Tag Archives: food

Hanoi Travel Tips

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I recently took a short trip to Hanoi. But what some may not know is that I actually used to live in Hanoi, Vietnam before I moved to Singapore.

Returning back to the city, I really felt like not much had changed, and I slotted myself right back in. But, I was conscious that to some, Vietnam might be a total culture shock; food is unusual, streets are manic and English is not widely spoken.

For these reasons, I thought it would be a great idea to share some of my tips, as an ex-expat in Hanoi and now as a tourist.

The Roads

This may be the number one most difficult thing to adjust to in Vietnam. Traffic lights are seldom seen or used, most people drive motorcycles and to an outsider it may seem like total chaos. But, this is actually not the case. There are several unwritten rules when driving (and being a pedestrian) in Hanoi, and if you know these tips it may save you a lot of stress and hassle.

Even though there doesn’t seem to be any rules, it is simple. Like a river, or a colony of ants, the traffic in Hanoi moves constantly and slowly. There are no jerking movements, no need to suddenly break, and so long as everyone consistently flows around each other, it works. So, how does this affect you as a pedestrian? Well, if you panic whilst crossing the road, you disrupt the system. Do not expect people to move, or stop, for you. Walk slowly, at the same pace and in the same direction across the road. You will find that vehicles will work their way around you. This is why it is very important not to run, not to change your direction, or to get scared and stop half way through. Maintain your pace (and your confidence!) and crossing the road will seem like a breeze.

The Money

When I lived in Vietnam, the money seemed easy, especially because at the time it was easy to convert in my head to USD and from there into GBP. Now, going back as a tourist, it’s very difficult to convert in my head to SGD (one Singapore dollar is about 17,000 Vietnamese dong). Not only that, a lot of the paper notes are similar in colour, so it is easy to get them mixed up. My tips for dealing with the money would be as such; whilst it’s tricky to always convert, be mindful of how much things should cost in VND. For example, street food, like a bowl of pho, should cost anything from 25000 VND to about 60000 VND (60k for a really large portion, or at a famous street stall). Of course at restaurants, this will be more, maybe in the 100000 – 200000 VND range, and beers tend to be very cheap wherever, costing maybe 20000 VND. (Actually, I used to drink at places where the beer was 7000 VND (about 40 cents) but that is at a really local spot). You can see that Vietnam is really a very affordable place to visit.

My second most important money tip would be, do not pay in USD. Many blogs, tour groups and travel companies will tell you to pay using USD. And they’re not wrong, you can- maybe stores in the Old Quarter will accept dollars, but you are going to be massively ripped off with the exchange rate. Cash is still King in Vietnam; not everywhere will accept card, but using American dollars is a sure fire way to lose money.

The Food

Vietnamese is my favourite cuisine of all time. There is such a range of healthy, fresh and delicious food, and it’s always at a very affordable price. I would say that street food is always better than restaurants! 

If you’re staying around the Old Quarter, there are some great famous spots you can try out, such as Bun Cha Nem at 6 Ngo Tram Street, Bun Cha Huong Lien 2 Obama (the one that Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate at), Banh Mi 25 & Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su. 

My favourite dishes are:

  • Pho bo tai lan- flash fried steak noodle soup
  • Bun cha- pork patties and belly in a fish sauce broth with fresh herbs and rice noodles, sometimes with spring rolls as an add on!
  • Bun bo hue- a spicy soup noodle dish originating from the old capital of Hue
  • Ca phe trung- Vietnamese egg coffee
  • Banh bao- a giant bao with spring roll-like filling, and two quail eggs!
  • Pho dat biet- ‘house special’ beef pho, with many different cuts of beef

If you’re not so adventurous, and want some safer options, you can try:

  • Pho ga- chicken noodle soup
  • Nem nuong- spring rolls 
  • Pho xao- wok fried noodles (bo means it’s with beef)
  • Banh mi – French baguette sandwich (trung is with egg, pa te is with a pork pate and xuc xich is with sausage)

Culture & Language

To be honest, even when living in Hanoi, I struggled with language. If you try and learn Vietnamese online, best of luck, the Vietnamese that they teach you on the apps is South Vietnamese- not what they speak in Hanoi!

In all actuality, even though many locals don’t speak English, they are more than happy to help, or try to understand what you are trying to say. So long as you are polite and don’t get frustrated, you’ll be fine. And also, saying ‘me oi’ is a good way to get people’s attention.

