Eating in Đà Lạt

While the aroma of street foods at the Đà Lạt night market may entice you to spend your entire evening there, don’t.  Save your appetite as we’ve got some must visit restaurants to try in Đà Lạt.  We use the term restaurant loosely–restaurants in Vietnam are not the typical Western style restaurants–often they’re the bottom floor of someone’s home where the owners lives directly above on the upper levels of the home.

The first spot, Bánh Xèo Bà Chi specializes in central style banh xeo. Unlike it’s southern counter part, central banh xeo are  much smaller, almost deep fried, and as a result, much more crispy.  To get here, you have to go through a small alley way and enter through the kitchen.

Yes, you walk right past the grand daughter cooking banh xeo to order and the matriarch, Bà Chi herself, deep frying chả giò to a prefect crisp and golden consistency.  This family restaurant has been in business for years and well known among locals.

Walk thruough to the living room and grab a table.  Order several platefuls of banh xeo (only $1 each!) and plate of  chả giò (both come with all the vegatble and herb fixings) and you’ll be all the more happy for it.   Visit Bánh Xèo Bà Chi at 43B,  3 tháng 2 hẻm thủy tiên.

Across town near the old French quarter is Phúc Nguyên, a restaurant specializing in goat 7 ways de 7 món. Similar to the famous beef 7 ways, de 7 món is a very popular and festive meal in Vietnam for special occasions.  The best goats in Vietnam are found in the mountainous region of Ninh Binh in Northern Vietnam and but also in Đà Lạt with it’s hilly mountain sides. You can order specific items from the 7 courses of goat and not obligated to order all 7 courses, but if you did, it won’t set you back much at all as most dishes are around $5. Steamed de hấp and grilled de nướng (above) is was fantastic without any significant gaminess.

The best way to enjoy these meats is top with some citrus-y herbs on bánh đa rice cracker with touch of of pungent sauce of shrimp paste, pickled garlic, slivers of lemongrass, chile and lime. Or you can wrap these meats in rice paper as well.

The goat hot pot, lẩu de, is a gamey and dark broth of  made goat knuckles and long bones, with chunks of  fall of the bone meat and tendon .  It comes with the requisite plateful of herbs vegetables and varietal of noodles and eggs to lighten the dish.

The owner is actually an Indian immigrant to Vietnam decades ago and specializes in curried goat cà ri de and sauteed turmeric  de xào lăn.  Both are stand outs, rich in flavor standing up to the goat meat.

Make sure you go early in the evening as this place tends to get packed with large groups of families and friends ready to celebrate and enjoy a great evening of food and camraderie.  Phúc Nguyên 32Trần Hưng Đạo. 

Source: Theravenouscouple

Dau Tieng lake

Dau Tieng lake is the largest irrigation reservoir in Vietnam with a capacity of 1.6 billion cubic meters and it is also a frequent place for sightseers due to its beautiful landscape of mountains, mysterious islets and pure atmosphere. Moreover, the lake has crystal like, clean water and on sunny days, it's water reflects the blue color of the sky.

The Lake is located in Phuoc Minh Commune, Duong Minh Chau District, Tay Ninh Province's.

Stretching along the lake is the Cau Mountain and a primeval forest and scattered here and there in the lake are small islets. Its bank with its green grass coverage could be an ideal place for camping and picnic, visitors in Vietnam travel coming there could go fishing or watching the locals catch fish in the lake.

Cau Mountain has a height of 198 meters with a diverse floristic composition and protective forest extending to 1,600 hectares. At the top of Cau mountain is Thai Son Pagoda, which attracts a lot of pilgrims in the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Not far from Cau Mountain in the rubber plantation is Cau Nom Lake, which has very pure and clean water with fresh air and tranquilizing atmosphere. There is also Tha La peninsula with an area of 57ha next to the lake. On the peninsula, local people often grow many tropical fruit trees such as longan and mango,etc.

Binh An Tourist Resort in Soc Trang

Binh An Tourist Resort is supposed to resemble Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City. When coming here, tourists in Vietnam travel get the chance to join many recreation and entertainment activities.

