2024-07-28 03:57:08
Renaissance Hoi An Resort & Spa
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There is a Vietnamese proverb that says, “You need to eat to discuss the Way.” This proverb shows how much importance Vietnamese people place on eating. When discussing the food culture of such Vietnamese people, we cannot leave out Hoi An, a coastal city in Quang Nam Province. Hoi An, which means a peaceful meeting place, was an important international trading port in Southeast Asia from the 15th century to the 19th century. The food culture of Hoi An, which combines cheap and abundant seafood ingredients with Eastern and Western cuisines, still makes it difficult for gourmets to pass up this place.
From Da Nang city, we drove about 30km southeast to arrive at Hoi An. Our accommodation is the Renaissance Hoi An Resort & Spa (hereinafter referred to as Renaissance Hoi An). The resort has the crystal clear waters of Cua Dai Beach spread out before our eyes, and since there are almost no Korean guests, we can really feel like we are overseas. It is also close to the Old Town, the most famous tourist destination in Hoi An.
![A ‘good value’ Hoi An trip that comes with gaining weight… Poolside BBQ in the 50,000 won range [동아리]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/07/26/126134705.2.jpg "A ‘good value’ Hoi An trip that comes with gaining weight… Poolside BBQ in the 50,000 won range [동아리]")
This place was originally operated under the name of Vinpearl Resort & Spa Hoi An. It was recently sold to Marriott International, changed its name, and was renovated. As expected of a newly opened resort, the chefs were busy developing new menus.
A Vietnamese food tour that will make you eat until you burst for 30,000 to 50,000 won
The first lunch I had in Hoi An was a menu called LADY TRIEU GIN. It is a course meal that pairs Gin with the food of the four major gourmet regions of Vietnam, and at the time of the interview, it had not yet been officially released. Renaissance Resort’s Chief Chef Jilure and Chef Tang came out and explained the cooking method for each dish and checked the reaction. The price was set at around 30,000 won per person.
The first course was Mekong Delta Dry Gin. It was a dish featuring grilled meatball rolls in the style of Cai Rang, first created by a woman named Tu Cuom who lived on the banks of the Cai Rang Canal half a century ago. Meatballs, rice noodles, pickled carrots and radish, herbs, and lime were served on a round plate. A glass of refreshing gin with a cucumber flavor was served. The second course was Dalat Flowerbomb Gin. It was a grilled beef dish with Dalat artichokes. It is said that artichokes are stuffed into the beef, seasoned with wine and spices, baked in the oven, and then grilled over charcoal to give it a fragrant aroma. The meat is completely drained of fat and is light. It is served with a fragrant gin with a subtle floral aroma.
The third course was Hoi An Spice Road Gin. A large plate of grilled mixed seafood from Co Rong Island was served. Co Rong Island is said to be a historical island that influenced the formation of Hoi An’s port city. It is a popular island with a mild climate and abundant seafood. The last course was decorated with Sapa Citrus Tea Gin. It was a northwestern style grilled chicken dish with Macken seeds. It is made from a local chicken called black chicken. The chicken was dipped in a special herb sauce that tasted like cookie seasoning. It was eaten with gin that had a strong citrus flavor.
The Italian Set Dinner 2024, which is enjoyed at a romantic restaurant, is also an ambitious new menu prepared by the chefs. A variety of Italian breads, butters, and canapés are served first, but you shouldn’t eat too much. This is followed by calamari friti, fried squid with tartar sauce and lime, and carpaccio di manzo. Carpaccio di manzo is thinly sliced beef tenderloin with lemon vinaigrette, served with fresh lettuce and slices of Parmesan cheese. Zuppa di fungi, mushroom soup with fragrant truffle oil, guava sorbet, and chicken scaloppini, grilled chicken breast seasoned with red wine, mustard seeds, and cream, are served in order to please the eyes. Finally, homemade vanilla ice cream with strawberries and balsamic reduction is served for dessert. After eating everything, I thought of a spicy soup pasta and asked the chef for it, and he happily made it for me even though it wasn’t on the menu. Dinner costs about 52,000 won per person. Wine and cocktail prices are separate.
Renaissance Hoi An has 193 rooms, including 25 private pool villas and suites with 3 to 5 bedrooms. If you are staying in a pool villa with a family of 4 or more, we recommend experiencing the IN-VILLA BBQ. You can enjoy the luxury of a sumptuous BBQ party next to the private pool with a view of the ocean at sunset. Chefs will come to the villa and grill meat and seafood on the barbecue grill. Salad soups are served buffet style, and main courses include crab, beef steak, lamb, pork ribs, and oysters. In addition, grilled vegetables, noodle dishes, fruits, and sweet desserts are also served. The cost is about 55,000,000 won per person.
There is also an IN-VILLA LAZY BREAKFAST service for those who sleep in after eating, drinking, and playing all night. Waffles, cereals, seasonal fruits, salads, cheese platters, local fish platters, sausages, bacon, hash browns, bread baskets with jams, juice, tea, Vietnamese coffee, etc. are served in the villa. The chef will make omelets or scrambles in the kitchen, and even pho is ready in a jiffy.
Renaissance Hoi An also offers cooking classes. It is an experience event where you can cook and eat Vietnamese food yourself. I learned how to make green mango shrimp salad, stir-fried chicken, and coconut waffles in the beautiful hotel garden with a view of the ocean. Stir-fried chicken with lemongrass and chili peppers is perfect for Koreans. The chicken soaked in spicy sauce tasted like seasoned chicken. Sauces are delicious wherever you go in Vietnam. It made sense when TV entertainment programs showed guests stopping by Vietnamese markets to buy a lot of sauces.
