"Autumn" cravings

20 November 2010: It's rainy and the temperature has somewhat dropped by a few degrees at night. That's Singapore's autumn.

Next week, K will leave for Japan for ten days(envy)while I continue working. He's actually heeding my advice to go to Nara (greater envy) with his gal. I miss Nara. One thing that I like to tell History majors is, "The remnants of the Tang dynasty are seen daily in the place where I used to stay..." - and then see their eyes broaden.

A. asked me what I thought his morning toast look like one day, suddenly. I answered "Kofun (ancient tomb)" and he said, "Right". Anyone who hasn't the experience of living in Nara would not have blurted that answer.

Especially in autumn, I occasionally have urges to eat some mochi. Strangely I thought of eating a sakura mochi in September this year -although the mood/season wasn't quite right. I managed to buy one which didn't taste bad (I wonder if that was because it was slightly more expensive than usual - at SGD2.80 for one?) I bought two and gave one to K. I'd thought he would puke and warned him that he'd need an acquired taste. Well psycho. prep did help. He enjoyed it, even chewing the leaf which I thought he would discard. Bravo! He passed the "Japanese cultural test" that I set before his trip.

I really had great warabi mochi when in Nara. Maybe soon I'll head to Takashimaya and grab some...

Hoi An's Three-Star

15 November 2010: This thi xa (rural town) has become a city. One of the most obvious transformations is that the price tag of everything is higher than that of a few years ago. While the cab fare from Danang Airport to Hoi An was about 180,000 dong four years ago, it's now 270,000 dong at least. The trip back from Hoi An to Danang is cheaper - about 240,000 dong on a squeaky clean car - which I booked at the hotel where I stayed.

As usual, I am not here as a tourist; I have been here at least seven times. The atmosphere is still pleasant to me but food, overall, doesn't excite me. There are several 'specialties' such as banh bao banh vac ('white rose') - like ha kao except for its tougher skin and its filling -which is pork. The dish is however given a leash of life thanks to the crispy browned shallot (hanh kho) and fish sauce (nuoc cham). It's not served with fresh herbs as one would expect in Vietnam, but these dumplings are aromatic on their own.

Another specialty is Cao Lau- thick flat noodle with shredded carrot, sometimes even cabbage,and bean sprouts topped with 'crouton-like' flat square pieces of deep-fried flour - all a quarter-immersed in soya-based gravy.

While food may be limited in choice, accomodation is not. For such a small place, Hoi An surprisingly offers quite a range of hotels to suit various budgets. For a few nights I went to the same hotel where I used to go. It's clean; it's like a mini-five star without the amenities. But there was a pesky mozzie which hovered around me at night this time because I dislike using mozzie-nets. Well, I didn't sleep well. So my hotel in Danang compensated me for my loss of sleep and my half-filled stomach...

I'll be back again, though.

Danang's Four-Star Hotel

9 November 2010: This time I am back in Vietnam for the longest period ever since leaving that country. My first stop is Central Vietnam.

Having been in Danang only twice in the past, one day each for the previous two trips -one five, and the other ten years ago, I can hardly recall its townscape. What I vaguely recall is that it's not a crowded and bustling city, hence many times less suffocating than the city in the south. The boulevard by the river is broad and easy for walks. The traffic is not maddening; its more accessible public spaces are peaceful and clean. People on the road generally are less aggressive, I think.

This is my first time staying at this hotel. When the door to my bedroom swung wide open, I liked my room immediately. When I look out the wide window, the view of the river is most comforting. Nevermind if its color is brown in the afternoon - since I am not in my room then most of the time.

The pacquet flooring and the space are impressive! Never anywhere in the south or central have I met with such spaciousness for a "standard" hotel room.

The restaurant draws few people at noon and in the evening. Its breakfast spread is average -but rye bread is good and so is My Quang - the noodle specialty of Central Vietnam. The only dish in the morning that is least appealing is the pho that they prepare when officials from the north come to stay. I brought with me my daily supply of coffee.

The Vietnamese papaya salad is my favourite choice at the restaurant. I ate it numerous times, and each time, the chef tried to decorate the dish differently, sometimes serving it in a fruit and other times, plated with two pieces of crispy and warm banh da (nem) studded with sesame. He would also carve the tomato like a rose or sometimes, simply cut and decorated around the plate.

The ASEAN teams were in town for two conferences and they put up in the hotel as well. I met some familiar faces and chatted.

I would rate this four-star higher in quality than some five-stars in the southern business capital. Laundry is reasonably priced and the airport is just ten minutes away. Since I am not in Danang for the beach, being by the river bank and enjoying the sight of the dark water surface stripped by neon from that TOSHIBA office across the river when the night drizzles, or admiring the hues of the morning sun dispersed among the clouds and mountains provides wonderful breaks from daily routine.