Hoi An is also a culinary center, and we take the opportunity to learn a lot about the regional food.

In search of ingredients

Learning about noodles — Northern Vietnamese cooking takes noodles and noodle-making to the next level. To understand more about this art form, we participate in a noodle class sponsored by a non-profit organization – Streets International (founded by a fellow Heller School grad and Board colleague) — that trains kids from the streets in the hospitality and restaurant business. Planeterra, the GAdventures foundation, supports the work of Streets International and has arranged for us to take this class presented by the students at Oodles of Noodles.

There are five main types of noodles used in Hoi An cuisine. The Cao Lau noodles in particular are unique to Hoi An – the rice noodlesd are soaked in ash water from a particular tree on Cham Island off the coast of Hoi An. This treatment gives them their dark orange color and a very earthy or smokey flavor.

My Quang noodles are made by cutting strips from a rice pancake.

My Quang is a regional specialty noodle dish with these noodles plus shrimp, pork, a handful of fresh greens and herbs, and quails eggs. Very fresh tasty and even better enhanced with hot peppers and chili paste. The presentation at Oodles of Noodles is perfect!

Cooking Hoi An Style

As we continue developing our culinary talents, we enroll in a class on cooking Hoi An style. We have a brilliant and fun-loving instructor – “Pineapple” – and 5 dishes to prepare.

The menu of items (which we will consume at the end) is: vegetable spring rolls, banana-blossom chicken salad, Pho-Bo, smoked shrimp in banana leaf, mango sticky rice.

Good Vietnamese cooking is a high art form!! We learn how much we don’t know about the fine points of cooking a really flavorful meal. We are keeping our notes and will see how well we can reproduce these dishes for friends back home.

Driving from Hue to Hoi An — The road from Hue to Hoi An is Route 1 running parallel to the coast and making a mountain climb midway that affords a great view of the coastal beaches. We make a stop for the view of the coast and a look through the remains of an American lookout post.

Da Nang – Famous during the war with America as the home for a major American Air Force base that at its peak was the busiest airport in the world. Today Da Nang is a rapidly growing magnet for the beach and resort crowd. New resorts under construction along the beaches south of the city include prominent American chains: Hyatt, Intercontinental, Sheraton, Marriott, and Raddison.

Hoi An – History — Hoi An is an old coastal port that was founded at the beginning of the 17th century and came to be considered by Chinese and Japanese traders in the 18th century the best trading port in all of Indochina. By the 19th century, trading had moved up the coast to Da Nang and Hoi An became a forgotten city. As the world passed it by, the old city was frozen in time. A Polish architect – Kazimierz Kwiatkowski – was sent by UNESCO to Hoi An in 1980 and subsequently played a major role in saving and restoring the old town. In 1999, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is today a major tourist attraction in Vietnam.

Hoi An – Today – The major attraction in Hoi An is the old city and the ample supply of 17th and 18th century timber buildings — homes, shops, and temples – beautifully restored and preserved and lining the streets. Today, these old buildings house handicraft and curio sellers, restaurants, tea and coffee houses, and a variety of clothing merchants, tailoring shops, and other enterprises. Hoi An is a tourist paradise for shopper’s, foodie’s and photographer’s.

The old quarter has street after street of beautifully preserved 17th and 18th century homes, shops, and temples — providing each street with a scenic, historical vista. UNESCO regulates heights, styles, and paint colors of renovations or new buildings to assure that the overall character of the area does not change. The old quarter is closed to traffic other than pedestrians or bicycles between 9 and 11 am and between 6 to 9 pm.

Hoi An By Night — At night the old quarter of Hoi An turns into a light festival with Chinese lanterns hung everywhere including the tourist boats in the river. The effect is stunning.

Japanese Bridge — The bridge was built in the early 17th century by Japanese merchants to link them with the Chinese quarters on the other side of the canal. More recently, Vietnamese and Chinese residents added a small temple to the God “Bac De Tran Vo” (Emperor of the North) to the bridge (it may be the only bridge in the world with its own temple).

Quang Thieu Assembly Hall – This assembly hall was built by Cantonese merchants in 1786. The main alter is dedicated to Quán Cong – a military general of the Three Kingdoms period in China (around 200 AD) who was revered for his acts of kindness to people in need. The tile murals tell his story. The dragon mosaic statue is the main attraction.

Tan Ky House — This house is occupied today by the seventh generation of the Vietnamese family that built it in the early 19th century. The house combines Chinese and Japanese architectural features from the period.

