Miss spring

My memories of the good old days come flooding back every time I try cooking canh chua (Vietnamese sweet and sour soup) with ponyfish, one of my late mother’s home-cooked recipes that are just irresistible. An Bang fishing village, located in Cam An Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, is my hometown that boasts a host of traditional dishes of the central region. Visitors to coastal villages in my hometown should not miss trying freshly made seafood dishes, like grouper, barracuda, and especially ponyfish. Ponyfish are offered for sale at affordable prices at a wet market in Vietnam. Photo: Hoa Vang / Tuoi Tre The ponyfish, which is small-sized, has more bones than meat yet its sweet, buttery, and strong taste is favored by lots of seafood lovers including me. Elderly fishermen said that the ponyfish season starts from the ninth lunar month till early spring. The fish, mainly found inhabiting the Cham island area, comes in various types … [Read more...] about Home-cooked Vietnamese ponyfish soup brings back memories with mom

A large dish of deep-fried river sardines with a stomach full of eggs, or grilled sardines served with ginger garlic chili fish sauce, are among the tastiest sardine recipes that you should not miss in Vietnam, especially during the start of the sardine season. Sardines can be found in the sea and brackish water areas at the Han River mouth in Da Nang City of central Vietnam. However, during spawning season in spring, schools of sardines migrate to the An Trach irrigation dam, a national irrigation project located in the Yen river section running through the city’s Hoa Vang District, to lay eggs. Though sardines can also easily be found in other rivers in the area, such as Tuy Loan or Cu De, local inhabitants said the sardines from the Yen River are a blessing from nature with outstanding characteristics. Every afternoon, fishing boats sail back and forth in the Yen river section to catch sardines. Sometimes, schools of sardines suddenly jump out of the water, splashing … [Read more...] about Enticing Vietnamese sardine dishes that will leave you craving more

Travellers ride Citadines bikes around Ha Long Bay. — Photo from the Ascott Vietnam. The Ascott Vietnam has launched lined-up offers up to 35 per cent off for all travellers this year. The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Investment Limited, with the mission of becoming the leading international lodging owner-operators in the serviced apartment and hospitality industry, is offering promotions at most of its serviced apartments - hotels, from Ha Noi, Hai Phong, to Nha Trang, HCM City, and Binh Duong. It says guests can celebrate the glorious echoes of April - the month of the National Holidays while unwinding in comfort at Ascott’s properties across the country. They can explore Viet Nam’s glorious history on inclusive day-tour to top historic attractions in Ha Noi and HCM City and enjoy up to 40 per cent off. It also introduces a Sunny Side-up offer with up to 25 per cent off at seven premier hotels and serviced residences including scrumptious … [Read more...] about The Ascott Vietnam unveils “hotter than the sun” offers