Goodbye, Vietnam!

It feels surreal to be saying goodbye but it's my last day in Vietnam today! The bags are packed, the farewells have been said, and tomorrow morning we fly to Bangkok for one last Asian mini-break (ok, and shopping spree) before heading back to Sydney to live.

It's been an amazing four and a half years living in Phnom Penh and then Saigon - full of the some of the biggest ups and downs I've ever felt but overall, a life changing experience. During that time I've travelled lots, had two kids and scored my dream job (Deputy Editor of a magazine!). I've made some amazing friends in both cities, eaten a ridiculous amount of great food and drunk copious amounts of good coffee. I've forgotten how to clean(!) and how to catch public transport - the adjustment to life back in the 'real world' may be a tough one! I'm really looking forward to fresh air, parks, empty sidewalks and comparatively empty roads, Sydney stuff like farmers markets and art galleries and concerts and events, catching up with old friends and rediscovering pretty much everything.

There are lots of things I'll miss (mostly food and people and cheap stuff!) but lots of things I won't (the traffic, the pollution, the noise - don't get me started on the noise!). I think it'll be a tumultuous time ahead re-establishing a life in Sydney, but hopefully it will feel like the right move. As for blogging - I've loved connecting with like-minded souls around the world and don't want the virtual friendships to end! I'm not sure of the fate of A Girl in Asia just yet (I don't want to say goodbye!) and I'll definitely continue reading and commenting on all my favourite blogs. Please drop by now and then as I may post a link to a new Sydney-based blog once I'm on my feet and think up my next blogging move! Better go - there's still a little more packing to do in our over-stuffed bags which somehow have to fit lots of Bangkok purchases too(!).

{Saigon Eats} Cuc Gach Quan

I have just been (for the second time in less than a week!) to one of the most stunning, inspiring, elegant, amazing restaurants, and it's right in my neighbourhood! I can't believe I've only been introduced to this place two weeks before I depart Saigon, so obviously, a few more visits are in order!

Cuc Gach Quan is a Vietnamese 'country' style restaurant, with its menu offering a nod to the way dishes were once prepared - without msg or ingredients affected by fertilisers. The tofu and the soy sauce are homemade, and the juices are natural and pure with no sugar added, but a little jug of honey is served on the side. The food is delicious (especially the lemongrass tofu and the pork in claypot) and the decor is amazing, with antique/distressed wood furniture, gorgeous blue and white crockery and drinks served in glass bottles with rolled up banana leaf stoppers. There's a fish and turtle pond between the front room and the open kitchen at the back, and a steep staircase leading up to more gorgeous seating. The restaurant is architect owned and designed - and it shows!

I'm in love with this place, and I can't wait to go back. For more about Cuc Gach Quan, see this piece in Travel + Leisure, or check out some of the feature articles on its website.

Cuc Gach Quan, 10 Dang Tat, Tan Dinh, District 1, Saigon, Tel: 38480144 or 01657101010


Images courtesy Cuc Gach Quan