NOT a food blog
It is unfortunate that a prelude to a wonderful travel destination be tarnished by an awful plane meal. On our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam, what was really nasi kerabu was passed off as fried rice by one of the flight attendants. But even after forgiving him of such an error, I thought it was unacceptable for MAS to serve tasteless food, more so when they bear our nation’s name, a name which boasts good food at every nook and corner (except in the skies, apparently). On our return journey, the fried rice resembled plain rice stir-fried with chilli paste to give it a red tinge. Oatbran and water is tastier. I suppose as far as MAS is concerned, cost-cutting equals removing 8 out of 10 ingredients in a meal.
A few significant thoughts crossed my mind during my stay in HCMC. Firstly, women in Áo dài on bicycles have excellent postures. There is a Notre Dame cathedral in the centre of the city; a hunchback would seriously stand out amidst these beautiful, well-postured women.
Moving on to other significant thoughts, take a look at the following picture:
This is a common sight in HCMC. Like the traffic, even the phone lines are chaotic. I wonder if they ever have crosslines.
Ancestor worship is prevalent in Vietnam. In the outskirts, driving past vast areas of paddy fields, it is not an uncommon sight to see graves amidst the green fields. They believe that the spirits live among them and protect them.
The food is amazing.
The ubiquitous pho (rice noodles with meat slices in a clear broth), available at every corner, in fine dining restaurants and in dark, musty alleys where people squat on low stools to slurp up a bowl of hot piping noodles.
Vietnamese coffee doesn’t taste very different from our local coffee. The thick filtered coffee drips down on several spoonsful of condensed milk resulting in a cuppa that packs a punch. Kurang manis? Forget it. It won’t taste as good.
The Mekong River runs through China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
I was amazed at how strong the women were. But it’s a chicken and egg thing, isn’t it? Thrown into such circumstances of abject poverty, one has no choice but to make do and survive.
But they seem happy.
Food, for me, is a means to an end and not an end in itself.
Food, for me, represents the love of family, the fellowship of friends, and the community and communality it brings.
fatboybakes
November 13th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
as usual, a breeeeeeelliant post with fantastic pics… i’m booking my air asia trip to hcmc now!!!
Manggy
November 13th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
You’re right, those are the most poised bicycle riders I’ve ever seen. Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing.
(Kinda grossed out about the airplane rice, though… Eww)
twilight
November 13th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
I love all your photos. Makes your blog so alive and good.
J2Kfm
November 13th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
wei! the pho really that good? compared to the ones mocked-til-death here leh?
wonder Hanoi or HCMC is a better choice. hmmm ….
Dharm
November 13th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Welcome back! Lovely post and great pics that capture the essence of HCMC. We went there too sometime last year and it was great!
thenomadgourmand
November 13th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
realllyyyy amazing pics.. wish i know how to combine my pics into the ones like yours too..almost like a painting!
Jojo
November 13th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Woohoo~ I also want holidays~
How come my life is constantly moving on from exam to examS!!! meaning more exams is on its way, 2 wks in exact *sob*
Nice pics btw. I agree on the Vietnamese Ladies’ posture. And one more, very long hair~ 😉
Yi May
November 13th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
The food served on MAS is horrible. I recently returned from Bangkok (the flight there was switched to Thai Airways, because they cancelled the flight), the nasi goreng was horrible!
I couldnt eat it!
They should improve their food! Thai Airways have a tasty meal!
Precious Pea
November 14th, 2008 at 12:03 am
I actually gave up on my intention to visit either HCMC or Hanoi next year but I think I change my mind again. I wanna go try authentic Pho! But what are those spiky thing on the fish? Actually quite geli when i look at it. Ahhh…MAS food…i actually used a knife and stab (violently) on the bread in front of the stewardess during my last flight with them. It couldn’t even go through!!!!
Life for Beginners
November 14th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Crosslines? It looks like some giant cat had its way playing with all them phone cables! Yowsers!
But I’m with FBB on this one again: A most excellent post. Now you’ve got me worried about my posture and I don’t even ride a bicycle around our city. (If I did, I’d prolly be run over in two minutes or less! 😛 )
hel
November 14th, 2008 at 3:15 am
I don’t think that’s pho — the noodles are wrong. Pho noodles are flat, those lool like bun noodles. Possibly you had a different noodle soup. And Hanoi and Saigon pho taste different. Hanoi pho is better, a more meaty, less sweet, broth. But yes, great pics.
backstreetgluttons
November 14th, 2008 at 7:58 am
vietnam in the buff is for real and eating like them is one of our best experiences, scales and all . We have never forgotten Saigon for its unending bars and pubs
lotsofcravings
November 14th, 2008 at 9:07 am
hahah and we scream and tear our hair with our streamyx..
i pity the telephone lines..
a very good visual summary..definitely another place to not forgo..
will keep in mind with the MAS food though, didnt know they drop standard SO MUCH, then again, its been last nov/dec since i sat MAS>.
keropokman
November 14th, 2008 at 9:50 am
The fish looks interesting. What are those prickly stuff?
Looking at the photos, I know what I want for lunch today.
the last photo, the R and the A is a bit far apart, my first glance i read it as something else! LOL… was wondering what is lemongr :-p then oh……
Live2Talk
November 14th, 2008 at 10:26 am
i heard the traffic there is a total MESS and CHAOTIC! Did you manage to cross the road safely?
