Hoi An Market

Morning in Hoi An, before the shops open

 Flower seller in the Hoi An market

 Chicken vendor at the Hoi An market

 Shoppers at Hoi An market.  Note the helmets over the hats.

Dawn at Hoi An

Dawn along the Thu Bon river, Hoi An, a truly beautiful place

Ang Bang Beach at Hoi An

Ang Ban beach is one of two beautiful beaches located just a short bike ride from the centre of Hoi An.  The South China Sea waters are clean and refreshing, there’s usually a nice little body surfer’s shore break, the beach is clean and the umbrellas offer plenty of shade.  The Cham islands in the background can be visited on a low-cost day excursion from the Hoi An wharf.

Swim at An Bang beach, Hoi An taking comfort in the knowledge that the ever vigilant lifeguards are looking out for you. 

If lolling around on Ang Ban beach is all too hard , you can retreat to the bars and cafes overlooking the beach for a cold beer, a fresh coconut, some snacks or whatever else is on offer and takes your fancy.  

Upcoming Events (Walking Tours and Cooking Classes)

Hi all,

The following table are the exciting upcoming events for October 2012 and November 2012:

6 October 2012 VACANCIES	Footscray Walking Tour
13 October 2012  FULL	Footscray Walking Tour
20 October 2012  FULL	Footscray Walking Tour
27 October 2012  VACANCIES	Footscray Cooking Class
10 November 2012  VACANCIES	Springvale Walking Tour
17 November 2012  FULL	Springvale Walking Tour
25 November 2012  (Sunday)	Cleanskin Cooking Class (Phillip Island)  For all bookings, please go to  www.cleanskinkitchenware.com.au

For more details, please contact us at (03) 9332 6848 or leon@vietnamonaplate.com.au

Vietnam Trip 2012

Hoi An’s riverfront outdoor hawker stalls, cafes and restaurants where one can enjoy cool fruit juice, fresh coconuts, Vietnamese beer and delicious foods while gazing at passersby, fanned by the cooling river breezes. 

Dusk in Hoi An, serene and peaceful, viewed from a river boat cruising lazily along the river.

Visiting a Vietnamese herb and vegetable garden along the river in Hoi An, gardener in attendance.  The young herbs and mints are carefully weeded and nurtured

In the heat of the day, shops in Hoi An seem cool and inviting, shaded by lovely flowering plants, quite typical of Vietnamese shop fronts and houses. 

Fresh fruit vendor in the market in Hoi An.  Note the green oranges, dragon fruit, green mangoes and jambu nestling next to the more familiar apples, pears and grapes.

Vietnam On A Plate Footscray and Springvale Tours

Hello all,

2012 has been a topsy-turvy year for us with travel, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, some cooking classes and lots of personal commitments on weekends, so we haven’t had much of a chance to run many tours. 

We want to change all that and advise you that we have the following Saturdays available for tours of either Footscray or Springvale Asian shopping precincts:

July 14^th and 21^st

August 4^th and 25^th

September  No days available

October 6^th and 13th

We need a minimum of four and have a maximum of eight for each tour, but don’t think you have to have four in your group as I collect names and contact details and put tours together when we have the numbers.  The all-inclusive cost is $77/person.   For more details, please see below: 

GUIDED WALKING TOURS OF MELBOURNE’S BEST ASIAN FOOD CENTRES

Footscray has the biggest and best selection of Asian produce in inner Melbourne.  Fresh and frozen, cooked and uncooked, packaged, pickled and preserved – it’s all there and more.

Springvale Shopping Centre, in Melbourne’s south-east, is home to dozens of exciting food shops operated by people from all over South East Asia – Cambodia, Laos, China, Thailand, Vietnam and India.

Both areas have their own characteristics, but have one thing in common: to the uninitiated, the vast range of food, colours, tastes and aromas is amazing and, for many, bewildering. 

Find your way through your choice of Melbourne’s leading Asian food centres with Vietnam On A Plate’s Ingredients Tours.  We walk and talk you through Asian mini-super markets, fabulous fish shops, Chinese herbalists, great cake and sweets shops and a vast collection of  greengrocers, butchers and  other specialty food stores.  We’ll show you places you never knew existed.    We show you some of the better places to buy the right ingredients and fresh Asian produce for your next Asian dish.  We give you tips on how to buy, use and store the best quality produce.  Our tours are relaxed, informal and informative – and we share with you some of the secrets of creating great Asian food.

At the end, enjoy a delicious and different Asian meal at one of the many cafes with which both shopping centres are blessed

At Footscray, there is ample parking at our starting point on the roof of the Footscray Market, (enter from Irving Street).  Train, tram and bus take you right to the market.

Melways map 42 reference D4.

 

Getting to Springvale Shopping Centre is easy. It’s right next to Springvale station and  buses run along Springvale Road. For drivers, there is plenty of parking at our starting point at the rear of Nan Yang supermarket, (enter from Warwick Avenue).

Melways  map 79 reference K9.

Walking Tours are held for a minimum of four people.  Allow about two and a half  hours, plus eating time.  Tours are held Saturday mornings, starting at 9:30. Group bookings may be possible  on other days.  The frequency of tours is dependent on demand.

Tour cost is $77 per person, all inclusive.       Bookings are essential for all tours 

Telephone 9332 6848,  9689 1186
Email: leon@vietnamonaplate.com.au

Vietnam On A Plate Cooking Classes

Vietnam On A Plate conducts cooking classes by special arrangement.  We teach you cooking preparation techniques and how to use those mysterious herbs, mints and Asian vegetables you find in the Asian groceries and fresh food markets. We also take you on walking tours to food precincts specialising in Asian foods to discover where to buy and how to select the ingredients required to make your next wonderful meal to cheer your friends and family – watch out for our next blog post!!

Here are some pictures from a recent cooking class at our premises :

How to make your own rice paper rolls

Rice paper rolls and dipping sauce ingredients

Cucumber being sliced for rice paper rolls

Preparation for rice paper rolls

Rice paper rolls - step 1

Rice paper rolls - step 2

Rice paper rolls - step 3

Rice paper rolls - step 4

Rice paper rolls - ready to eat

See you soon at our upcoming walking tours!

From all of us at VOAP :)