phó

I commented to Phil and Lance a day or so ago that I liked the vibe in Vietnam. I think a good vibe for me has a lot to do with delicious and inexpensive food. Probably the highlight of my Vietnamese culinary experience has been phó: beef and rice noodle soup. This morning we all went separate ways to find breakfast. I had taken a wrong turn in Hoi An looking for our hostel last night and noticed a phó stall, so I naturally took advantage of the detour by passing by again this morning. For one dollar I was served a delicious bowl of phó which is made up of a savory broth, beef, noodles, bean sprouts, and various greens including spicy basil, mint, and cilantro. Yum. I even got complimentary jasmine tea afterwards. Another delicacy we have enjoyed is fried chicken wantons with a sweet and sour sauce that I would describe as "pico de gallo asiano". Lance's favorite fare is the french style baguette sandwich with tomato, cheese, cucumber, greens, and chili sauce. And of course there is still the lichee - I think my running total has reached about 8 kilos.

On a side note, check out Phil's blog and Lance's blog for another perspective on our trip. He even has a sweet map that shows our route (and although I was tempted to steal the idea, I haven't given in to temptation yet).