Asian Food Tours:
Vietnam Food Tour
Leaving from Hanoi, this tour features three days wandering the back-streets and markets of old Hanoi.
Here are the dates:
- Oct. 17 - 19 2010
- Oct. 20 - 22 2010
The Tag-Along Concept
The Tag-along concept is simple - book your own flights and accommodation (use frequent flyer miles or hotel discount cards) and meet our chefs for four days exploring the sights, sounds and tastes of Hanoi and surrounds.
This tour is led by expat Australian chef, Sarah, who will help unravel the mysteries and complexities of Vietnamese food and culture.
The idea of the tour is to take it easy and we found 4 hours is plenty of time to take in all the sights, sounds and tastes each day. The rest of the day is free to do some shopping or simply put your feet up before heading off again at night. Our guide will give you plenty of suggestions on shopping and quirky things to see and do.
The main focus of these tours is food and fun with members meeting up at night at a great restaurant to swap stories and share a laugh.
Where to stay:
The Sofitel Metropole hotel is one of the best in Hanoi and is where we leave from each day. It is part of the Accor hotel group so grab your Accor Advantage Plus card and you should get some great deals. If you can't stay at the Sofitel, make sure you book a hotel in the heart of the city near the Sofitel so you can walk to our rendevous point each day.
Day 1:
Breakfast on Bun Rieu Cua, a delicious, fragrant crab and rice noodle soup. For those that are up for it, this stall also makes divine crème caramel – thus proving that the French were good for something! After the soup, it’s off to a bustling market which supplies restaurants, hotels. It is a great spot for picking up culinary souvenirs such as ceramic or wooden pestle and mortars, Vietnamese knives, peelers, zesters. We will have a roving feast as we try some different fruits and snacks.
We return to the Old Quarter for a coffee or juice at the ‘Secret Café’, an oasis of peace high above the noise and the crowds of the city. A chance for you to kick back and absorb one of the most fabulous views of central Ha Noi and perhaps even try their famous sabayon coffee.
Day 2:
Today we breakfast on Viet Nam’s version of Chicken Noodle Soup known as Pho Ga, then head to a small neighbourhood street market located in what used to be one of the sentinel villages of old Ha Noi. It is an area of historical interest as well as a great spot to see how Ha Noi is embracing the 21st Century. Much smaller than the market we visited yesterday, this services the local community.
At the end of the market street is a traditional Communal House, housing both a stone stele dating from the Ly Dynasty as well as a Three Mother’s Temple – Viet Nam’s indigenous, matriarchal, animistic religion that has now been blended with Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.
Lunch is eaten early in Ha Noi so that everyone can maximise their siesta time! We dine at a Madam Hien’s – a restaurant created by the Sofitel Meterpole’s former Executive Chef, Didier Corlou, in honour of his mother-in-law – for a Vietnamese family-style lunch with a chic French twist.
Day 3:
So you’ve seen the markets and tasted some of Hanoi’s delicious cuisine. Now it’s time to try your hand at creating some of these fine dishes. First it’s a trip to the market to buy our ingredients. Once fully stocked, we’ll hop in a cyclo ride to the renowned Highway 4 restaurant to test you culinary skills. While the cyclo is no longer a common form of transport (except for tourists and romantic couples!), it is actually a lovely way to take in the vibrant street life in a relaxed and leisurely manner.
Then it’s into the Highway 4 kitchens to learn how to create some dishes that you may have tried in the markets as well as some that we have not yet seen. The menu varies seasonally but will include a range of tasty Vietnamese fare such as:
- Banana Flower Salad with Dried Beef,
- Sea Clams Sauteed with Basil,
- Mountain Pork Fillets Grilled in Banana Leaf,
- Chicken Grilled with Lemon Leaves and, of course,
- the famous Highway 4 Catfish Spring Rolls.
Trip Details
As you can see, this is a very unique tour of Vietnam and a great way to immerse yourself into Vietnamese food and culture then take off on your own to visit some of the more touristy Vietnamese destinations.
Here are the essential ingredients for our food trip: You must bring a sense of adventure and be flexible. This is a tag-along tour and you might find we alter the itinerary as we find interesting food or places to explore... this is part of the fun!
Understand we can NOT cater to vegetarians, vegans or people with food allergies or other dietary requirements... this tour is all about adventuring in new foods.
How to Book:
The three day tour costs $600 which includes:
- All tag-along related daily transport (we have our own airconditioned van)
- All street/market food, lunch and snacks (excluding alchohol and Hanoi evening meals)
Book and pay in advance by downloading our booking forms or .
