Asia travel expert, Kate Herz, saddles up and explores Vietnam’s foodie scene like the locals, on the back of a vintage Vespa.
FOODIE
VIETNAMESE VIA VESPA Saigon is Vietnam’s biggest city with ten million residents, a frenetic hub of culture, history and business. Grand, French colonial governmental buildings and cathedrals sit alongside ornate Buddhist temples and towering silver skyscrapers. The Saigon River winds its way through this melting pot whilst thousands of scooters pack the streets, pedestrians calmly crossing the roads as they allow the traffic to move around them like flowing water around rocks. In 1975, the city was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City, but Saigon has stuck. One of the best ways to get to know a city like Saigon is through its food. Discovering local cuisine reveals the history and heritage of a place, provides an opportunity to meet residents and, aside from all that, is a delicious way to spend an afternoon. And what better way to get under the skin of the city than by travelling as the Saigonese do? This is how I found myself on the back of a vintage Vespa scooter about to experience Saigon’s street food scene. French fancies Our first stop was District 4, where the Saigon Port is located. Canals surround this little island district and it’s here that the French background to the city becomes apparent, as we are offered popular local dishes such as snails and frog legs (“better than chicken!” we’re told). Snails are very popular in Saigon, especially in District 4, and are often cooked with coconut milk. Other seafood to taste in this district include baked clams, crab claws covered in mounds of chilli, and scallops 70
Arrivals
Above. Bánh xèo, savoury rice pancakes filled with pork and prawns. Left. The blend of old and new that merge together in Saigon, Vietnam’s largest city. Right. Phở, or noodle soup, Vietnam’s most famous dish.
