Bánh Mì Lãn Ông, Hanoi, Vietnam

It is a very long way from Iowa to Hanoi, and after giving it a lot of thought, I opted for the travel route that had us arriving at night, figuring that no matter how much or how little we were able to sleep en route that it would be okay to go to bed more or less upon arrival. I had arranged a tour of sorts, which included a guide when we were seeing sights and a driver, and luckily both greeted us at the airport that first night. Despite having been fed along the way, we were a bit hungry when we approached our hotel, and given the late hour, little was open.

Fear not, though--street food is the last thing to shut down, and our guide steered us to this shop, which made an excellent sandwich! The bread was perfect, just the right balance between a crunchy outside and a soft inside, and the fillings were spot on. It was the perfect first food to have in Vietnam, one of our favorites that we can get in the United States, and it hit the spot, topping us up in order to get a (relatively) good night of sleep, ready to get up and take on the challenges of finding our way in the Old Quarter in Hanoi.