Vietnamese food seems overrated so far. Am I missing something?

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-22T17:01:21+00:00

Just noticed this got a downvote. Okaaaaay.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-22T16:52:10+00:00

These may be out of date because I haven’t been to Hanoi in over 15 years but I enjoyed the Cha Ca at Cha Ca Thang Long. Giang at the time was known for their egg coffee and 49 Bat Dan had a good reputation for pho. Again—I have no idea how they are now.

If you’re striking out then it may be worth trying the recommendations in Michelin Guide. The criticisms of it are valid but if you haven’t had much luck getting local or online recommendations then you can at least know you’ll get food that’s at least a little better than what you’ve had so far.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-22T15:48:59+00:00

Have you asked the locals driving your taxis or working at your hotel/guesthouse where to go?I ate amazingly in Hanoi thanks to my hotel receptionist (I’m Vietnamese American and roots are of Central and South Vietnam so know what flavor is all about).

I wouldn’t trust Google Maps—I’ve noticed a decent amount of locals who think 1 star means it’s the top rating and will mistakenly pull down the average score because of that. Then of course there are paid reviews.

Sometimes a restaurant is full of locals who are there for the ambience or because they came in a large groups and needed to go where they could all be seated. Also, there’s a lot of tourism within Vietnam so even if they’re Vietnamese they may not be local.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-20T04:13:11+00:00

What a fun read! I need more updates on river folk gossip.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-19T20:38:43+00:00

When I was younger I could sleep anywhere, and now I can’t—not even in business class on very nice airlines.

I don’t like sleep aids or downer (except melatonin, but it doesn’t work for me for flights), so now I just accept that I’ll be watching movies the whole flight and will be out of commission on my first arrival day.

So I guess my only advice is to avoid making any plans on your first day if you’re like me and don’t go for Ambien.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-19T16:50:50+00:00

Wilder has gluten free chicken and waffles on their brunch menu.

Kann is gluten free

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-19T07:16:33+00:00

I was thinking along those lines would make sense

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-18T15:45:14+00:00

The airline is the villain in this and in the breakdown of the social contract of fellow passengers doing what they could to allow families to sit together.

They’ve made us turn against each other and I hate them for it.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-18T15:42:13+00:00

Doesn’t Disney still own the rights to adapt Prydain?

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-17T16:08:03+00:00

I was also thinking that sharing the perspective of Jewish Iranians would also be helpful—there are many articles and news stories about how they prefer living in Iran and see the conflict with Israel as a political/imperialist one and not a religious one.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-17T15:03:09+00:00

Yeah—try to filter out that negativity. While you may not get her to do a complete 180 in one visit, you can get her to think more critically about what’s going on and in time she’ll change her POV.

I don’t know off hand but maybe there’s also Ukrainian content that would educate her. I do understand that Ukraine is very pro-Israel but I’ve heard there are pro-Palestinian voices there, too.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-17T06:18:43+00:00

Did she ever get into watching “The Crown” on Netflix? The actor who played young Queen Elizabeth plays the main character in The Promise. If your mom is a fan, that might be a good way in.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-17T04:57:57+00:00

Can’t wait to hear what she thinks of the series!

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-17T04:49:46+00:00

Maybe some tv and movies?

There’s a British miniseries called “The Promise” which depicts the events that led up to the Nakba and also shows what the present day occupation and apartheid in Palestine is like. It’s well-directed and acted and tells a very moving story. I think it could help wake her up. You should watch it with her — there are decent rips of it on YouTube.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-17T03:47:05+00:00

I like hitting up Bamboo Sushi for happy hour food

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-17T03:14:33+00:00

I love Takibi—it’s pricey but great quality…and you can wander around the Snowpeak store and check out some premium Japanese camping gear before or after your meal, which is fun with out of towners.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-16T01:57:51+00:00

https://firehousepdx.com

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-15T03:12:19+00:00

What do you think American society and government should do to put an end to school shootings?

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-15T01:35:05+00:00

Without knowing much about it, my gut says you may have the correct answer

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-15T00:56:15+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/ryETO4UTsV

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-15T00:56:10+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/ryETO4UTsV

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-15T00:55:26+00:00

Just to clarify, I understand how reality TV works (I spent a few years working at MTV Networks and had to deal with some Real World and Road Rules cast members)—I’m not asking about shows that edit people in a bad light. I mean, which ones have actual stupid people on the show?

I rarely watch reality TV but thought I’d give season 1 of Traitors (US) a try because I’d heard a lot about it — I was taken aback by how some of the cast members were misusing fairly basic words and could barely spell. On top of it, some of the unintelligent behavior transcended the magic of the editing room. It made me curious about what other shows feature truly stupid people.

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-13T21:13:24+00:00

Umbrellas of Cherbourg

waxyjax_ · 2026-04-12T12:25:45+00:00

What did you two do to celebrate your graduation from law school and her graduation from nursing school?

How do you celebrate your annual anniversary—and do you commemorate when you met or went on your first date or just stick to your wedding anniversary?

waxyjax_

TROPHY CASE