Exploring the fairytale-like alleys of Old Town
Hoi An is a city where the past and present coexist. If you go to the ‘Old Town’, which was registered as a World Cultural Heritage in 1999, you can see Vietnam in the past when it flourished as an international trading port. You can also enjoy cheap and delicious Vietnamese coffee at modern and trendy cafes.
Renaissance Hoi An had a ‘navigator program’, which allowed me to tour the old town with ease. It was a program where a local expert living in the hotel would recommend tourist attractions and connect me with a local guide. I was assigned a female guide, Ms. A, who seemed to have enjoyed watching the Korean drama ‘Seonjae Up and Twit’ (starring Byun Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon). She showed me a picture of actor Byun Woo-seok and bragged, “My husband.”
The first stop was the 400-year-old Japanese Bridge, a symbol of the Old Town. It is a famous wooden bridge that is even depicted on the Vietnamese 20,000 dong currency. It was built by Japanese people who settled in Hoi An during the time when trade in porcelain with Japan was active, and it is characterized by a roof on top of the bridge. There are statues of monkeys and dogs at both ends of the bridge. The true charm of this bridge is seen at night. The soft bridge lights reflecting on the river are very beautiful, and it is said to be popular as a night view spot. Unfortunately, it was under repair when I visited, so I could only see part of the bridge.
Crossing the Naiyuan Bridge, you will come across an old Chinese village. The Chinese built several assembly halls in Hoi An to hold community meetings. The largest one is the Fujian Assembly Hall, built in the 17th century by Fujian merchants. It is famous as a meeting place for Fujian Chinese and a temple to worship the goddess of the sea. The ceiling of the Fujian Assembly Hall is filled with red incense sticks in the shape of springs, which are said to symbolize good fortune. On the walls of the main hall of the Assembly Hall are dragon reliefs and paintings of merchant ships in danger of running aground in the rough waves and the goddess coming to save them.
The Old Town also contains houses where Vietnamese merchants lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Old House of Tan Ky, designated as a Grade 1 ancient house by the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Administration, has an impressive unique architectural style that mixes Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and European styles. The first floor is a shop selling food, tea, etc., and the second floor is a residential space. The 7th generation of descendants currently live there. When the nearby Thu Bon River overflows, the first floor is submerged, and the water level is marked with the date each time. When I visited, the owner, who is in his 80s, greeted the guests. The old man asked the reporter in clear English, “Where are you from?” He looked sharp for his age.
The Thu Bon River is a must-see tourist attraction when traveling to the Old Town. During the day, you can take a small boat and tour the entire Hoi An along the Thu Bon River, and at night, you can experience floating lanterns (wish lanterns). If you visit during the lantern festival on the 15th day of the lunar calendar every month, you can see the spectacular sight of countless lanterns floating on the river like the lanterns in the Disney movie ‘Rapunzel’ floating into the sky. You can also watch a dance drama about the founding myth of Vietnam at the nearby Hoi An Traditional Arts Performance Theater.
Recently, Hoi An has been seeing an increase in sentimental cafes, restaurants, and select shops. As you walk through the cute yellow-walled alleys, you will see many pretty shops. Among them, we went to U Cafe, which our guide loved. The view from the window seat on the first floor was good. The Google reviews were also good. We ordered coconut coffee, salt latte, and egg coffee with our group, and they were all priced around 3,000 won. After ordering and waiting, cups with pretty latte art came out. The coconut coffee was richer than the hotel coffee, and the salt latte had a sweet, salty, and rich taste. The egg coffee was made by whisking an egg in a whisk to make fine foam and placing it on top of the coffee, and it was smooth and not bitter.
If you go further down the alley, you can see people carrying takeout drinks topped with pretty pink lotus petals. It is MOT tea from M Restaurant, which is often mentioned as a place to visit when traveling to Hoi An among foreign SNS users. The waiter used a ladle to scoop up a large jar of MOT tea and put it in my cup. The guide said, “It’s a good herbal tea to drink when you get thirsty from the heat while walking around the Old Town streets.” It is a tea made with honey and herbs, and it tastes like sweet and fragrant omija tea. It is also affordable at around 900 won per cup, so I highly recommend trying it.
STIR-FRY CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS & CHILI
This dish is spicy and full of flavor, with the rich flavors of chicken combined with lemongrass and chili peppers.
△Material
500g chicken legs, 5 stalks of lemongrass, 2 chilies, onion, garlic, green onion, shallot, turmeric powder, a little curry powder, fish sauce, chicken powder, pepper, oil
△Cooking method
1. Marinate the chicken in salt, ginger, and wine (if available), then wash. Use a small knife to remove the bones. If you don’t have time, skip the bone removal step and cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Season the chicken as follows:
– 1 tablespoon fish sauce
– 1 teaspoon pepper
– A little turmeric powder for color, a little curry powder
– 1 bunch of chopped lemongrass (use the remaining ginger and lemongrass when stir-frying the chicken)
3. Stir-fry the chicken
– Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan, then add the onion, garlic, and half of the lemongrass and stir-fry.
– Stir-fry all the ingredients above until golden brown, then add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce for flavor.
– Next, add the chicken and stir-fry over high heat.
Hoi An = Choi Hyun-jung, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
2024-07-28 03:57:08