Situated at No. 71, Ward 2, Soc Trang Town, Soc Trang Province; by the Highway No. 1A, Binh An Tourist Resort resembles Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City, but in a smaller scale.

Coming here, tourists in Vietnam travel have opportunities to join many recreation and entertainment activities. The tree-lined road system, the network of swimming pools, fishponds and other facilities are well arranged. That is the reason why this resort is suitable to tourists, with their different tastes and hobbies.

Behind the gate lies a man-made mountain 30 to 40 meters high. Atop the mountain stands a big statue of Avalokitesvara. At the foot of the mountain there are fishponds and paths. Inside the mountain is a mini hotel. Next to the mountain stands a two-storey villa built in the mixed Russian and Chinese architectural style, where wedding ceremonies, parties or banquets can be held.

The Binh An Tourist Resort has stirred up the atmosphere of a peaceful town imbued with Khmer cultural identity in Soc Trang, a province of the western part of south Vietnam.

Ecstatic with Dai Loc Girdle - Cake

Girdle-cake is not only thin, flexible but also aromatic and attractive anyone enjoying.

Coming to Quang Nam, when mentioning girdle-cake, everyone adverts Dai Loc girdle-cake.  These big round and smooth white girdle-cakes are made from rice creating an unique flavor and always attractive anyone who enjoys. Coming to Quang Nam, when mentioning to girdle-cake, everyone advert Dai Loc girdle-cake.  These big round and smooth white girdle-cakes are made from rice and create a unique flavor, and attractive anyone who enjoys. Dai Loc district is located in the northern of Quang Nam province. Almost people's lives are here associated with agriculture. In addition to sericulture, weaving, knitting…the profession of making girdle-cake in Dai Loc also had a long-standing brand in the market. If having chances to go through Quang Nam land, you should visit some famous villages for making this cake, and have the opportunity to witness the diligence, skill of the famers when making delicious ones and providing them inside and outside the province. In addition to the sweet girdle-cake, sesame girdle-cake, coconut girdle-cake….here mainly makes stuffed pancake.  Girdle-cake Dai Loc has a unique flavor in comparison with popular ones in Quang land, particularly indispensable in the trays of the Tet holiday or other feasts… When being away from the home, whenever wanting to enjoy girdle-cake,  Quang Nam people must find and buy a few from the market immediately. Also having vegetables, seasoning sauce, pork, but everything seems less delicious because it is lack of the fragrant smell of new rice and crispness. To have delicious ones, it requires maker to be skilled in the preparation of ingredients as well as manipulate to coat cake on the stove. After washing rice, you must soak it thoroughly and constantly in two days, then decorticate finely. Mixing flour is also very important. You have to mix it carefully to be smooth, and just enough water so that the flour mixture is not too liquid or too solid, affecting to the quality of cakes.

Admire Million - Dollar Castle Restaurant in SaiGon

Located a little slanted toward the west of Semicircle lake (district 7) and near Anh Sao bridge pier, Cham Charm castle is prominent with the architecture imitating majestic and splendid Ankor Wat temple.

The shade of splendid Cham Charm Castle is onSemicircle lake  The first impression about the restaurant is the pure white color of a splendid castle that is prominent with 4-metre-high stairs going along two rows of trees. When the door closes, the space inside the restaurant is like the palace of a Cham pa King, especially the bricks that are alternated in the walls are covered by mysterious red light. Furthermore, it also decorated with a range of stone column in My Son, terra-cotta idol, Linga statue, old relics, sculpture statue… Warm light of light system make every corner, every floor…mysterious, exquisite and luxurious. Cham Charm has an area of 5,000 square meters, so it can hold 600 customers. The space of restaurant is divided into 3 areas. The upstairs is for customers to enjoy grill dishes in a large and romantic space. The ground-floor has many private rooms that are for VIPs who need a quiet space. The restaurant is also known as the first cuisine gallery of Asia with more than 1,300 kinds of wine all over the world. Let`s enjoy these nice pictures of splendid castle restaurant: