January 18th 2019

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A fall, we flew for 3 hours to a place where travel costs are low. Slow travel is always our favorite way to travel, so we planned 8 days to explore, but people usually plan 4 to 5 days. This time, the city we were traveling to was not Ho Chi Minh city, it was Hanoi! A city is more than the old architectures, and fills with Vietnamese Food.

A Taste of The Unexpected - Vietnamese Food

What is the taste of Vietnamese Food in your mind? Is it the insipid noodle soup and the sauces which help yourself? Most travelers told us how beautiful the scenery in Vietnam is, but not the Vietnamese food. When we asked about food, the reaction may be the same as you. Thus, it has brought us an impact that we shouldn’t have high expectations for Vietnamese foods.

Before we hit the road, we planned well as usual for accommodation, signed tour packages, Vietnamese food lists and places to visit. Along the way, we’ve been discussing happily the places to go, not what to eat. The first day in Hanoi was late at night. We went straight to the hotel to rest and find some snacks on the go.

After the body was charged, we woke up very early and looked for food. The first Vietnamese food shocked us; you can see the photo above, the amount of scallion in the soup and compare it to the soup in Malaysia. In Malaysia, there is a saying that “eating out is unhealthy,” which means eating out is not nutritionally balanced. Hence, the recommended daily intake of vegetables is usually not reached. For us, we were a bit resistant to the soup.

Once we tried the Pho (Vietnamese soup), we understood why travelers said the Vietnamese food is bland. Let me explain that the flavor we like tends to natural and fresh rather than excessive salt and seasonings. For those who love a strong taste or flavor, this soup is not suitable for them. We found the beef soup tasted sweet and refreshing with the aroma of scallions. Also, we didn’t resist this massive amount of scallions and even felt that is one of the essential protagonists of the soup. Vietnamese food is so great! we could not help to think of our Taiwan trip, delicious foods are been there everywhere. From the taste and the appearance of Vietnamese food, you will know that the majority of the Vietnamese have been living in poverty. Thus, the meals are not costly, and its appearance is simple but rich in flavor.

Vietnamese Food Will Make You Healthy

Our next meal was Bun Cha (Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle). After Ryan ordered up the dishes, the waitress served us roasted pork, plain noodles and a bucket of raw vegetables, which surprised us. We were wondering how we gonna to eats this bucket of raw vegetables, so I asked the waitress for guidance and what vegetables are these.

She said that most Vietnamese meals come with free raw veggies. Those veggies are right grown in their homes, and we could eat noodle with the raw vegetables. This is an entirely new experience for us. In Malaysia, we don’t have the habit of eating raw veggies. Furthermore, it is different from Western salad raw vegetables. Although I don’t like one of the Vietnamese vegetables, the combination of raw veggies makes the cuisine so good!

The following days, every meal on the trip has fresh vegetables. If there are no raw veggies, we would ask if there will be provided. The few days of travel in Vietnam turned two Malaysians who don’t like to eat veggies to eating a lot of veggies and even asked for it. It is amazing.

Other than that, we will usually gain weight on the road. But this time, we felt our body get lighter and even made my morning bathroom routine smoother.

Is Vietnamese Food Clean To Eat?

You may hear some Vietnam food safety issues especially the raw vegetables. Although Vietnamese food is about freshness, vegetables in Vietnam are full of insecticide and rarely clean well due to the lack of time. You can first observe the process of preparing the food and then decide whether to eat. Some people refuse to eat raw vegetables or street foods because they fear to get sick. Of course, no one wants to try to stay in a foreign hospital and pay extra spending. If you are worrying, better don’t try street foods. I knew that could not try street foods is a kind of fly in the ointment. You can save your wallet unless you want to take risks. But why are we not afraid and never doubt eating? I think maybe we are Malaysians, a country in Asia. When I was young, my mother would tell us that “eating dirty and still growing up.” It’s not that we grew up in a dirty environment or eating dirty food. It means that as long as it is edible, we don’t have to care too much about hygiene. Conversely, you eat too clean, if you eat a little dirty food, you are more likely to get sick. Whether you believe in it or not, I feel that my stomach is really strong and can eat street food from Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia. Apart from that, it is also important to pay attention to the hygiene of street food stalls. We are not eating any street foods especially raw meat. For example, the street booth without umbrellas flies on top of the foods, bowls, and plates are dirty, etc.

Do You Dare To Eat Vietnamese Food?

Trying to understand local food preparation or food safety issues to protect yourself from illness is something that every traveler must know in advance and pay attention to.

In general, if you really afraid of having problems with your stomach, you should go to big restaurants or trusted restaurant from reading online comments. It is always important to prepare some of your medicines in case you really want to try an appetizing street food?

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