I hope these tips will help those planning on going on a short trip to Hanoi- maybe it’s your first time, or maybe you don’t want to feel like a tourist anymore! 

Health Myths Debunked

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  I don’t claim to be a health specialist, nor a doctor, nutritionist, or even one of the healthiest people around. However, due to the nature of my work, and having had a bit of a health scare before, I’ve embarked on a journey of trying to be a healthier person, who eats better, exercises more, and tries to educate herself on these topics. Through my research I’ve found that there is a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to health (hello TikTok pretending that lemon water cures all ailments). So, I thought I would debunk a few of these myths.

Myth: You Should Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day

While drinking water is of course in no ways bad, as it helps with hydrating your body, prevents gallstones and is good for your skin, the idea of drinking 8 glasses a day is not scientifically supported. If you think about it logically, we don’t just get water and hydration from drinking plain water. Many fruits, vegetables and of course other drinks provide our bodies with the hydration it needs. So how do we know how much water to drink? Well, every individual is different, so simply drinking water when you feel thirsty is sufficient.

Myth: MSG Causes Cancer

This myth is actually fraught with racist stereotypes. Known as ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome’, many people reported feeling sluggish and unwell after eating food that contained MSG, and the public were led to believe that this ingredient was unhealthy, higher in sodium than normal salt, and even contained carcinogens. Research has found that the vast majority of people, even those claiming a sensitivity to MSG, don’t have any reaction when they don’t know they are eating it. Essentially, this myth was created out of people’s fear of ‘exotic food’. In actuality, unlike regular table salt, which is 40% sodium, MSG contains only 12% sodium, and is safe to eat- free from carcinogens.

Myth: Microwaves Zap Nutrients Out of Food

Another myth that has no scientific backing, many people believe that cooking with microwaves is a bad cooking method. While cooking microwavable TV dinners, I agree, has little to no nutritional value, using your microwave to heat up leftovers, or even steaming veggies, does not decrease the nutritional value. In fact, microwave cooking is actually a better way to retain vitamins and minerals as compared to other cooking methods, due to the fact that lesser nutrients are lost from shorter heat exposure, and the minimal amount of liquid needed for microwaving food simply stops nutrients from leaking out.

Myth: Diet Pills Don’t Make You Lose Weight

There are a lot of miracle products on the market. I admit that most don’t work, but unfortunately, many work so well, that they have lasting consequences. These fat burning pills can decrease your appetite, or speed up your metabolism, causing you to lose weight. The problem is that once you stop, all the weight will go back on, or even worse, you can end up heavier than when you started. This leads to a dependency on these products, and can cause nasty side effects, such as rapid heart rate and higher blood pressure. It’s best to just avoid these pills as a whole.

A funny thing to note is even these ‘natural’ pills have horrid side effects. I used to frequently take Sena tablets to help control my weight, but as soon as I stopped taking them, I had constant constipation and abdominal pain, to the point where it was difficult to move comfortably.

Myth: Drinking Through a Straw Stops Food Staining Your Teeth

Regrettably, drinking coffee through a straw doesn’t prevent coffee from staining your teeth. The only thing that will stop staining is not having a prolonged contact with coloured food, rinsing your mouth frequently and not drinking an excessive amount of tea and coffee.

There are so many more myths I stumbled upon, but that’s for another article! What are some health myths you’ve debunked?

Best Hawkers For Expats…Part Two!

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It’s back! Another list of hawkers that expats might not know about, but should! I got a bit of backlash from my first post so, just to reiterate…this is not a list containing all the well-known expat locations like Newton or Lau Pa Sat; I am not writing about these because a) everyone already knows about them b) I sometimes think they’re a bit overpriced.

If you’ve tried my previous list and are looking for more suggestions then please read on!

Old Airport Road

Must Try: Curry Chicken Noodles

To be honest, I don’t know why this wasn’t in my first list. Old Airport Road is great; it has such a wide selection and it is huge- there’s something for everyone. The chicken rice there is great, the curry chicken noodles are delicious and there is an abundance of beer, what more could you ask for!

