First Time in VIETNAM; What Surprised Us the Most! 🇻🇳

Guys, look at this. The energy here is unmatched. Watch out, baby. Did you see that bullet train? Look at this. It doesn't even feel like I'm in Vietnam anymore. Holy crap. Hey guys and welcome to Hanoi, the beautiful capital of Vietnam. So it's our first time in the country and today marks our first full day here in the city of Hanoi. So we're staying in the Old Quarter, a pretty popular area to stay if it's your first time. And guys, let me tell you, staying in this area makes it seem like we've been transported back in time. And I mean that in the most positive way possible. It's such a vibrant area and the hustle and bustle is unreal. Anyways, let's start this day off with some authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Let's go. So we're now seated and the server actually gave us the recommendations list to make it easier for customers. So apparently, this, this, this, this, and this is their most popular. Can we get the bun cha? We'll get the fried spring rolls, Vietnamese pancake, and beef pho. Thank you very much. So we got four dishes. We got the fried pork, the fried chicken, and the fried noodles. We got the fried spring rolls. We've got Vietnamese pancake. And then obviously, we're in Vietnam. We got the pho. First official meal here in Vietnam. We're so excited. Okay, so we were just having a conversation with our server. She was actually giving us a lot of recommendations because it is their winter time here in Vietnam, which we did not know. We were like actually shocked when we landed because it was quite chilly. It's so crazy because we were just in Thailand last week and it was so hot there. I'm pretty sure it's their winter time there as well, but it was still so hot. So we were really surprised at how chilly it was here in Vietnam considering Thailand and Vietnam are so close to each other. Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. It looks so good. Whoa. Thank you very much. I didn't know the serving was this massive. Since it is our first official meal here in Vietnam, I just had to go for it. Alright, let's give the beef pho a try. Let's try the pho. It's not as flavorful, but it's still really good. Ann's going in with the fried spring roll. That's like one of Ann's favorite foods. I just love the sauce that comes with it. I think I just love the sauce. Really good. Pretty flavorful. So we're going to give the Vietnamese pancake a try. This one right here. The thing I taste the most is the mint and the coriander. The mint is super strong, but wow, that's really good. Alright, so we're going to give the traditional fried pork a try with the vermicelli. This is what we're used to back home, so vermicelli, fried pork, and vegetables. Pour some fish sauce on top. Dude, the flavor of that meat is insane. It's the way they marinate it. I think out of all the dishes that we got, this is definitely my favorite. The flavor is so good. Alright, so we just finished eating. Food was great and the service was even better. I would recommend. It's pretty good. After lunch, we decided to make our way to Train Street, which is not that far from where we were eating. So we're currently here at a cafe. Look at the vibe here though. So there's the train tracks. And all of these right here are all coffee shops slash restaurants. There's a lot of people here now waiting. So we ordered our egg coffee. Apparently, egg coffee is very popular here in Vietnam. So we're going to give it a try. I've never heard of egg coffee, ever. Yeah, I know. It's thick. I'm pretty sure we're supposed to mix it. I don't know. Okay, let's taste it. I'm actually curious as to what egg coffee tastes like. It's actually really good, babe. Really? I thought it would taste weird for some reason. I thought it would taste like just egg. Wait, what? I don't know. It's actually really good. Alright, egg coffee. That's weird. This is super creamy. Down here is warm. This is cold. It's like a cold foam. That's good. So there was like a bell and I think the train is coming. They're telling everyone to sit down and the police is telling everyone to get your ass off the train track. It's so long and it's so fast. Did you see that bullet train? It was kind of scary, guys. I was kind of scared there for a second. Alright guys, so we're just walking around train street. This area is so energetic. So many people as well. Look at this little alleyway where the train goes. Oh my gosh, it's so cool. It's so gorgeous. Check this out. So this has got to be one of the most beautiful and energetic alleyways I've ever seen. So I think this area in particular is where a lot of people go to watch the train but we were on the other side. We were like way over there. We just happened to be walking by and people were like, Oh, the train comes in 10 minutes? Do you want to come to my restaurant? Do you want to come to my cafe? And we're like, okay. Guys, look at this. What a vibe, man. Alright guys, so after the train street, we're clearly here at their mall. We're here to buy sweaters. Yeah, we're here to buy sweaters. Everyone's wearing a jacket. Look at us, wearing a t-shirt. And Ann is literally wearing a summer dress. Alright guys, it is now 6pm. We got our sweaters, so we're pretty warm now. We're going to be heading back to the Old Quarter. We're going to be hitting a pretty popular spot. It's called Beer Street. We'll go check it out. Let's go. So we just made it here at Beer Street, back to the Old Quarter. The energy here is unmatched. So many lights. Yeah. So much energy. It is a Saturday