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Mango sticky rice
Travel plans are on hold these days, but that doesn’t stop us from reminiscing about our past adventures around the world, and occupying our time with recreating our favourite dishes from abroad. One of my favourites from Thailand is mango sticky rice, which we enjoyed several times during our trip there last year. Although it…
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Key lime pie for Pi Day
In preparation for upcoming Pi (π) Day this weekend, I present to you Mr. Chuckles’ recently discovered recipe for Key lime pie. This is probably my favourite pie, as its light texture and citrus flavour serves as a nice palate cleanser after a heavy meal. The classic Key lime pie originated in Florida, where it…
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Bánh xèo: Vietnamese fried pancakes
If you have been following the travel section of this blog recently, you’ll know that Mr. Chuckles and I spent the last month obsessing over the amazing food of Vietnam. While we were in Hoi An, we attended a cooking class with Coconut Fragrance Restaurant and learned how to prepare several traditional Vietnamese dishes. One…
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Hotel roundup: Where we stayed in Cambodia & Vietnam
I suppose that few people are planning trips to Asia lately, but one day this whole virus craze will simmer down, and someone out there may find this post useful. I did a great deal of preparation for our recent self-guided trip through Cambodia and Vietnam, including research on the best hotels in several cities…
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Trip roundup: More thoughts on Cambodia & Vietnam
We are now safely back in Toronto, getting reacclimated to the brisk temperatures and snowstorms. I’m still trying to rework my circadian rhythm to get over this terrible jet lag, so am forcing myself to stay awake by writing this blog post, with a few more random thoughts on my recent journey through Cambodia and…
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Last look at Vietnam in Ninh Binh
I thought that I had seen the most beautiful place in Vietnam when we visited Bai Tu Long Bay. That is, until I saw Ninh Binh. On our final full day in Vietnam, we went on a day trip to this province in the Red River Delta of North Vietnam. Ninh Binh is known as…
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Cruising Bai Tu Long Bay on Dragon Legend
We are back in Hanoi for the last couple days of our trip, having returned from our overnight cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay. What a beautiful place that was! Choosing a Halong Bay cruise While preparing for this trip, I knew that a visit to the Halong Bay area was mandatory. The bay has…
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History lessons and food of Hanoi
We enjoyed a nice couple days in Hanoi prior to our departure for Bai Tu Long Bay. Our hotel was located in the Old Quarter, a lovely walkable area with lots to see and eat – and that we did! Searching for more banh mi We took our final domestic flight of the trip, transporting…
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Visiting the Marble Mountains, Da Nang
Today was mostly a travel day as we are leaving Hoi An and heading north to Hanoi. We booked our return trip to the airport again with Hura Cars, and arranged a stop at the Marble Mountains en route. The Marble Mountains in Da Nang are a cluster of five marble and limestone hills, each…
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A day at cooking school in Hoi An
For our final day in Hoi An, we signed up for a cooking class with Coconut Fragrance, a home cooking school run by a young woman named Huynh and her chef husband Tuan. There are numerous options for cooking classes in town, but I was very happy with our selection and would wholeheartedly recommend it…
I've Bean Travelling
A travel and food blog.
I've Bean Travelling 