Food, glorious food

Vietnam has some of our favorite food, so we thought we would share just a few dishes that we love in Hanoi. This post is also somewhat for our scapbook, so that we always remember.

Bun cha (pron. boon cha) - really yummy fried pork patties in a broth with noodles and fresh herbs. There is an excellent bun cha restaurant around the corner from the Lucky. Head out the front door and take a left, another left at the corner, and another left at the next corner and it is right there on your left. They have 3 floors of tables and you don't have to speak any Vietnamese because you walk in, they seat you, and then bring you their specialty. It is good and only as hot as you make it yourself. We ate there yesterday, and they wait staff whisked Anh away to babysit while we ate.

Cha ca - fried fish patties, also with some kind of broth and I think noodles. There is a place called Cha Ca La Vong which is a taxi ride from the Lucky. We ate there a few years ago and it was wonderful. Again, they only serve one dish, so no need to speak any Vietnamese (although learning "thank you" and "that was delicious" might not be a bad idea :-)

pho (pron. fa-a, with a slight uplilt in the tone)- the famous Vietnamese noodle soup, served in the morning mostly. You almost can't go wrong if you find a small Vietnamese cafe with lots of people eating. Just remember to pronounce it correctly, otherwise the Vietnamese have no idea what you are looking for!