Part 2 to come — culinary experiences in Hoi An

Train from Hanoi to Hue — We ride the overnight train from Hanoi arriving early morning in Hue. Our first class accommodations are clean and comfortable (if not roomy) in a new sleeper car. The tracks are jolting, but the train is fast and gets us in right on time. I love sleeping on a train, but my sleep-deprived compartment companions don’t share my enthusiasm.

Hue: A Little History — After a period in the 17th and 18th centuries wracked by civil war, Nguyen Anh declared himself Emperor Gia Long in 1802 and brought unity to Vietnam, thus launching the Nguyen Dynasty – with its new capital in Hue.

The Emperor started the construction of the Imperial City in 1804 and it was finished in 1833. The Vietnam Empire during this period was strong and expansionist. But in 1847, France attacked Da Nang in an effort to protect Catholic missionaries from suppression under Emperor Thieu Tri. The French seized Saigon in 1859 and in 1872 signed a treaty with Emperor Tu Duc making Vietnam a protectorate of France.

After that, the Nguyen Dynasty continued as a puppet regime through the French colonization until the end of World War II when Ho Chi Minh declared independence for Vietnam with Hanoi as the capital.

The Imperial City — The city of Hue is located on the banks of the Song Hoang (Perfume River) just below its junction with the Song Nhung. The centerpiece of Hue (and its star attraction) is the Citadel — a vast moated and walled enclosure that surrounds the Imperial Enclosure, modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Like a great Russian doll, it is a city within a city within a city. The outermost square is the Citadel, a fortress whose exterior walls and moat surround the Imperial City and blocks of surrounding cityscape. The Imperial City is ringed by another moat and set of walls – within which lies the Forbidden Purple City, the actual home of the Emperor and his immediate family and closest advisors, and is off limits to everyone else. To round out this seemingly imprenetrable fortress, the entire citadel complex sits within a much larger square of canals surrounding the old city of Hue. Hue’s new city rises up on the opposite bank of the Perfume River.

In its heyday, the Imperial City contained 147 separate buildings surrounded by exquisite gardens. Many of the buildings outside the Forbidden Purple City were administrative offices for the Empire. The Nguyen Dynasty followed a Chinese model with a rigid hierarchy of civil and military officials flowing down from the Emperor. Only the top five in each category (civil and military) were allowed within the Forbidden Purple City.

The Citadel was heavily damaged first by the French during the conflict with the Viet Minh in 1947 and later in the month-long fighting and bombing following the Tet Offensive that destroyed much of Hue in January 1968. Today, after substantial restoration, only 20 buildings and some of the gardens remain – just enough to get a sense of the grandeur that was once the Imperial Enclosure.

Thien Mu Pagoda — We stop at the Thien Mu temple to witness the monks’ evening prayers. At the entrance is a spectacular, seven-tiered tower constructed by Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844. On the grounds are a great bell donated to the temple in 1710 and recognized as a national treasure in 2013.

Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc – Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty were buried in elaborate temple and tomb complexes set in locations along the Perfume River south of the Imperial City. Tu Duc designed his own temple, determining its location between the river and a mountain with feng shui, and used it before his death. The complex was constructed in 1864 using forced labor. A portion of it was destroyed in intense fighting during the Battle of Hue in the Vietnam War. The tombs for the Emperor and Queen were cleverly hidden in a hill behind the temple complex and have never been located.

New Hue — Across the Perfume River is the new part of Hue, with a Le Loi Boulevard running parallel to the River and a beautiful Park and promenade along the river’s edge. Le Loi Boulevard – the equivalent of “Main Street” in Vietnamese cities – is named after a national hero Le Loi who led a popular uprising in the 15th century that reversed a Chinese invasion, and who then became Emperor Le Thai To, the first of the powerful Le Dynasty.

At night, the boulevard, the park, and the bridge across the river to the old city are lit up with colored lights and a show that changes colors on the bridge.

Boulevard Le Loi at night.

Ha Long Bay — The Bay is in the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea – about 110 miles east of Hanoi and 100 miles south of the China border. Filed with over 2,000 karst islands, it is an incredible and unique visual experience — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and recently selected as one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.”

A karst is a limestone formation that was once compacted sea bottom that became limestone that was exposed when the seas receded and was carved over millions of years by winds and water currents into a tower. The results can be visually dramatic.

A Junk Cruise — Taking an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay is by far the best way to enjoy the beauty of this place. Our vessel is a “Junk” (notice the outline of the Chinese Junk hull, the round portholes and the position of the three “masts”). Our accommodations are first rate, and the food and care we receive on board is superb.

