5 Absolute Must Eat in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

If there is anyone out there should trust on food recommendations, it's the Malaysians. We have extremely complex taste buds because we practically have and eat all sorts of cuisines in our homeland. Spicy sweet sour, korean, japanese, western, whatever, we have had it all and we love it all. 

With help from Mark Weins and his blog, I went to Ho Chi Minh with my sister last October, and might I say, Vietnam is really an amazing place to go for food. Though we didn't get to eat every single thing on the list, I left Ho Chi Minh really satisfied with what I did eat. No regrets!

1. Bahn Mi

Huynh Hoa Bahn Mi |  26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Bahn Mi is basically a french baguette stuffed with assorted meat and picked vegetables. Though it sounds really simple, you won't be able to stop munching on it. The vegetables are super fresh, and the meat is moist and oh so savoury. Some Bahn Mi-s have slices of fiery chili in them, so don't be surprised when you bite into one! The star however, is the bread. It's fluffy, but crunchy on the outside, I almost wanted to buy a bag of it home! I even think that they do it better than ones you find in France, but I love the French, so I'm just going to say it's the Viet's twist on a traditional Baguette. A Vieguette. 

Bahn Mi Hong Hoa | 62 Nguyen Van Trang

Huynh Hoa Bahn Mi

Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Open hours: 3:30 pm – midnight, daily

Price: 30,000 VND 

Comments: This Bahn Mi is a little more frenchy than I expected. It smothered with pâté and slices of ham. Tastes more of western flavours with a slight hint of pickly dressing. It is pricy compared to the other stall, yes. But considering the amount of meat they're giving, I can't complain. Because this store is doing so well, they're not begging for your business. But hey, nothing comes between me and my food!

Bahn Mi Hong Hoa

Address: 62 Nguyen Van Trang

Open hours: Morning till late afternoon

Price: 17,000 VND 

Comments: Succulent porky porky madness! I swear the pigs in Vietnam are different. They must be happy pigs because pork there is so tender and juicy! The skin is crisp and salty, oh and, the baguette soaks up all that porky juices too. Topped with some fresh cilantro and simple pickle vegetables, large slices of fiery green chilli, it's guaranteed to satisfy. I actually prefer this store better, because the taste is more complex, it's meaty, a bit sour, sweet and fresh. Plus, it's a bang for your buck.

2. Bun Mam

Bun Mam Phan Boi Chau | 22 Phan Boi Chau

Bun Mam is probably one of the most interesting soup noodles I have ever had in my life. When eating it, my sister and I were having trouble trying to pinpoint any dish we know that tastes like it. It's kind of like a seafood laksa. (Laksa is a Malay-Chinese spicy/sour soup noodle) The laksa aspect comes from the texture of the noodles, which were white rice noodles that were bouncy and stringy. I was trying very hard not splatter drops of soup on my clothes every time i picked up my noodles. The broth was a complex mix of fish sauce, seafood broth, but it had a depth of flavour that will make you go back again and again!

Bún Mắm Phan Bội Châu
Address: 22 Phan Bội Châu, it’s literally located right across the street from Ben Thanh market
Open hours: 6 am – 7 pm daily. I was there for dinner and it was still open!

Price: 65,000 VND per bowl

3. Beef Noodles (Pho)

Pho Thanh Phuc

To be very honest with you, we stumbled upon this pho place by accident. We were actually our looking for a famous Banh Canh Cua (crab noodles) but unfortunately the store was closed! It was breakfast time, we were hungry, so we walked down the street to find a big PHO signboard smacked right in front of our faces. There were many people in the store, so we decided to give it a go and it was amazing. 

If you're looking for simple Pho done well, it's here. There's no wait, the noodles come springy inside an almost clear broth, topped with crunchy onions and sided with a plate of fresh vegetables which amounts to more than my regular daily intake of vegetables. The broth isn't heavy, in fact, it's refreshingly light with no lacking of beefy flavour. My sister who is usually a light eater, ate the last portion without even warning me!

Pho Thanh Phuc
Address: Along the corner of Trần Khắc Chân, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Open hours: Morning till 3pm

Prices: 30,000 VND

4. Egg Pancake (Bánh Xèo)

Banh Xeo | 46 Dinh Cong Trang

It seems as if everywhere you go, there will always be pancakes. In Saigon, it's made of mostly egg, some meat and prawns, topped with a fresh serving of bean sprouts. It is possibly the most crispy egg pancake you'll have in your life. Some say the secret is the coconut milk in the mix, but who knows? I just wan't to eat it!

