Fear not to try this strange-looking fish. It may look weird (and scary at times) but wait ’til you taste it. *Two-thumbs up!* It’s actually a type of relatively big-sized fish called Elephant Ear Fish fried with its scales on. 3 simple words – crispy, tasty and yummy!

2) King Prawns

Look at how big the prawns can actually grow! Well, if I’m not wrong, I found them “dead” in Ben Thanh Market. To my surprise, the price was rather reasonable. Basically, you can have them served in Vietnamese style, served with some special sauce of lime + salt + pepper + chili powder. (I guess this sauce is really “THE” special sauce as it’s generally found in most dishes in Vietnam).

3) Shrimp Spring Rolls

In short, shrimp popiah. Like those I shared with you in my previous post about Hanoi, these were similar but fresh shrimps, instead of chicken meat, were wrapped in the thin rice paper roll. Together in there were some fresh lettuce and vegetable which added the extra texture to the spring rolls a.k.a. popiah.

The first time I saw this, I thought to myself, do I have to wait until the night falls just to taste a sip of the ever-famous Vietnamese coffee? Eventually I was wrong. Of course you wouldn’t need to wait long for the coffee to drip. It’s actually a way Vietnamese relax while stealing some time to enjoy their favourite cup of drink. Must try! Options : Kopi (with milk) or Kopi-O (no milk)!

My goodness! I need another cup of hot chocolate! My stomach is growling again… (although it’s just after tea time). Could it be because of the tempting food/drink I’m writing on? Wait ’til I fly to Ho Chi Minh again (for the king prawns and coffee)… with PYO Travel (of course!)… Ciao!

Thanks Jacqueline for the beautiful photos!

Part 2 : Food-Hunting in Ho Chi Minh is a post from: PYObuddy.com

Ben Thanh Market

Though Hanoi reins as the capital of governance, it is Ho Chi Minh City which thumps the economic heartbeat of the country. Do not be deceived by the peaceful sight of the countryside fields. In this city, it is bursting with activities and traffic; the atmosphere can only be spelled one way- Chaos. As a curious pedestrian taking in all the sights in this city, you’d have to remember to watch out for the streams of motorbikes cruising speedily across every direction on the traffic-clogged roads. Even the small alleyways and sidewalks are sometimes not spared. If you are one for adventure, hopped onto a xe om (motorbike taxi) and it will bring you on a eye-opening spin around the city.

Streets at Ben Thanh Market

As for me, I like to take it nice and slow and fill all my sensory to the brim of what makes Saigon, Saigon. There is no better place than the city’s oldest market -Ben Thanh Market, to get a taste of what the common Saigonese eats daily and live their lives. Build since the early 19th century, Ben Thanh Market is a square building with four gates that look onto Quách Thị Trang Plaza, Phan Bội Châu, Phan Chu Trinh, and Lê Thánh Tôn Streets. With more than 3000 stalls at this place, you can find everything from food, clothing, household items, hardware, pets, manicure and pedicure services, facial do’s and the list goes on. It is certainly a place where one can spend hours in, just exploring the nooks and corners and be amused with the things people do in their normal lifestyle.

Exploring this market is not for the faint-hearted. It is structured in an open-air concept where flies are an inevitable sight. Everyone in Saigon live their life on the streets, sidewalk, and pathways. And no, they’re not homeless; it’s just where they do their activities, with a good reason that it’s nice to catch some breeze outside. The same goes in this market.

There’s no fresher fish than this!

Food being fresh is what makes Vietnamese cuisine taste so good. At the market, you can just point to a fish alive and swimming in the many plastic storage boxes and have it slaughtered and gutted out skillfully by the seller. The innards of the animals are for sale too. You can see the liver, intestines, kidneys, stomach, tongue, ears, and even the brains lined up accordingly in its metal pans.

Colourful patchwork of grains

When the stench of raw meat gets over-powering, it’s time to head towards the dry produce section. I like it here because you can find grains and beans in every kind; colourful candies, tidbits, snacks arrange in rows of clear plastic container, piecing together an art piece of flavours. Talking about flavours, coffee lovers should not miss out on getting a pound or two of weasel coffee beans. Harvested from the droppings of weasels, these coffee beans guarantee an unforgettable aroma and taste that awarded it the most expensive coffee in the world.

Coffee lovers’ corner

It an amusing sight to see ladies on tiny stool having their toe nails done in shades of brightly-coloured nail polish. Beside this beauty services corner, sat an old lady having a full face threading done. For ladies, if you want to have a go at this ancient form of hair removal, it’s relatively painless and really cheap. It’s definitely worth a try to get a smooth hairless complexion doing it the Saigonese way.

Weasel droppings?

What is a holiday trip without souveniers? At Ben Thanh Market, you get a wide selection of every imaginable item. From the tacky mass-produced tourist junk to unique handcrafted wood pieces, the choices are never-ending.

Where’s the conical hats? Dig deeper

Now picking a tour package is definitely easier than the huge array of trinkets where you can find at Ben Thanh Market. Check out the attractive tour offers to Ho Chi Minh City from PYO Travel.

A Sensory Load in Saigon’s Ben Thanh Market is a post from: PYObuddy.com

A spot I would definitely not miss would be the Cu Chi Tunnels. It is a secret underground passage, well-hidden in the jungle which was used during the Vietnam War period. Don’t be fooled by its name! It’s called a tunnel but in actual fact, it’s a ‘CITY’! Haha! Why?! Well, during the war time, the soldiers used this tunnel as one of their way of communication, hiding place, hospitals, food and weapon storage and others. Now that the tunnel is opened for tourists, when you are there, don’t hesitate to go down the tunnel and start ‘digging’ into Vietnam’s finest history… Oh, did I mention that there’s also a dining area in the tunnel itself? Amazing!

When you’re in Ho Chi Minh City, do not miss to (at least) get a glimpse of the Mekong River. But why just a glimpse when you can actually be more adventurous?! Take a boat ride along the river (at least a short distance) and you can now proudly announce that you have been to one of the longest river in the world! Mekong River is in fact the 10th longest river in the world and the 7th in Asia. And the most interesting part is that it flows across 6 different countries (including Vietnam)! Really amazing! I believe nature can really do wonders!

Other hot spots you would not want to miss are the Notre Dame Cathedral and Cao Dai Holy See. I personally think that these two buildings are the two most beautiful buildings in Ho Chi Minh.

The Notre Dame Cathedral – Its amazing strong influences of French Neo-Romanesque structure and designs on its two façades brought me to another dimension of Vietnam.

Cao Dai Holy See – A building so beautiful that you would definitely be attracted by both its external and interior structures. Also, do not miss out the opportunity to go in the temple. I am sure you would be amazed by its beautiful fine sculptures around, especially the tall pillars, all carefully crafted with colourful designs!

Amazingly, you can find out more about the historical city of Ho Chi Minh here.

Find Out How Ho Chi Minh City Can Amaze You! is a post from: PYObuddy.com