I haven't enjoyed the food in Vietnam as much as I had anticipated. I've eaten at both tourist restaurants and local joints and the food just isn't as flavorful as I expected. The meat is also not the best quality, and I haven't seen nearly as much tofu as I had hoped.

The seafood in Halong Bay is supposed to be a specialty, but I (along with many others) found it to be quite awful.

It tastes like Gefilte (sp) fish. For you gentiles, Gefilte fish is both enjoyed and reviled by millions of Jews each Passover. Usually, it is eaten with horseradish.

I used to like it as a kid and then one day I suddenly realized that it is not good. There is a reason that people cover it in horseradish.

Getting something that tastes like gefilte fish when you've heard that fish is the area's speciality is the equivalent of getting a hot dog when you ordered filet mignon.

So, why you may wonder did I title this entry Yumminess.

The answer is in the specialties of the city of Hoi An.

The other day I ate one of the best dishes I have had while traveling. It is called Cao Lau and the noodles in it can only be made with well water found in Hoi An. The noodles are hearty and yellow and delicious and are served with a greens, one of which I identified as mint. There are also fried wonton bits and a wonderful sauce. It as delectable!

I also ate another specialty called the White Rose. It sounds like some rare artifact from an Indiana Jones movie but it is actually a bit of shrimp served in a rice paper that is made to look like a rose. It was fine. I liked the texture but it was actually pretty bland even though it had garlic in it.

I'll bet anyone who likes shrimp would like it. I've noticed in my life that most people go ga ga over shrimp. I don't dislike shrimp but I don't see what the big deal about it is. I just don't taste the flavor and they are high in cholesterol so I don't bother eating them.

And there you have it. My culinary expectations have finally been met. I've heard the food in Southern Vietnam is much better then in the North. Hopefully, this will be true and I will have more meals to report!