Address: 46 Đinh Công Tráng, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 9 am – 9 pm daily

Prices: (BIG) 110,000 VND

5. Ốp la (your personal pan breakfast)

Hoa Ma | 53 Cao Thang

After eating this, you would agree that personal pan breakfast will trump personal pan pizza anytime. Op La, is essentially ham, pork and onions nestled in a bed on eggs. Served hot on top of a small steel pan, used to cook whatever's in it to perfection. Perfection meaning, lovely golden oozing egg yolks. Oh, some bread by the side too, cause something has to soak up those egg yolks right? I don't have to describe Op La's taste to you, because I'm sure you know, this is comfort food.

Hòa Mã
Address: 53 Cao Thắng, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Open hours: 7 am – 10 am

Prices: 30,000 - 40,000 VND


IF YOU'RE NOT TIGHT ON TIME...

Pizza 4Ps

Missing western food? Pizza 4Ps does a good job satisfying those cravings with authentic pizza. Flavors are spot on, with a variety to choose from! Did i mention the price is reasonable too?

Address :  8/15 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours : 10am - 11pm / 7 days a week

Bun Bo Hue

I ate so much noodles in Saigon that I really found it hard to tell each apart. Bun Bo Hue, to me was similar to Bun Mam, just a milder version. Still tastes great, but if you're pressed for time, you can give this one a miss.

Address: 300 Võ Văn Tần, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 6 am – 10 pm daily


Price: 60,000 VND

Bánh Canh Cua Trần Khắc Chân

I eat a lot of this back home, and to my surprise, the ones at home really does taste as good at the original ones in Saigon! If you're new to vietnamese food, this is a dish that belongs on the top of this posting. It is vermicelli noodles mixed with vegetables, topped with pork, nut and spring rolls. What binds it all together is it's sauce, which tastes a little bit fishy, sweet, sour, but yet mild. Pour the sauce in and mix it all together, and it makes and tastes perfect sense. 

Address:87 Trần Khắc Chân, Ho Chi Minh City
Open hours: 2 pm – 9:30 pm daily

Prices: 35,000 VND


I really hope you enjoyed this posting on what I've tried in Saigon. Though I did not eat everything, rest assured, this list is legit, great, amazing food. 

Happy eating & traveling!

How to get around New York City via Subway

Everyone that has been to New York tells me that the taxi fares there are expensive. Coming from a country whose currency has to be multiplied by 4 to make 1 USD, I'd take their word for it.

There are several ways of getting around New York on the cheaps - bus, subway, walk. I didn't get a chance to experience taking the bus, but here are my tips on getting around New York via Subway in what little time I had there. 

How to read the New York Subway Map

You can download a copy of the map here. I printed this out and it was really useful to me there, but of course you can get one by asking a staff from any subway station. 

1. Understand is the station keys. 

Solid black dots - Local services only, which means only routes that state "local" will stop here. 

White dots - All routes will stop there. 

Solid black line - There will be a free subway transfer, within the subway itself, means it all underground. 

White line - The free transfer is outside the station, meaning you'd have to exit the station and go back in, but your metrocard won't be charged.

It's really easy to tell which line you need to take my pinpointing the station you want to go first, then you'll see the station alphabet stated on that station. For Example, Chambers St states 1,2,3 below it. That means these 3 routes will stop there. There are also Express routes, which mean they only stop on white dot stations, like orange route D in the map below. 

2. Know your bearings

Are you going North, South, East or West? Or rather, in the direction of the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens or Brookyln? There are 5 boroughs to New York City - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island. If you're at Grand st station, and you wanted to get to 36 St via line D,  go down the subway station and follow the directions of the signs that say "To Downtown & Brooklyn". If it was vice versa, just follow the directions of Uptown, Queens, The Bronx or Manhattan.

Photo credits : https://mrmac7.wordpress.com/2011/02/

3. Know the day & time of your travel

Some routes only run during the day, and some routes don't run on weekends. Some routes are changed at night, some only operate during rush hours. There are changes to the system all the time, so a better overall guide would be the check out their website on each line here. I tried not to take the subway too late at night for safety reasons, but normally if there was a certain route you wanted to take but was unavailable, it'd be clearly stated when you reach the track and there'd also be an indicator of which train you should take instead, otherwise you could ask the staff at the ticketing counter.

