Goi xoal kho sac. With dried fish, shrimp chips, and red chilies. 94,000 VND
Vietnamese Kitchen, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM
This place sucked! The food was mediocre at best, overpriced, and the service was rude and surly! This green mango salad was slimy and SUPER salty. I’m the last person to complain about saltiness because I love it, but this was TOO much. I really wish we hadn’t eaten here!
War Remnants Museum.
Burrata, chickweed, sorrel, and Hawaiian black sea salt. $14
Park Tavern, San Francisco CA
A new combination for me – fried lemons and burrata cheese! I’ll admit that I really haven’t had fried lemon slices as an actually appetizer before; perhaps as just a garnish in the past. Anyway, this was delicious and the lemons were nice and crispy!
Beautiful San Francisco homes, Castro.
Goi bo bop thau. With vegetables and peanuts in spicy sauce, served with shrimp chips. 130,000 VND
Nha Hang Ngon, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM
Wow, this dish was SO delicious! The bright, sour sauce was great and the beef was so tender and flavorful. I’m not sure what all the vegetables were, but they tasted great and had many different textures. Definitely a wonderful choice!
Puppies for sale! While walking down the sidewalk, we notice a guy selling these adorable puppies from the back of his motorcycle. There were probably a dozen of them and I wanted ONE! 🙂
With sauteed onions and bell peppers, served with vinegar sauce. 238 PHP
Chelu Bar and Grill, Manila PHILIPPINES
I was really confused by this dish. When I saw the menu item, I didn’t expect it to come out with a mound of sautéed vegetables on top. Oh well, it still tasted fine. And dipping anything in a vinegar based sauce is fine by me!
Margarita and mai tai. The cocktails here weren’t very good at all! It was definitely better to stick with beer.
Quirino statue and sleeping homeless person, Manila Ocean Park.
Lardo-wrapped smoked prawns, remoulade and cucumber. $16
Park Tavern, San Francisco CA
It’d be really easy for me to complain that these cost sixteen bucks, but then it was pretty darn tasty! They had me at lard-wrapped smoked prawns. There was SO much flavor in every bite (even though there were very few bites). 🙂
Alpine Lake, Mt. Tamalpais Watershed.
Deep fried breaded squid rings served with aioli. 198 PHP
Chelu Bar and Grill, Manila PHILIPPINES
Meh, these were ok. At least they weren’t overdone, hard or chewy.
Fountain at the Plaza Nuestra Senora de Guia, Ermita, Manila.
With preserved elderberries.
Incanto, San Francisco CA
Meh, I wasn’t too impressed by this dessert. I appreciated the delicate bay leaf flavor of the panna cotta, but I felt that the texture was way too soft like it’d been sitting out for too long.
Christmas camellia (Camellia sasanqua, Theaceae), Castro.
Banh khot tom. Served with assorted greens for wrapping. 84,000 VND
Bamboo Garden, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM
This was a new dish for me. I didn’t know what to expect when I read “Vietnamese pancake”, but it sure wasn’t these thick delicious morsels. They had a soft, almost custardy texture but were more firm and savory. The shrimp were a little overcooked though.
Omg! And I certainly didn’t expect an entire bowl of all these greens for wrapping around the pancakes before dipping them into the sweetened fish sauce mixture. Although I didn’t know what everything was, they sure tasted great!
Tran Hung Dao statue and new high rise construction.
Meh, these did the job of something to eat before a night of clubbing. I’m not sure where the chips went though. But then again, I didn’t order. My friend did all the ordering in Tagalog which I can’t really speak or understand. I’m such a bad Filipino, lol! 238 PHP
Chelu Bar and Grill, Manila PHILIPPINES
AERA Memorial Museum, Villa Escudero, San Pablo City.
Cari vit. With potatoes, and served with fresh basil and French baguette. 75,000 VND
Duck Deli, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM
Mmm, this duck curry was SO good. I actually loved all the bones and skin still attached to the duck. It’s so much more flavorful and fun to eat that way. And how can you deny the bread in Vietnam?! I definitely gained a few pounds on this trip.
Bitexco Financial Tower.
With candied carrot and caramel.
Incanto, San Francisco CA
This carrot cake was moist and delicious with a great carrot-y flavor. The caramel sauce put it over the top! Noms!
Redwood trees, Bon Tempe Lake.
Fried rice with shrimp, calamari. 114,000 VND
Bamboo Garden, Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM
This dish was OK. The seafood was actually pretty tender and flavorful, but the dish as a whole was kinda boring. They actually just scooped the fried rice into the clay pot before serving. I thought that it was gonna be cooked in it so that there would be crispy rice at the bottom, but that didn’t happen. 😦
Caipirinha: dark rum, lime, and sugar. Two for 85,000 VND
Long Island Iced Tea: tequila, gin, rum, vodka, triple sec, coke, and lemon.
Saigon Opera House (Municipal Theater of Ho Chi Minh City).
Vittle Monster 