DAILY PHOTO: The Citadel of Huế

Taken in December of 2015 in Hue, Vietnam


DAILY PHOTO: Tall Gates Near Hoi An

Taken in Hoi An in December of 2015

DAILY PHOTO: Mythical Beasties of Hanoi Staircases

Taken in December of 2015 in Hanoi

DAILY PHOTO: City Hall by Day & Night, Ho Chi Minh City

Taken in December of 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

 

DAILY PHOTO: South China Sea Coast, Vietnam

Taken in December of 2015 near Hoi An

DAILY PHOTO: Hanoi Hilton, i.e. Hoa Lo Prison

Taken in December of 2015 in Hanoi

 

5 Awesome Street Foods [You Should Have Already Tried]

5.) Vada Pav (Potato [fritter] on a bun): India

Tip: Try it in Mumbai. While the one’s shown above were fine. The legendary Vada Pav is to be found at a stall across from Flora Fountain in Bombay.

 

4.) Pad Thai (Noodles Thai Style): Thailand

Tip: Vegetarians beware. Fish sauce is a standard ingredient in this dish. So if you order it vegetarian, it’s not just the prawns and / or chicken one needs to be wary about–depending upon how strict one is. Soy sauce is the substitute.

 

3.) Kürtőskalács (Chimney Cake): Hungary

Tip: It can be found at little stands in or near Christmas markets during the winter season. Buy it hot when it’s cold outside, and it will actually steam like smoke rising from a chimney. If  you’re in Hungary during the summer or you want a savory street food, try lángos .

 

2.) Banh Mi: Vietnam

Tip: Try this sandwich on a baguette from Banh Mi 25, a famous cart at 25 Hàng Cá, Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm in Hanoi.

 

1.) Momo (Dumpling): Tibet, Ladakh, and anywhere displaced Tibetans reside.

Tip: Try the spinach and cheese momo of The Wok Tibetan Kitchen on Main Bazaar Road in Leh.

 

Bonus: Masala Dosa: India, particularly in the South

Tip: If you ask for a “Paper Masala Dosa” you’ll probably get something too big to fit on a plate (as shown.) It will be very thin and the potato-based filling will only be in the central part. (So it’s not quite as insane an amount of food as it may appear.)  This one is from Airlines Hotel in Bangalore. Dosa is just the Indian version of a pancake, and it can take many shapes and forms. There are a few varieties, but often it’s a rice & lentil-based rather than wheat-based flour.

 

DAILY PHOTO: Egg Coffee, Hanoi

Taken in Hanoi in December of 2015

 

 

Egg coffee is a Hanoi staple. It’s made with egg yolk, condensed milk, and sugar so it’s not exactly low-cal, but it tastes delightful. The scuttlebutt is that it was invented when milk was in short supply during the war. The beverage is said to have been invented at Giang Cafe, but I couldn’t say for certain that it’s the same Giang Cafe we were at (shown above.) However, the place did have the feel of a local institution. Imagine people huddled around tiny tables on stools, the floor coated with sunflower seed shells, and nary an empty stool in the multi-floored establishment.

DAILY PHOTO: Canoe in the Mekong Delta

Taken in December of 2015 in the Mekong Delta

DAILY PHOTO: Happy New Year

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Taken in Hanoi January 1, 2016

Taken in Hanoi January 1, 2016