The Spectacular Karsts — As we cruised into the midst of the karsts, every turn provided a new visual treat of rock outcroppings in smooth emerald waters.

Food on the Cruise — We were served a wide range of imaginatively-presented seafood dishes by our very talented on-board chef.

Sunset on Ha Long Bay — As the light starts to fade, we climb a path to the top of one of the karsts for a stunning few of the Bay and the pastel colors of the evening sunset.

Kayaking — Along the way we had a chance for a little kayaking and some monkey business around the base of the karsts.

The “Surprising Cave” — we climbed up a path to the entrance to Sung Sot Cave — known as the “Surprising” or “Amazing” Cave —for the surprise that await the first discoverers, and the amazing array of visual treats around every corner. The cave is the largest we have ever been in. It is well lit and has an easy pathway laid out across the rugged cave floor.

Oyster Farming — A major industry in the Ha Long Bay Area is farming oysters for cultured pearls (and to eat as a by-product). Making cultured pearls starts with the planting of a seed (a piece of shell from another oyster) in the oyster’s reproductive organ. The seed irritates the oyster and causes it to secrete additional shell-forming material to coat the invader as a defense.

Once seeded, the oyster is placed in special netting and lowered under water in the oyster beds. Over 2 to 3 years, the oyster covers the intruder with layer after layer of “nacre” (also known as mother-of-pearl) until it forms a pearl.

The colors of the pearls vary depending on the type of oyster and the color of their mantle. Tahitian black oysters produce black or gray pearls, South Sea oysters produce cream-colored pearls, and Akoya oysters produce white pearls.

Once the oyster has sat underwater long enough in the farm, it is brought back to the tables to be opened by a trained technician and the pearl extracted and sorted according to color, shape, and quality. Only about a third of the oysters that are implanted actually produce a pearl, and many of the pearls that are harvested are irregular in shape or have other defects. Only 10 percent of the implants yield a gem-quality pearl. Once opened, the oysters are cooked and eaten.

Next Stop: Hue – the Ancient Capital of Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh and the Mausoleum – No introduction to Hanoi can take place without a review of the life of Ho Chi Minh (affectionately called “Uncle Ho”) and the role that he played in the birth of the new Vietnam nation after World War II.

Uncle Ho was first and foremost a freedom fighter for Vietnamese independence. Born Nguyen Sinh Cung in Central Vietnam in 1890, Uncle Ho learned Chinese from his father, an imperial magistrate and Confucian scholar, and later attended French school in Hue. In 1911, he left Vietnam and, for the next 30 years, traveled widely, living in several different cities including: Paris, Moscow, Bangkok, Canton, New York, and Boston. During that time, he became fluent in several languages and became active in the communist movement – enamored particularly with Russian communism. He returned to Vietnam in 1941 to lead the Viet Minh independence movement – taking advantage of the opportunity to organize resistance to the Japanese occupation. During this period, he and the Viet Minh had support from the precursor to the CIA (the OSS).

After the Japanese surrender in August, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared independence in September (with OSS officers at his side). However, the French moved to reassert themselves in their colonial role, which led to armed conflict with the Viet Minh, the eventual surrender of the French at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, and the division of Vietnam by the Geneva Conference into two states at the 17th parallel.

Ho Chi Minh led North Vietnam during the civil war that erupted between the two states, and afterwards when the U. S. entered the struggle to protect the catholic minority in South Vietnam. “Uncle Ho” died in 1969 with the civil war still in progress. Victory for the Viet Minh and reunification of Vietnam did not happen until 1975.

Party leadership, seeking to deify Uncle Ho, sent his body to Moscow for the unique soviet embalming treatment, against his expressed wishes to be cremated. His embalmed body sits today for viewing in a huge mausoleum in Hanoi on the grounds of the French-built Presidential Palace and the small wood home that Uncle Ho built as his own residence and died in.

Temple of Literature – In 1070, the Vietnamese emperor built this Confucian temple to honor Vietnam’s writers and intellectual elites. Shortly after, it became Vietnam’s first university. It is preserved today as a beautiful example of Chinese-influenced Vietnamese architecture. Students come here today to celebrate their graduation.

Hoa Lao Prison – The French built this large prison complex in the 1896 to house Vietnamese political prisoners fighting against French rule. After its gruesome period in this capacity, part of it was used to house pilots shot down during the war with America. The prison, dubbed by American’s the “Hanoi Hilton”, was home to John McCain for six years.

