169 stories
The last full day in Saigon and the long trip home: a nickname for a new nephew, Mì Quảng, gỏi đu đủ khô bò and chè Thái, a gold shop full of American class rings, karaoke by the river, bánh mì and 25,000-dong bún chả cá, packing for Qatar, goodbyes at Tân Sơn Nhất, and an anniversary story told from a quiet corner of the Doha airport.
Back in Saigon for the last days of the trip: a Vietjet hop from Da Nang, dinner at Brick & Barrel in the rain, a morning walk along the Vàm Thuật, bún bò and a long wander through the alleys, an Italian sub from Big Boss Bistro, bún chả cá in Chợ Phạm Văn Hai, a new nephew, and roast duck and pork for dinner.
Our last day in Da Nang: the family off to An Lão at 4:30 am, coffee and noodles high on the Hải Vân Pass, the old fort at the summit, a Thai lunch in An Thượng, an $89 apartment with an infinity pool, one last family feast and the elders' memories of March 1965, chè and kem bơ with Fozzie, and a sunrise on the beach before the flight to Saigon.
Two days in Da Nang: a $20 visit to the pharmacist, our old An Thượng neighborhood then and now, a riverside seafood dinner at Moon Beer, a night walk on the Nguyễn Văn Trỗi and Trần Thị Lý bridges, an izakaya lunch at Umi, and a late afternoon on Mỹ Khê.
A fireworks night we could not get near, a last fitting for two summer suits in Hội An, Mì Quảng and cao lầu at Chợ Hội An, a herd of cattle on the highway, sunset over the Cổ Cò, a street-corner seafood feast at Năm Rảnh Quán, and the Dragon Bridge breathing fire and water.
A Saturday on the Sơn Trà peninsula: the Lady Buddha and Linh Ứng Pagoda, a secluded beach café and the fishing boats below the mountain, an obscene amount of seafood with Diem's brother by the Trần Thị Lý Bridge, plaster statues by the river, and a late feast on the floor with the family from An Lão.
A day in Hội An: cao lầu, bánh đập, hến and chè bắp by the water on Cẩm Nam, a basket boat traffic jam in the Cẩm Thanh water coconut forest, Bourdain's bánh mì at Phượng, the Japanese Covered Bridge at dusk, a fitting at the tailor, and an old woman selling wishes on the river.
A Thursday in Da Nang: an early walk past an old temple and the K20 resistance base, bánh xèo and bò kho at Bếp Ngon Việt, packed summer beaches, live seafood and giant mantis shrimp at Làng Cá, a Hoegaarden on China Beach under the Lady Buddha, and the Sơn Trà night market.
A near-midnight feast of chicken feet and quail balut, early-morning laps and a pot of cháo gà, coffee in the shadow of the Dragon Bridge where Diem and I had our first date, a morning at Chợ Cồn with mắm nêm, tương ớt and kem bơ, a new McDonald's, a Moonmilk snack run, and a seafood night at the house.
The 5 am van out of An Lão, sizzle plates of eggs and beef at Quán 69, Highway 1 and the bird's nest houses, the old neighborhood in Da Nang, a reunion with Fozzie, and a late lunch at Bếp của Ngoại.
Two more days in An Lão: a wet market in the early morning, a feast on the floor before 11 am, bánh xèo and balut on the back patio, an eight-course housewarming on the river, and grilled chicken in a garden under the palms.
The Constant Epicurean Ep. 204, The Distance Between Worlds. In this edition, we enjoy our last day in Saigon with family before pushing north to An Lao.
