid with ginger)
• Heo Xiên Nướng (Grilled pork on a skewer)
• Bò Quán Ngon (Grilled beef in “ngon” style)
• Ngọn Su Su Xào Tỏi (Sauteed chayote shoots with garlic)
• Canh Riêu Cua (Fresh water crab soup)
• Cơm Trắng (Steamed rice)

Main courses

And we finished it off with dessert: Trái Cây & Trà Sen Nóng (Seasonal fresh fruits & hot lotus tea).

Desserts

And while the dinner costs thousands per person, it was thousands of dong — which at an exchange rate of 20,000 dong to the dollar makes for an affordable feast.

Jet-lagged but well-fed, we ended a great first day in Hanoi. To be continued . . .

Follow