Metrocard & Fares

Photo credit : http://www.elinformador.net

If you're not going to be in New York for a long time and rather not buy a prepaid metrocard, a single ride ticket is 3 USD per trip. I was there for 2 weeks and that was adequate enough for me to get a metrocard. The cost of a metrocard is 1USD, and it charges 2.75USD per trip. When you top up anything more than 5.50USD, they automatically reload an additional 11% bonus to your card, call it a value add. You can top up your card at any subway station, their machines take both cash and credit cards. For additional info about unlimited ride tickets or reduced fare cards, check it out here.

Since the rate per trip is fixed no matter what distance you go, it's better to use the metrocard only when it's not a very walking friendly distance. And in New York, nearly everywhere is walking friendly. The best thing is New York City follows a grid system, where it's super easy to get your bearings right. Or if you'd like to try a little trick I found, if you look up and you see the empire state, it means you're going north. If you're walking towards the world trade center, it means you're going south. But since you probably can't see these 2 iconic buildings all the time shaded in the concrete jungles of the city, I'd guess this really isn't the best thing to bet on. 

I hope this post has helped you get a better idea of the NY subway system. Happy travels!

Bath in a Day

Bath's so lovely, I've just got to write this post to I can remind myself to go back!

Even in the winter with what little sunlight hours and waterfalls of rain the UK has, all their small towns still amaze me. Meet Bath, a world heritage site famous for its Roman Baths and historic atmosphere. Bath is just a stone throw east of Bristol, with just a 15 minutes train ride away at 4£ or less! 

Bath Abbey

Pulteney Bridge

Things to eat in Bath

Have you ever had fluffy homemade buns spread with love? Well I have! The place to go is Sally Lunn's. "The oldest house in Bath, since 1482", serving up the best bun type bread I have ever had. 

Sally Lunn's

A must try is their signature bun with milk caramel. Milk caramel is better known as Dulce de Leche from Argentina, but I've taste several and I find the ones they make here is the bomb. You can really taste the briny texture of the salt but it kicks you a step back to the beautiful caramelization of milk and sugar.  If they sold it at their shop, I would have bought 10 bottles back.

Sally Lunn's signature buns with milk caramel (dolce de leche)

You see it everywhere in England, and there are probably other places you've read about that claims that they have the best Cornish Pasty, but I've stumbled upon a shop that gives you quality pasties without queuing up in line! The shops name is Pasty Presto, and it's located just outside Bath Abbey. I'm just about sure many mass goers head there to pick up a pasty after morning service. Their traditional pasty is filled with minced beef, onions, turnips and potatoes. To me, its the best one to try if it's your first time trying one. 

Cornish Pasty @ Pasty Presto

At every town I go, I must find ice cream. Because I'm almost certain that locals everywhere will always have their go to spot for an ice cream fix. After some research and since everything is a few minutes walk away, there was The Real Italian Ice Cream Co.  They have many flavours but all are good and it's a matter of personal preference. The one I had was raspberry and it was amazing!!

Velvety smooth ice cream @ the real italian ice cream co.

Until next time fellow travel foodies!

My National Express experience

Having first time landing in a foreign land on my own, the first thing I had to do was find my way from London Heathrow to Bristol. There are multiple ways to do this, the train, the bus, and on foot (yeah, no.) 

Just take the train! Well normally that would be my first option but I decided not to do that because taking a train required me to take a tube east into London Town, change onto national rail and head back west to Bristol. The time taken on the tube from Heathrow to London Central is slightly less than an hour, so I figured I wanted to go with the fastest way possible, and that was by bus.

Bristol is actually only slightly over 2 hours west of London by bus, and after hours of research there are two options : Megabus & National Express. Megabus can be a lot cheaper at times but again, its bus stop is situated in London, and I just didn't want to go back and forth. So that left me with National Express which happens to have busses leaving directly from Heathrow.

I actually bought my ticket online before hand at £19. BUT, my flight landing was delayed due to air traffic and I arrived an hour later MISSING my bus. Fortunately, National Express has an office right outside its Heathrow bus stops and I managed to amend my ticket time for an extra £10. So in total, I paid the same price as on the spot tickets. 

