DA NANG
Da Nang is a coastal city with beautiful beaches and a nice vibe. It's really different from Saigon or Hanoi and the food here is just amazing.
The city is right next to the beaches My An and My Khe which are famous surf spots. There are lots of nice beach bars along the promenade. You don't need to go far to find beautiful nature. Come to Son Tra Peninsula to discover Linh Ung Pagoda and Ghenh Bang Viewpoint. It's amazing to drive there by motorbike! Same to Hai Van Pass, Vietnam's highest mountain pass that leads from Da Nang to Hue.
Other day trips from Da Nang might be My Son Sanctuary or the Golden Bridge, but there is also a lot to discover in the city like the Dragon Bridge, Son Tra Nightmarket, lots of delicious local foods and nice coffeeshops.
I recommend you not to miss out on Da Nang as I love the vibe of the city! You can easily combine it with your way up North to Hue (Hai Van Pass) or down South to Hoi An. If you want to take the train (Vietnam Railways) you can go from Da Nang to Hue or the other way round. This part of the route between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi is supposed to be the most beautiful one.
Food & Coffee
You'll find it all in Da Nang: local streetfood, seafood, fancy restaurants and vegan soulfood which makes it so hard to decide.
The most famous local dishes are Mi Quang (Yellow Noodles) and Bun Mam (Fermented Fish Noodle Soup). A famous dessert is Coconut Jelly (Rau Cau Trai Dua) which is made of jelly and coconut cream. It's refreshing and vegan!
Chickpea Eatery
This place fascinated me when I first went there in Hoi An. I found out later that they also have a restaurant in Da Nang, where their journey started.
When I first came to Chickpea Eatery and read about their story, it touched my heart and I could feel the love they put in everything they do. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing dreams coming true and I'm really happy about what they are achieving together.
You can try vegetarian versions of local dishes from Central Vietnam and get some inspirations for your own dreams here.
You can also do cooking classes there.
"Về nhà có cơm."
This is what I've realized in Chickpea Eatery after a very tiring day.
I was reading their menu when I was so hungry because I had no time to eat for the whole day.
They mentioned a famous Vietnamese saying "Về nhà có cơm." which literally means "Come home and have rice."
It means to remember that we have a home where there is food waiting for us, encourage us to come home and to appreciate for what we have.
I felt the meaning when I went to the restaurant. It's like coming home and eating your mum's food which is always delicious because we grew up eating it.
I love my mum's food but since I came to Vietnam, I feel like I've eaten Vietnamese food for my whole life already. It feels so familiar to eat it and I usually eat it every day. Maybe it is because my mum uses to cook healthy with a lot of veggies and herbs.
In Vietnam, people take time for cooking and eating, the quality of food is usually very important to them and they normally go to the market to buy fresh ingredients. This is something we lost in Western countries because everything needs to be quick. Did you know that a traditional pho soup needs to be cooked for at least six hours?
So take your time for cooking and eating and appreciate for what you have.
Having healthy, safe and nutritious food makes you very wealthy already. :)