Barbie
November 14th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Fantastic photos as usual, woman. I like the first photo, u took from plane ah? Glad you had a good time.
rioj
November 14th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Yeh, agreed , the picture where it’s supposedly Pho is not Pho afterall. I was expecting more… you shold try the Vietnamese buffet inside Parkson HCMC. Costs only about RM30.
Henry Yeo
November 15th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Oh wow!!! your very own namesake restaurant.
Did you buy the whole thing while you there?
kat
November 15th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Un-pho-gettable, thats what you are
Un-pho-gettable though near or far
Like a song of love that clings to me
How the thought of you does things to me
Never before has someone been more
I remember my first cup of Vietnamese coffee here. Reminded me so much of home. All that was missing was the hardboiled egg and kaya toast.
mareza
November 15th, 2008 at 8:39 am
we were in vietnam for 18 days from Hanoi to Saigon and pho
has endless varieties but all yummy,that fish were serve to us in
mekong delta area on one of our homestay ,same as pad thai
had eaten it almost daily when we are in Thailand they are not the same.i am looking forward in dec for our trip Thailand,
Malaysia and Singapore, love to eat and taste everything
Paprika
November 15th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Beautiful pics! Such vibrant colours! Ah, I really miss pho. I thought the girls in their ao dai were very sexy. And those little old ladies carrying pots, noodles and bowls on a bamboo post over their shoulder was very humbling. I’m surprised at how bad the in flight meal was. The local stuff is usually passable. This sounds terrible! Oh well, at least you got to a place where food is to die for!!
cumidanciki
November 15th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
amazing shots! love the crossed phone lines one and the lady with the peace sign:D oh.. and of course your namesake.. lemongrass restaurant.. hehe
terri
November 15th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
hi, r u still there? don’t 4get to get some cotton bedsheets & tablecloths–handmade & beautiful. i haven’t been to hcmc, so i will be checking this site everyday to make up for it. play nice n play safe now:)
jason
November 15th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
The electric cables – BKK has the same pattern too!
Btw, what’s that “armored” piranha look-alike fish?
wokandspoon
November 15th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Love the title to the post! The photos make me want to visit Vietnam.
tracy
November 15th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Wonderful pictures!
I miss Vietnam alot. We just don’t get the same variety of Vietnamese food in Canada.
I hope to go back to Vietnam in April.
ling239
November 15th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
hmm… they served the fish in up right postion, how interesting! ^_^
tigerfish
November 16th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
What da fish is that? :O
Debbie
November 16th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Yesss what on earth is that scary-looking fish? Is it edible?
550ml jar of faith
November 16th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Champion post! Those phone lines are just mad! What’s that fish encrusted with? Nuts?
Jian
November 16th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
The Vietnamese lady on the bike shot looks very lovely. Did you try the translucent Vietnam kueh with bean fillings? Sedap~
OMG O.o that fish is edible?? Ekks! Just by looking at the fish it gives me a filling that I will be chewing a bucket of nails :S
daphne
November 16th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
oo..give me that pho anytime..and the coffee!!!
HairyBerry
November 17th, 2008 at 9:15 am
it’s quite evident that you really did enjoy your HCMC experience. what’s more with that great contrasting write-up of the horrible MAS food.
i’ve been a MAS in-flight meal fan (crazy, right? haha!) ever since i had their nasi lemak with sambal udang a few years back. but in the last 2 years, my gawd! no wonder i start to appreciate Quaker kosong…sigh…
Lyrical Lemongrass
November 17th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
To all, thanks for your feedback. In response to a lot of questions on the fish, it’s a tilapia, and the pointy things on the body are the scales. The fish is deep fried and yes, served upright. The flesh was broken off and incorporated into rice rolls made with rice paper, taugeh, tamarind sauce and fish. Very delicious.
Jun
November 17th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
MAS never served local fried rice/nasi kerabu/nasi lemak during my pre-clinical years, when i used to fly with them so loyally. hrrrmpph. i get much more decent food on SIA and Qantas -__-
so, did u go to halong bay?? 😀
sc
November 17th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
reading your post makes me miss HCMC so much! gosh and it’s exactly 1 year since i was there! hey, i know that fish 🙂 it’s served at the trip to mekong river and the island (ben tho?) that makes coconut candy. miss the pho.. :(. oh, and when i first saw the graves in HCMC, i thought it was small family temples! silly me huh? :p
hazza
November 17th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I have head so much about pho bo but never tried. I wouldnt want to try a westernised version here in case it prejudices my opinion of what I am sure is a great dish in its native country.
coolca
November 17th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
hi, impressive photo… looks like you ain’t just know how to catch good food 🙂
wahdi
November 18th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
wow! nice pics! luv them!
Selba
November 20th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Love vietnamese food! so yummy….
Camemberu
November 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Gorgeous photos, as usual! 🙂 I love Vietnam and its food.
Those scales on the tilapia look super crispy!
Shilpa
December 14th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Hey gal, sorry for not visiting sooner! Wow, that tilapia definitely seems to have been through hell to get its scales curled inwards like that, hahaha!!! Wow, envy envy, ‘cos I have been dying to go to Vietnam for ages, just need company for it! 🙂