evening. Lots of people here. Oh my god, I didn't even realize it's the weekend. What an alley. Look at this, man. Look at the colors. It's so vibrant. Everything's so alive. I love it. Ann and I, we're definitely going to spend some time here. This area makes you not want to go home. I know, it just makes you want to stay out all night. Also, there's this... Oh my gosh. It's so hectic here. I love it. I was literally just saying, crossing the roads here is so different. I know. We're from the Philippines and we're supposed to be used to this, right? But there's just like... It's a lot crazier here. Watch out, baby. Oh my god. So we're stuck in traffic and we're not even in a car. We're just standing here. This is Beer Street. They should probably close this road down for cars. We've been traveling for quite some time now and haven't encountered a street like this ever. Yeah. What the heck? Cars, bikes, people coming left, right. Yeah. Restaurant, bars, everything you want, it's here. A nice souvenir. Alright, we actually stumbled upon the weekend night market. So we're gonna go check it out. Guys, Labubu is following us. Oh my gosh, this market is cool. Look at this. Guys, I think I found my souvenir. Very cute. Netflix and Banh Mi, boy. Look at this. Is this your dog? It's so cute. Patagonia. You want Nord Face? They got you. Why did I shop at the mall? I could've got a Nord Face here for 5 bucks. Chili. How much? 30. How much is it? 30. One or not? One pack. Alright, so we got some skewers. We got pork and chicken. It's pretty cheap. It's like a dollar for the chicken, 70 cents for the pork. This is big too, look at that. I'm actually getting hungry. I know, same. Oh yeah. That sauce is really good. You know what I love about Vietnamese food? Their meat especially. The way they marinate it. It's so good, it's so tasty. You want to try my chicken? Try the pork. This is like the pork they put on the vermicelli earlier. Alright guys, so day 2 here in Hanoi, Vietnam. Before we start the day, let's go get some coffee first. Let's go. So we made it to this cafe called Tran Quil and Books. It looks like a house. Woah. It's so hidden. So day 2 here in Vietnam and we're starting our day off here at Tran Quil Books and Coffee and it's this beautiful coffee shop here in Hanoi. From the streets, it actually looks like a random house but the more you walk inside, it's like very hidden. So it's basically a hidden gem here in Hanoi. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Alright, so our coffee and food is here. I got the creamy latte and got the caramel macchiato. We both got hot. Once again, it's a chilly day. It's only 18 degrees Celsius. It's gloomy. The sun is not out so this is going to keep us warm. Oh, finally a good cup of coffee. So I'm actually kind of hungry so I got waffles with strawberry and coconut ice cream. Did you get anything? I just got coffee. Okay, don't ask for some. That's a small waffle though. Yeah, because it's just for me. I'm just kidding. You want some? Look at the latte art. So cute. Look at mine. They didn't even care about mine. That's really good. And I love the foam on top. Yeah, their coffee is really good. Yeah, not only are the cafes aesthetic but so far, coffee is really good. After the cafe, we're still a little bit hungry. We're currently here at Banh Mi 25. It's a pretty popular restaurant. It's located in the Old Quarter. Obviously, banh mi is a popular food here. So we're going to go give it a try. Alright, so they have a few things but we're going to go with their signature which is barbecued pork and smoked sausage. That's the traditional banh mi. Everything looks good and it's quite affordable. It ranges from $35,000 to $45,000 Vietnamese Dong. Around $2 to $3. So we're trying to find a seat. They do have quite a bit of seating here. They literally have like 3 different restaurants just for seats. The main one is over there where we ordered. And then there's like 2 other buildings just for seating. It's still packed though. Alright, we finally found a seat. It's so packed. Banh Mi is like a baguette with meat and varieties of vegetables. Also guys, if you're wondering how we get around, we've just been taking the Grab. You can also rent a scooter but I'm not trying to die out here. Guys, I was just telling Jan when we were walking to the cafe the roads here in Vietnam are more intense than the Philippines. We're from the Philippines and we're like so used to the roads there but here, we were shocked. I think it's mostly in the Old Quarter since the roads are so tight. Thank you. Does anything come inside? No, you got one. That's mine. I thought this was the banh mi. That's just bread. So this is the one I got. I'm not exactly sure what it's called. I pointed at the picture, I'm like, can I get this one? But it looks good. So they have like barbecue pork, some sort of patty, egg, and this thick consistency of a sauce. It smells sweet, savory. That consistency is so thick. It's almost like syrup. Let me try it with the barbecue pork first. Oh yeah. A little sweet but not too much. It's just perfect balance. The pork is just so tender. Alright, so Ann got her banh mi. Yes, this is the banh mi. Okay, I'm gonna try my banh mi. I'm pretty sure this is their most popular because it's their signature. Look at that. I barely got any of the meat though. But the bread, already so good. That's why I always let Jan take the first bite because it's all bread. It's really good. So look at this banh mi, guys. Decent amount of meat in there for the price. Give it a go. The baguette is so crispy. Okay, so I'm