Sunday, June 29, 2014

Mayordoma Chronicles: Ano Pho?




To say that this post is late would be the understatement of the century. 

Last December 2013, I was sent to Hanoi to do some official business. Since it was holiday season, getting a flight was not easy. Most staff traveling to the city take the flight via Thailand. But there was an ongoing unrest in Bangkok. Scratch that. We tried Hong Kong but several lay overs would be required. Erase that. So, I was back into the arms of my old buddy, Singapore!



The best part of traveling via SG is Changi Airport! I had a mission, make sure to have a bowl of Hill Street Tai Hwa's Bak Chor Mee.  Oh, I forgot to mention that this was the first time in my entire life to fly solo. So, Changi and the pork noodle gave me the comfort I needed.

It was already dark when we landed in Hanoi. After going through immigration, picking up my luggage (yup, didn't lose it) and changing USD to local currency, I went out to meet our driver.  And as I stepped out of the airport, Hanoi's winter welcomed me with open arms. Brrrrr!  In case I haven't mentioned it in our previous blogs, I usually travel wearing flip-flops.  Thank goodness, I had the sense to wear long pants! The cold weather calls for hot, hot dinner.



I traveled Sunday but given our conflicting schedules, we (me, our country rep and his counterpart) had our meeting upon my arrival. So, dinner was a business affair. But a relaxed one.  We talked business over a pot of hotpot. I am not sure how it was called but I know how it tastes, hot and sour. It was actually like the laksa in Malaysia and Singapore. I loved how it was served, the hotpot was over a lighted candle. The soup also came with rice noodles, beef, seafood and lots of veggies. For a meal that can feed 3-4 people, it was a steal at USD10! It was also served with Chè which is like the Vietnamese version of our Halo-Halo. Instead of plain milk it comes with coconut milk and a variety of beans and fruits.  But I got most excited with the drink, sugar cane juice. It was so refreshing. We used to have this when I was younger, tubo!

After, finalizing what needs to be done during the mission, we said our goodbyes and I checked in to my hotel.

Breakfast


I don't usually eat breakfast. But since there's an hour difference between Hanoi and the Philippines, breakfast time is my brunch time.  And I couldn't thank enough my colleague Ate Ann for recommending that I stay at Sky Lark Hotel. Aside from being close to most places I needed to go to, the place is new, clean, comes with great service and offers a fabulous breakfast buffet! Did I say that you can have all that at USD50 per room and that it can accommodate two people (yes two beds)!  



So for three days, I had an awesome breakfast of hot soup, cold cuts, breads, pastries, jams, eggs and the sweetest fruits! My breakfast gave me the energy to go through several meetings all over Hanoi during my stay.

Lunch



Huyen, my colleague from Hanoi, gave me a taste of Hanoi when I had my first lunch. She did not take me to a fancy restaurant. We took the side streets near our office and ate at a place which is the equivalent of our Karinderya. Don't raise your brows. No matter how simple the place was, it was full of well-dressed young professionals.  Since I already had hotpot the other night, I opted to order something dry, Pho Xao Thit Bo. This was wok fried flat noodles served with greens and stir-fried thinly sliced beef. Quite close to our pancit canton in presentation and taste.  


My second lunch was quite the challenge. I was in between meetings so my hotel was my home base and I didn't want to have lunch there. Why was it a challenge? If in the Philippines the jeepney is the king of the road, in Vietnam, the scooter is its counterpart and the streets are full of them.  Well, not only the street, but also the sidewalks. If here, vehicles stop at stop lights, there they just go on and on. Crossing the streets in Vietnam is an art. You need to get the rhythm to cross gracefully and safely. Crossing streets is not among my talents even in the Philippines. 



So I had to settle for whatever restaurant I see on my hotel's side of the street.  There were ladies selling hotpot on the street but I couldn't be adventurous when I am on official mission. I couldn't get sick. I just had rice, veggies and barbecued ribs at a nearby restaurant. I still found joy in the restaurant because it has the most creative name I've seen, "ABC Restaurant". It made me look for "123 Cafe"!



For my last lunch, I had a meeting with my counterparts at another center. Among their benefits is free lunch. They have a cook who prepares their meals at the office's pantry at the top floor and I was invited to this affair. It was like having lunch at the kitchen with friends and family. We shared hot soup, noodles, veggies, beef, seafood and dessert. Oh, and our nationalities are as varied as our meal!

Dinner



I decided to have dinner at the hotel because it was cold outside and I don't want to venture out in the dark on my own. Ok, I tried to cross the street but the bell boy accompanied me and it took me minutes before I was able to get the chance to go back to the hotel's side of the street! No more crossing for me!

A trip to Vietnam will not be complete without having a Pho Bo or beef noodle soup. It's simply rice noodles, thinly sliced beef and greens in a broth rich in taste.  The trouble with hotel food is they are usually for sharing. I could actually swim in the bowl! I also ordered fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls. It was the real deal with shrimp, pork, eggs, greens and the nutty vinegar dressing. To complete the trifecta, I ended the meal with a cold and strong Vietnamese Coffee.



My next dinner coincided with El Capitan Taggy's birthday and the gang was celebrating it at The Farm. Senyorito Lakwatsero was waiting for me to come over. Over Facetime, he told me that if I had already missed the plane, I should take the bus. To make myself part of the celebration, I bought a small cake/tart and ordered Pho Xao Thit Bo from the hotel's restaurant.  Noodles for long life!



For last my last dinner, I decided to be more adventurous. Nope, still no street crossing for me. But I ventured a little farther and stumbled upon this pizza place Pepperoni's. Being the oddball that I am, I was in a pizza place but did not order pizza  because - 1) I won't be able to finish a whole one and 2) we always have pizza here. But then, I've already had enough noodles and hotpot.  So, I ordered Singapore Rice which wasn't just rice. It was rice topped with beef and seafoods. Think single serving Singaporean Paella. I also wanted something familiar so I got potato wedges.  I washed them down with cold Vietnamese Coffee. And because I was able to accomplish everything on my to-do list, I gave myself a treat, Banana Split. Ice cream is love!!!


Hanoi is a foodie heaven. I brought my usual canned goods but I did 't even bother to eat them. I gave them to my driver before I left. I promised myself that I'll go back on my own personal time and I'll do it around winter time. Sipping hot pho is best done in cold weather. I'll have my pho from the lady on the street and sit on those small chairs.  For the meantime, I'll just satisfy myself with trips to Phuong's Vietnamese Restaurant at FO Santos in LB, a small eatery managed by a friendly, old Vietnamese lady. 

Ang sarap pho!