Chom Chom

Must Try: Stingray, Carrot Cake

This made the honourable mentions list last time but I went back recently and tried pretty much everything there! The food there is very reasonably priced and it is your one-stop-shop for all Singaporean food. The feast I had contained satay, chicken wings, black and white carrot cake, stingray, rice and kangkong. Can I just say that the portions are huge so be careful when ordering! I definitely over-ordered!

Seah Im Food Centre

Must Try: Boat Noodles

This hawker centre is a short walk away from Vivocity. It’s incredibly underrated and is great after a long day at Sentosa. During the day a lot more stalls are open than at night, but no matter what time of day you go I would highly recommend the Thai stall that sells beef boat noodle soup; it’s spicy, flavourful, comes with or without beef stomach (I personally like it with) and you get a good bowl for a cheap price! There are many stalls to choose from, so if you’re not particularly in the mood for Thai you can always grab something else.

Golden Mile Tower

Must Try: Leng Saap

Speaking of Thai food, next to the very famous Golden Mile Complex is Golden Mile Tower. In the basement there is lots of great food, notably leng saap, or pork spine soup. This soup is not for the faint of heart; imagine a vast bowl filled with spicy coriander soup, and protruding out the top, massive pork spines where the meat falls off the bone. You can choose your size and spiciness level, and the soup is usually refillable. The meat that comes off the pork spine is so juicy and tender, it’s making my mouth water just typing about it!

Eunos Crescent Market and Food Centre

Must Try: Yong Tau Foo, Indian Rojak

Right next to Eunos MRT Station, this hawker is packed full of choices. It may seem small, but each stall as something different. I also think that, because it’s not very well known by expats, it tends to be more reasonably priced. The satay here is great, and you can get hand pulled noodles at the ban mien stall. Behind the first set of hawkers is another, mostly specialising in Chinese and Hong Kong cuisine. Here I recommend relaxing with a beer and trying the Mala Xiang Guo. When I don’t know what to eat, my go-to is either the Indian rojak stall, or the Yong Tau Foo with laksa gravy.

So there you have it, another 5 great places to eat around Singapore. I hope this list has got your mouth watering enough to go and try all my latest top picks! Which hawker is your favourite?

Best Hawkers For Expats!

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  When the conversation of coffee shops come up around expats come up, Newton is ALWAYS mentioned. It’s the one in Crazy Rich Asians, it’s the one where people try sting ray for the first time, but it’s pretty touristy and they jack the prices up. So, I’ve come up with a list of my favourite hawkers across Singapore, and what my favourite food is from those places.

Maxwell

Best Things To Eat: Chicken Rice, Shanghai Dumplings

  This is my favourite hawker in the whole of Singapore; the food is so delicious and very reasonably priced. My top picks for food would be the chicken rice; there’s a lot of famous chicken rice stalls at Maxwell and they’re all so tasty. But my absolute top pick for food here is the Shanghai dumplings; they’re incredibly juicy and soft. And, the beer is cheap!

Bedok Food Centre

Best Things To Eat: Mala Xiang Guo

  I don’t know why people don’t talk more about this hawker- it’s MASSIVE and there are so many amazing and delicious things to try here. It gets very busy on the weekends to make sure to bring some tissues to chope your table! The mala xiang guo is very fresh and yummy and incredibly reasonably priced; I often find mala to be quite expensive if you’re eating for 1, but this only costs $5!

East Coast Park

Best Things To Eat: Satay

 Of course I was going to put this on the list- there are so many fantastic foods to try. I love the stingray, the carrot cake, the fried rice but especially the satay. People say that Lau Pa Sat has the best satay but I disagree- East Coast Park takes the gold. What’s more, the beer is the best here- so cheap!

Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Best Things To Eat: Mee Jiang Kuah

 This is my favourite hawker in the north. It’s near where I used to live so during circuit breaker I would go there once a week just to treat myself and get myself out the house. I would highly recommend the mee jiang kuah; these fluffy pancakes come in many different flavours. I like the charcoal and peanut butter ones.

Satay By The Bay

Best Things To Eat: BBQ Sting Ray and Kang Kong

Even though the satay here is very popular I would also recommend their tze char, especially their stingray and kang kong. This hawker is a great place to go after a cycle around the Marina Bay area. It feels so rewarding chomping down on delicious food after a long day exercising!

Honourable Mentions: Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay Food Centre; Curry Fish Head at Zion; Hokkien Mee at Chom Chom

What are some of your favourite local Singapore delights?