Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1534780
W e begin our Viking voyage through Vietnam and Cambodia with dinner. In a handsomely restored colonial building in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's historic District 1. Soft rice paper rolls stuffed with sesame salmon, lemongrass crispy fried pork and La Vong grilled fish marinated in turmeric, galangal and dill. e Art Nouveau rooms at the fine dining Vietnam House are very stylish, and so is the food, classic Vietnamese dishes given a contemporary twist by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen. Luke divides his time between Australia and Vietnam and as huge fans we are having a bit of a moment. Because Luke is in the house. When he discovers we're from Australia he joins us at our table. We talk food of course. Luke is a passionate advocate for regional Vietnamese cuisine, and this unexpected and very delightful encounter sets the tone for our adventure aboard the Viking Saigon. An elegant new addition to the Viking fleet, Viking Saigon has been purpose built to ply the broad brown waters of the mighty Mekong as it threads through lush, green agricultural and fishing communities. From the get-go, we are immersed in the daily life of the river, ostensibly through its food because as one of our many charming local guides admits, "the people of the Mekong are obsessed with food". We visit little floating villages where fish are penned beneath the houses and fed through holes in living room floors; village children and dogs spend their entire lives afloat, splashing from door to door. Elsewhere wizened gents operate ingenious fulcrum-style nets to fish deeper waters. Most days we jump aboard little sampans to explore the river's fringes, put-putting the quiet channels of Evergreen Island (Vinh Hoa) visiting a farming family whose pretty house on stilts is lapped by fields of corn and aubergines. An epicurean exploration of VIETNAM & CAMBODIA We take a culinary journey through Vietnam and Cambodia on board Viking Saigon. Gain an insight into the daily life of the Mekong River's communities and learn about the fascinating flavours of this region. From stylish dinners in Ho Chi Minh City featuring modern twists on classic Vietnamese dishes by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen to vibrant food markets and some exotic delicacies not for the faint-hearted. WORDS CHRISTINE MCCABE 54 VIKING