Originally sent: 10 October 2005 About this series Pchum Ben, a holiday to appease the spirits of the dead, happened last week. Most Cambodians leave Phnom Penh to give offerings of food at their local pagoda to ensure that their deceased relatives don’t return from the grave to stalk the earth as a hungry legion… Continue reading Faux Pho
Category: Vietnam
Leftover shots
Sorting back through my shots from Vietnam looking for something in particular, I’ve realised that there is so much content that I left behind. I was too busy enjoying myself to post them while I was on the road nor did I take any sort of notes that I could spin out into a meaningful… Continue reading Leftover shots
Hue street life
Cycling about the Citadel in Hue, Vietnam. Home of the Nguyen dynasty and the site of the bloodiest battle of the Tet Offensive. I was looking for a decent shot of the front of Ben Thanh market to illustrate my faux Ben Thanh market post but it doesn’t appear that I have one. My “sites… Continue reading Hue street life
I can’t believe it’s not Chợ Bến Thành
There is nothing like a high degree of architectural verisimilitude to brighten up my day, be it a Big Banana, Giant Merino or in this case, a fake Ben Thanh Market building in the middle of Melbourne. This model of Saigon’s Ben Thanh Market is so accurate that the clocks are all set to the… Continue reading I can’t believe it’s not Chợ Bến Thành
Miming for Bun
When you wander into a restaurant and can’t speak the local language then there is a short moment when you steel yourself for the interaction with the waiter, who in most cases, will look as confused as you. Bun Bo Nam Bo in Hanoi circumvents this great moment to test out your miming skills by… Continue reading Miming for Bun
Banh Mi Doner Kebab
I’ve had many a conversation with family and friends whether it is possible to combine the two of the world’s perfect foods, laksa and souvlaki, into a single ideal entity – souvlaksa – but still have not worked out the mechanics of keeping a noodle soup/garlic sauce mixture contained within a pita without resorting to… Continue reading Banh Mi Doner Kebab
The Ribs of Sapa
My worthless superpower is the ability to step into any city in the world and find a joint that serves barbecued pork ribs. Sapa in Northern Vietnam is not a street food mecca but ribs were there to be unearthed, alongside the usual assortment of chicken parts and other innards prepped for the grill on… Continue reading The Ribs of Sapa
The Narrowest Karaoke Cafe in Hanoi
There is not much room for dancing but the acoustics kick ass. Hanoi, Vietnam.