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You are here Home » The Delights of Bia Hoi

The Delights of Bia Hoi

November 22, 2010 By Admin 14 Comments

Note: This is a guest post by Ben Colough. Ben first traveled through SE Asia over ten years ago and has been addicted ever since to the food, noise and grace of the region. Ben now travels for a living researching local guides and guest-houses, and pulls together tailor-made tours of  Vietnam with local character and charm.

Travelers are spoilt for choice in SE Asia and whilst many opt for the obvious and return to Thailand again and again, I simply fell in love with Vietnam. The country is less geared up to travelers, but there is loads to see, a fascinating heritage, incredible food, and Bia Hoi.

Bia hoi is fresh beer, brewed daily and intended for consumption on the day. Traders take their 100l barrels to the big breweries each morning and fill them up with unadulterated fresh beer. It contains no preservatives so will only last a day. The big appeal is the price, Bia Hoi is sold at various road side establishments at eye wateringly cheap prices (around 15 US cents per 12 Oz glass), but to me Bia hoi is more than that, it is the quintessential Vietnamese experience. Pull up a tiny plastic chair, perch yourself amidst the rushing traffic, order a large glass of beer and some nuts and absorb the insane rush of Vietnamese street-life.

No amount of experience can you prepare for busy Vietnamese Cities, just crossing the road is an experience unlike anywhere else. There are a lot of motorbikes in Vietnam and they tend to take a fairly free-form approach to concepts such as lanes. There are no breaks in traffic, so the only way to cross the road is to take a deep breath, look straight ahead and walk at a very steady pace. Like magic, the traffic parts around you – whatever you do, don’t hesitate!

Bia Hoi tends to be sold from a make-shift stall or a tiny shop unit, big enough only for a large barrel and a stack of plastic chairs. The customers sprawl out onto the pavement and road – so expect to be sat literally within the rush of pedestrian and motorized traffic. Yet despite the noise there is an incredible serenity to sitting down, drinking a refreshing beer and letting the world rush by, magical.

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Filed Under: Destinations, Guest Posts, Vietnam Tagged With: Asia, Asia Travel, Bia Hoi, Budget travel, budget travelers, SEA, Tourdust, Traveling on a budget, Vietnam

Previous Post: « Day Tripping in Rural Korea — Part 2
Next Post: Wanderfood Wednesday — Cure Your Holiday Hangover with this Korean Remedy »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wandering Educators says

    November 24, 2010 at 2:56 am

    very cool – and thanks for introducing us to ben!

    Reply
    • Nancie (Ladyexpat) says

      December 1, 2010 at 11:30 pm

      Thanks Jessie, and you’re welcome 🙂

      Reply
  2. Ayngelina says

    November 24, 2010 at 4:47 am

    I’m 99% sure I ate at that restaurant in the photo…

    Reply
    • LadyE says

      November 24, 2010 at 5:45 pm

      Haha Ayngelina…………..I thought the same thing!

      Reply
    • Nancie (Ladyexpat) says

      December 1, 2010 at 11:29 pm

      Funny Ayngelina….I thought the same thing!

      Reply
  3. zablon mukuba says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:00 am

    that is awesome, i love fresh beer, but i get too drunk too soon

    Reply
    • LadyE says

      November 24, 2010 at 5:45 pm

      Moderation is the word Zablon 🙂

      Reply
    • Nancie (Ladyexpat) says

      December 1, 2010 at 11:29 pm

      Everything in moderation, Zablon 🙂

      Reply
  4. bencolclough says

    November 24, 2010 at 1:01 pm

    Thanks for the comments. In the spirit of not wanting to appear beer fixated, the food is of course also superb in Vietnam!

    Reply
    • Nancie (Ladyexpat) says

      November 24, 2010 at 11:38 pm

      Love Vietnamese food. I’m a regular customer at the Pho restaurant here in Daejeon.

      Reply
  5. Andrew Graeme Gould says

    November 26, 2010 at 8:29 pm

    A country I’ve yet to visit, and certainly want to!

    Reply
    • Nancie (Ladyexpat) says

      December 1, 2010 at 11:30 pm

      Andrew, My only visit was too short. I want to go back one of these days.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tweets that mention The Delights of Bia Hoi says:
    November 23, 2010 at 9:03 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Hermitbiker, Michael Lynch. Michael Lynch said: The Delights of Bia Hoi | Budget Travelers Sandbox http://goo.gl/6p9PE […]

    Reply
  2. Wanderfood Wednesday -- Cure Your Holiday Hangover with this Korean Remedy says:
    November 24, 2010 at 9:15 pm

    […] Bens’ great post “The Delights of Bia Hoi”, here’s a Korean hangover cure…Soy Bean Sprout Soup (Kongnamul […]

    Reply

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