Food Tours To ...
Vietnam Food Tour
Leaving from Hanoi, this tour features two days wandering the back-streets and markets of old Hanoi then head to the country for an interesting overnight stay in a rural rice farming village.
Here are the dates:
- Apr. 11 - 14 2009
- May. 16 - 19 2009
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:
7.30: Meet at the Metropole Hotel. Take a short taxi/minibus trip to breakfast on a bowl of Vietnam’s famous beef noodle soup, Pho Bo. Thus fortified, we will head out to a small neighbourhood street market. This is a wonderful opportunity to walk through a typical Vietnamese nighbourhood with narrow winding lanes and mish mash of architectures, seeing people going about their morning chores.
The beauty of this particular market is that it is located in what used to be one of the sentinel villages of old Ha Noi; it is an area of great historical interest as well as an great spot to see how Ha Noi is embracing the 21stCentury.
The market has a little bit of everything and is a gentle way to ease into the market culture. At the end of the market street is a traditional Communal House. It is a particularly interesting site, housing both a stone stele dating from the Ly dynasty as well as a Three Mother’s Temple – Vietnam’s indigenous, matriarchal, animistic religion that has now been blended with Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. There will be an opportunity to try some different snacks and fruits along the way.
Lunch
Lunch is eaten early in Ha Noi, so that everyone can maximize their siesta time! In order to beat the rush – and also because all that walking will have geared up our appetites – we will head for lunch at a restaurant set in gorgeous, restored colonial building.
This restaurant offers a range of ‘street foods’ from all over Vietnam. Lunch here will give everyone an opportunity to try a wide range of different dishes. Aircon rooms are available if the weather is hot and humid (as is so often the case!) or, if it is not too hot, there is a lovely, large courtyard to dine in. Around the edge of the courtyard, it is possible to watch the women preparing all the different dishes on offer.
After lunch we will return to the Old Quarter so you can do some shopping or sightseeing. Dinner is at your leisure but usually we book a large table at a top restaurant and split the bill.
Day 2:
8.30: A slightly more leisurely start! Today we will 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 which shows the influence the French had on Vietnamese cuisine.
We take a short walk to a large and bustling market, much larger than the one we visited the previous day, so it provides a nice contrast. It is also a great spot for picking up culinary souvenirs such as ceramic or wood pestle & mortars, Vietnamese knives, peelers, zesters and so on, as well as the vast (almost overwhelming!) array of fabrics for sale on the second level.
As we wander through the market, you will discover some of the more exotic ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking. Along the way there is the opportunity to try some different sweetmeats and snacks. We then move to another section of the market, where there is more snacking to be done! A range of fresh nem (spring rolls) are available as well as Viet Nam’s famous green papaya salad. There are also drinks available: fresh seasonal juices and delicious nuoc xao (ugly fruit juice … looks ugly, tastes beautiful!).
In addition, we will visit the che stand. Che is a very popular ‘dessert in a glass’; everyone gets to build their own from a range of ingredients.
With so much food to be sampled you probably won't feel like a formal lunch, so lunch is something we will play by ear on this day. There are plenty of stalls or restaurants to choose from but snacking is a great way to explore the sights and sounds of Hanoi and the food as well.
Afternoon and dinner
Your afternoon is free to do some shopping, exploring or relax at a day spa. Dinner is at your leisure but once again you are welcome to join the rest of the group at a local restaurant.
Overnight to Ethnic Thai Village: days 3 - 4
We meet for lunch ( Bun Cha – a truly Hanoian dish and a taste sensation!) then hop in a mini bus and head out to the Mai Chau Valley. The drive is about 3 hours – we will stop for bia hoi (fresh beer) on the way, a northern Vietnamese institution but not really found in the South or Central regions – and snack on a range of yummy pastries (thanks again to the French legacy!) in case anyone gets hungry along the way.
Mai Chau is home to the Thai minority people of Vietnam. They originated in Thailand but have been living in Vietnam for many generations. We will spend the night in a traditional stilt house. This means sleeping on pads on a bamboo floor – but white sheets and mosquito nets are provided.
The accommodation is basic but comfortable – they have flushing toilets but no hot water (not usually a problem, as it is often very hot out there!). There is no air con but there are electric fans.
The family we will stay with is lovely and very hospitable. Mr Duc’s family has been in the valley for generations – he remembers his father fighting the French in the valley when he was a small boy! His wife cook wonderful food – not Thai as you know it but noticeably different from the majority Kinh cuisine of northern Vietnam. Guests will be encouraged to try some of Mr Duc’s homemade rice wine – fortunately he is not a big drinker himself so you only need to choke down one glass to be polite!
Village life
Mai Chau is in a sleepy valley and you will be woken at dawn by roosters crowing, pigs snuffling and various other bucolic sounds! Luckily the valley is at its most beautiful early in the morning, so taking an early morning stroll through the rice paddies before breakfast is a must. We will breakfast with the family and then there will be time to wander through the village and check out some of the local activities, purchase some handcrafts or just soak up the atmosphere. An early start means an early lunch. Once again we will dine with the family (there are not many other options available!) before getting back on the bus and heading to Ha Noi.
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 four 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)
- Overnight stay and meals in Mai Chau
Book and pay in advance by calling our office on (07) 5446 8977 or .