National Express Ticket Office

National Express interior

Not long later my bus arrived and might I say, it was a very comfortable 2 hour ride. The bus was on time, if not early, driving at a constant speed. I could tell they probably train their drivers really well. They didn't have things like Wifi and sockets on every seat but compared to what I'm used to, it is a luxury. 

I've read some mixed reviews on National Express before. But hey, I'd say give it a go because it's value for money and convenient. 

Beautiful Bristol

I am really really excited to finally write this post about Bristol. I had this sudden urge to splurge and head to the other side of the world. Why Bristol? Well it's not really the first town you think about visiting when you think about UK, but everywhere in UK is beautiful really. And, because of my friends that were there, their company makes it all worth it. 

My Morning View

I stayed 30 minutes outside of Bristol City Centre called Langhill Ave. Even in the winter, the 5 hours of sunlight you get from 8am in the morning is a treasure.

How did I get around Bristol? 

Although ranked 6th for UK's most populated city, it actually doesn't have a tube system! But getting around was still convenient. I introduce to you...

TADAA! First group busses! My friends take this to classes everyday. You can buy most types of tickets on the bus itself. They do take cash (unlike London busses). A single journey will cost you £1 to most Bristol attractions but you can find more details about the rates here. There are also some saver tickets worth getting like Bristol Day and Bristol Week tickets. If you're a student, it'll definitely help you save a pound or two. The timetables are listed on the same website, but normally the frequency is every 10 minutes.

Things to see in Bristol

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Christmas steps

The Harbour view

St Nicholas Market

If you're ever thinking about travelling during Christmas time, Bristol's German Christmas Market is truly amazing. It's not too big, something you can't get lost in. But it's flooding with German beer, Hot dogs and fluffy doughnuts. It's located in Broadmead, in the very central of Bristol. 

Bristol's German Christmas Market

I really hope you do consider going to Bristol. I actually felt a more British vibe when in Bristol rather than in London. Until next time, Cheers love!

Universal Studios Osaka: Harry Potter Opening

I was really looking forward to Universal Osaka, more than Disneyland in fact. Why? Well for starters....

THEY HAVE HARRY POTTER LAND!

I was there when this new area was just opened, and to no surprise, the crowd was CRAZY. How crazy? Let's just say we went into the park at 10am, but the Harry Potter section was so crowded that they had to restrict access into the section by allocating time coupons from a machine. And we got.... the 6pm coupon. So we now had 8 hours to spare.

Fill up your time with all that mandatory selfies. I've been to Universal Singapore before this, and I find that Osaka tops it a lot more. Firstly, its the space. Universal Osaka is really well spread out, but of course, it's because they have the land. Second of all, the rides! If you're not a fan of roller coasters, try the Spider man one, because it's probably the entry-level roller coaster experience. 

About food, expect to pay theme park prices. But hey, you're already there. So why not splurge and indulge in their many flavoured pop corn, cony dogs and churros YUM. You can also bring your own food, just store them in the lockers provided so you don't have to lug them around the park. 

Okay now back to HARRY POTTER!

Super crowded Harry Potter Land

Line to HoneyDukes

As you can see, the park was still crowded even after 6pm. I waited about 40 minutes just to get into HoneyDukes, but sadly the popular items like Bertie Botts every flavoured beans and chocolate frogs were sold out. Boohoo. Butterbeer however, is awesome! It kinda taste like Root Beer with melted vanilla ice cream.

For rides, the Hogwarts Forbidden journey is the best ride in the whole of Universal Osaka, for me. It's not really a roller coaster, but your upper body is clipped on and your legs are suspended. It was the most exciting and exhilarating ride throughout the whole of Universal Osaka. 

How to get to Universal Osaka?

Universal Osaka is a 5 minute walk from Universal City station on the JR Yumesaki Line. 

Opening Hours?

Low season  : 10:00 to 18:00

High season : 09:00 to 21:00

Admission?

6,980 yen (12-64 years old) 

4,880 yen (4-11 years old) 

6,270 yen (65 years or older) 

Getting around Osaka

What's the difference between Osaka and Japan?

Plenty of things! But the greatest of all is their no fuss, super practical subway!

Every where I go, I like to look for tourist passes that are value for money. In Osaka, they call it the Enjoy Eco card that looks like this: 

This card can be used on all of Osaka's Municipal Subway, new tram and buses. There are also discounts available at certain sight seeing locations when you flash this card. 

