The Imperial Central Region

If you move down south to the central region, make sure to stop in the culinary mecca of Huế. The former imperial city is home to superlative gastronomic experiences. Inject yourself into the street life by hailing a cyclo (pedicab). An afternoon can quickly escape your grasp as you are carted from the moat-encased Citadel, along the Perfume River, and into the depths of the Đông-Ba market.

The once-quaint town of Hội-An is a must-see, even though tour groups now mob the streets. Nowadays, I keep my head down and stay connected with the locals. Like Huế, Hội-An unravels slowly, revealing its culinary delights after a few hours of searching. Rice’s versatility in the hands of Vietnamese cooks is again a culinary hit with Bánh Bèo, small rice flour cakes sprinkled with chopped pink shrimp and crispy pork cracklings, and they are at their best at Bà Đỏ restaurant.