Most of the prison was demolished in 1993 for development, but a section was preserved as a museum. It is largely dedicated to telling the stories of Vietnamese revolutionary patriots who were housed here. There is a section covering the American prisoners and an large exhibit on the conflict with America, that provides a fairly straightforward and respectful treatment of this time from the North Vietnamese perspective.

Water Puppet Show — This is a unique Vietnamese form of entertainment that originated in villages of the Red River delta in the 11th Century. The puppets perform to traditional music in a waist deep pool of water, manipulated by bamboo poles worked underwater by puppeteers who are behind the backdrop. The stories are folk tales from rural Vietnam. Puppetry is a favorite form of entertainment in SE Asia – this Vietnamese water-borne version is a clever and captivating variant on that.

Ancient Quarter – The “36 Guild Streets” Area — In the 11th Century, after the Citadel was built as a center for royal authority, the area between the Citadel and the Red River was laid out in a pattern of 36 streets, each named after a particular craft or commodity of the guild that was based on the street. There was a cotton street (Hang Bong), a copper street (Hang Dong), a chicken street (Hang Ga), a fish sauce street (Hang Mam), a conical hat street (Hang Non), and so on.

The original streets have a few houses and temples hundreds of years old that have been restored and preserved and are open for visitors. These gorgeous buildings display the elegant crafting and fine furnishings that reflect the prosperity of those times when Hanoi was an active trading center on Vietnam’s second largest river.

The typical houses for this time were “tube houses.” They were narrow on the streetside (3 to 4 meters) (to keep the taxes assessed on frontage low) and long (up to 120 meters) — and typically two stories high. The house would have a ground-floor room in the front (which might serve as the shop or storefront). That would followed by an atrium open to the sky to get air into the center of the house. Then a kitchen and bedrooms in the back. The second floor in the front might be set up as a shrine.

Preservation is going forward on other old buildings in the Ancient Quarter. The temples are Confucian and demonstrate the heavy Chinese influence, particularly in the Northern part of Vietnam.

The Ancient Quarter is characterized by narrow streets, small buildings with storefronts that spill out onto the sidewalks, restaurants that serve customers sitting on small plastic chairs

Over the centuries, more streets have been added (now 76), and the guilds have moved around. There are still many streets where all the merchants sell the same items. But now streets specialize in electrical appliances, hardware, and other accoutrements of modern life.

1000 year mural — Hanoi celebrated the 1,000th Anniversary of its founding as the capital city by Emperor Ly Thai To in 2010. As part of the celebration, artists created a very colorful ceramic mosaic mural along the main highway out of Hanoi. The mural is 6 kms long and took 3 years to build. It may hold the title for the longest mosaic mural in the world.

Lights around the lake at night – We leave Hanoi with a final nighttime walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake is colorfully lit in the evenings, creating a great venue for an evening stroll and the weather is perfect.

Next Stop — Ha Long Bay – We head next to Ha Long Bay on the South China Sea – A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. It is a 2 to 3 hour drive due east from Hanoi.

The cultural leap from Vientiane, Laos to Hanoi, Vietnam is greater than would be expected with a short one-hour plane ride. The drive into the city from the airport brings us face-to-face with one overriding reality of life in Hanoi: the ubiquity of the motorcycle.

The pace in Hanoi is hectic and intense, made more-so by the uncoreographed meshing of competing flows of motorcycles at intersections. Negotiating traffic is an intensely personal exercise: they (the motorcycles) go and you (the street crosser) go at cross purposes, but miraculously without incident. It takes a combination of courage and recklessness.

Hanoi is a city of 8 million people (equal to the entire population of Laos) in a nation of 97 million. Hanoi’s old city is old! It had its 1000th birthday ten years ago. [More on Vietnam culture in a future post].

Underlying this modern rush of humanity is a centuries-old, heavily-
Chinese-influenced, style of life that is elegant and artistically sophisticated – and precisely tuned to the finer things — silks, cuisine, architecture, music, painting.

And layered on that, the activities of daily living in a simpler world that time has past by.

Dinner with friends — Our first night in Hanoi we are treated to dinner at a Cha Ca restaurant by friends from the YTri program now living and working in Hanoi.

Ch ca is fish (catfish in this case) sautéed in turmeric sauce, with dill and spring onion and noodles – a Hanoi specialty!! A wonderful introduction to Hanoi cuisine for our first night in the city.