Price: 800 yen adult (600 yen for weekends and public holidays), 300 yen for children

You can buy these Tourist passes at any subway station, I bought mine at Shin-Osaka station which was my stop off the Shinkansen train. You can even buy them days in advance, just let them know the date you're going to use it on.

There are a lot of other passes out here. You can find more about it here. But for me, I went for the cheapest option having only spent 3 days in Osaka. 

You can get more info on Osaka's Public transport passes here.

How to get from Tokyo to Osaka: Shinkansen Experience

For those of you thinking of the most efficient way to get to Osaka, you've come to the right place! Why waste 1 hour of waiting time at the airport when you can just take a train to Osaka hassle free. But its not just any train you're taking, its the Shinkansen. 

What is the Shinkansen?

The Shinkansen is a high speed railway line that is operated by four Japan Railway group companies. Their high speed/bullet trains can reach a maximum speed of 240 - 320 km/h! Shinkansen literally means new trunk line. Lines between Tokyo and Osaka are actually very very popular, so much so that they have up to 13 trains per hour running to and fro! 

Sleek and sexy Shinkansen

How to check train times and fares?

Train times and fares can be checked on Hyperdia.com. The Shinkansen in Tokyo leaves from Tokyo Station, and arrives at Shin-Osaka station (for Osaka). The average price of these one way tickets are 8000 to 9000 yen (yes it's not cheap). There are also different types of seats on the Shinkansens, Green seats (10,480 yen), Reversed seats (8750yen or 5500 yen during low seasons), and unreserved seats (4870 yen). A way to differentiate these seats is easy: 

green seats = first class

reserved seats = allocated numbered seats

unreserved seats = first come first serve seats

You will also realize that there are two different types of Shinkansens listed on Hyperdia, Shinkansen Nozomi and Hikari. Well you can see that the Hikari has a longer travel time by about 30 minutes, but the Hikari has 2 times more unreserved seats than the Nozomi. So if you're stretching your buck going for the unreserved seats, maybe you would opt for the Hikari trains. 

Where can I buy Shinkansen tickets?

You can buy Shinkansen tickets from any of the major Japan Intercity stations, so if you're leaving from Tokyo, that'd be Tokyo station. It's very difficult to purchase the tickets online unless you can read Japanese, but purchasing it over the counter is just as efficient. If you're worried that the tickets may be sold out, it doesn't hurt to go a few days earlier to pick up your tickets over the counter or from the vending machines. Remember, they have a high frequency of trains in an hour!

Nice comfy reserved seats

Hope this post helps you maneuver your way around Japan, because I'm pretty sure it would be the same getting to other cities in Japan as well. Good Luck! 

Where to eat in Tokyo for cheaps!

I always believe that you've only really eaten the food of a country when you actually eat what the locals do. That means it not always the fancy "recommended, must eat" places that burn a hole in your wallet. Since the price of food is expensive in Tokyo, its simply the best thing to just follow the trails left behind by the locals.

1. Departmental / Convenience stores

Because of their busy lifestyles, the Japanese hop to departmental stores like Isetan, Takasimaya, 7-11s and Lawson on the way home and grab some fresh, affordable Japanese delicacies. And they have a mega wide variety of it! 

2. Tsukiji Market

Tsukiji market is probably a place you've already planned to go on your list. You've also probably heard that there are plenty of stalls serving fresh seafood there. If you want fresh, quality seafood, its worth every penny here and I might just add that you may not be able to find it anywhere cheaper in Tokyo. The price of their rice bowls topped with fresh seafood can range from 800 to 3000 yen.

Butter scallop, 500 yen

Tsukiji Market is just above Tsukiji Shijo Station on the Oedo Subway Line. Alternatively, it can be reached in a five minute walk from Tsukiji Station on the Hibiya Subway Line. The closest JR station is Shimbashi, from where you can walk to the market in about 15 minutes.

3. Ameyoko Market

Ameyoko Market is probably my favourite place every in Tokyo, because its not only where you can find mouth watering street food, but also shop for snacks, clothes and accessories. Most of the food found here can be easily under 1000 yen.

Takoyaki, 400 yen

The Ameyoko shopping street runs from Ueno to Okachimachi Station along the train tracks of the JR Yamanote Line and JR Keihin-Tohoku Line. It can also be accessed in a short walk from Ueno-Okachimachi Station along the Oedo Subway Line.