gonna try putting the soup inside the baguette. Is that how you do it? Put some egg in there. Look at that. Doesn't that just look good? That is so good. The soup is very savory, a little sweet. And since the baguette is a little bland, it's a good combination. Look at that. Our stop for today is Hanoi. It's an observation deck here in Hanoi. Initially, we wanted to go for sunset but it looks like we're not gonna get a single sunset during our trip here in Vietnam since it is winter time. Apparently, the observation deck is all the way on the 65th floor. So let's go see the view from up top. As always, guys, if you're wondering where we booked our tickets, we booked it on Klook. And if you want to do the same, we do have a discount code, JANANANDKLOOK. If you guys are planning a trip anywhere in Asia or anywhere in the world, make sure to go on Klook and use our code JANANANDKLOOK and you will save some money. Thank you. Alright, all the way up to... It's just us, babe. No one's here. The 65th floor. I guess it's just me and you. Holy crap. It's so nice. The view is just so nice. It's actually really nice up here. Look at this, guys. That's crazy. So this observation deck is actually very spacious. One of the more spacious observation decks that we've been to. It's actually really nice up here. I didn't really have high expectations but this is pretty crazy. See, the lake, the road, so many houses, so many buildings. We are high up. I'm sure the video doesn't do it justice but when you're here in person, even though it's a bit misty outside and a bit cloudy, it's still so beautiful from up here. So they have a glass floor here. Gotta check it out. God damn, that's scary. Guys, look at it. Oh my gosh. That's scary. Look at the view. Oh my gosh. This is actually so sketch. What am I doing? This is so cool. Alright guys, so next stop is Hong Kim Lake. Apparently there's a lot of things going on near the lake so let's go and check it out. We're still beside the lake. It's pretty cool because this road is closed off so there's people like renting bikes and scooters. I don't know what those are called. Really nice vibe out here. No cars, finally. So for dinner, we decided to treat ourselves to a very well-known restaurant here in Hanoi called Tam Vi. A lot of people love this restaurant because of its authentic and very traditional Vietnamese food. Ann was the one that found this restaurant. First of all, it is beautiful in here and the food looks insanely good. So look at their menu. They have quite a bit of set menu. So this one right here is 730,000 Vietnamese Dong and you get quite a bit. And then over here, another set menu which is 760,000. Obviously you can order individual dishes as well. This one looks amazing. Vietnamese caramelized pork and eggs. We're getting this. This looks so good. Dude, their food looks amazing. Alright guys, so we got our food. It smells so good. So we got the braised beef with ginger and this one is the caramelized pork with egg and this is the sweet and sour pork rib soup. This one, you already know, we got rice. Okay, so let's give this a try. Look at this. Is this chopstick? No, I don't think that's how you're supposed to use it. Yeah, I don't know. Okay, let's give the caramelized pork a try because this reminds me of adobo which is a pork dish in the Philippines. So let's see if it tastes alike. Pork is super tender. Oh, so soft. Yeah, it does not taste like adobo at all. It's more sweet. Jan tried the adobo. I'm gonna try the sinigang. So this is the sweet and sour pork rib soup. Definitely reminds me of sinigang and it also smells sour. So basically sinigang. If you guys aren't familiar with what sinigang is, it's like pork soup in the Philippines. It definitely reminds me of sinigang. Just less sour, more sweet. If it were a little bit sour, it would be like a 10 out of 10 for me. Let's try the braised beef with ginger and from what we read online, a lot of people are ordering this and recommending this one. It is so tender. Did you see that? It just fell. Okay. I like this one. This is my favorite. We somewhat killed it. What do you think of it? Overall, yeah, I think it's really good. I liked how the dishes reminded me of home-cooked meals but I think that's what this restaurant is known for. Traditional home-cooked meals. Overall, I think it was a good experience but nothing mind-blowing from the dishes that we ordered at least. It was still really good. I would still recommend coming here. Alright guys, so after we ate, we were just going to go home but I remember yesterday our server recommending a dessert place called Chek Run 93 and that's why we're here. They have a lot of different varieties of Vietnamese desserts, like a lot. Yeah, our server also said that this was her favorite place for desserts so obviously she's a local. We trust her. We're going to try. Thank you. Dude, that looks so good. Alright, so I got the yogurt with violet sticky rice and got the coconut ice cream with mango. So mine was $30,000. It's sticky. Mine is just ice cream with mango. I was craving some mango and obviously you can't go wrong with ice cream. Mine is so good. Yogurt and some sticky rice. Look at that. Alright guys, it is now 9pm and this is where we end the vlog, unfortunately but don't worry, we'll have way more Vietnam vlogs coming your way. What a great first impression of Vietnam. The past two days have been so much fun. As always, thank you guys for watching. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe and follow us on social media for daily updates. See you guys in the next one. Peace!