O Vietnam, with your rice noodles, fresh herbs, fish sauce, lotus seeds, and coffee. You have made our mouths and our stomachs very happy.

Food highlights include coffee and donuts, bahn mi (sandwiches), spring rolls and salads, bun cha, pho, and delicious local ice cream.

Rachel: I was pleased to be able to find my way back to this cafe down a narrow alley way, and even more pleased with the delicious coffee!

Lisl: Notice the half inch layer of sweetened condensed milk at the bottom of the coffee glasses!

Cheers!

Lisl: Rice flour donuts have a crispy outside and chewy inside, although they are mostly one large air bubble. It's the new gluten free version (that they have made in Vietnam for thousands of years).

Rachel: Bahn mi (bine me) is the breakfast sandwich of the masses although we enjoyed ours for lunch. Various forms of pork with pickled vegetables, cilantro, chili, and mayonnaise on a baguette. Best eaten on the side of the road (see below).

Lisl: What makes Vietnamese fresh spring rolls and salads so delicious are the bright combinations of flavors and textures. Case in point: the spring roll combines soft rice noodles with crunchy sprouts and cucumber, the sharp flavors of fresh mint, cilantro, basil and other herbs with the sweetness of pineapple and steamed prawn, all wrapped in delicate rice paper. The dipping sauce is a combination of sweet, salty and spicy with crushed peanuts. Mmmm. For those of you familiar with Japanese cuisine, Vietnamese also use shiso, and I was excited to taste it in the spring rolls.

Rachel: One thing that I looked forward to having again was bamboo shoots, and this soup did not disappoint.

Rachel: We met up with former MCC coworkers for a beautiful lunch by the lake. We had a wonderful time catching up and talking about our memories of my time in Hanoi. Once again, fresh spring rolls were on the menu, this time with fish instead of prawns. Here Co Vinh is instructing us on the finer points of constructing the perfect roll.

Rachel: Another highlight was visiting the office here in Hanoi and benefiting once again from the talents of Co Thu. It is no overstatement to say that I have waited nearly four long years to sit at her table once again!

Lisl: After hearing Rachel rave about Co Thu's bun cha for the past four years, I will thrilled to finally eat it! Bun cha is basically like deconstructed spring rolls: barbecued or fried pork, rice noodles, fresh herbs and sprouts, and picked vegetables, all eaten in a small bowl with dipping sauce flavored with garlic and chili. Absolutely delicious!

Rachel: Pho breakfast! This Vietnamese staple, which is quite common in the U.S. as well, is a bowl of warm, savory goodness. Simple broth with flat rice noodles, chicken, green onion, chopped herbs and lemongrass warmed us from the inside out and gave a good start to the day.

Lisl: We were delighted with flavors that are hard to find in the U.S., such as green tea, coconut, young rice, ginger and sweet green bean (not string bean). Garnishes include cashews, freshly grated coconut and even avocado.