Bai Tu Long Bay - What we ate

I have to admit I started the Halong Bay cruise with some trepidation about the food situation.  I knew the scenery would be fantastic, and I figured the lodgings couldn't be too bad given the glowing Tripadvisor reviews, but I knew that boats and food and I don't always mix well.  And I'm not talking about getting seasick and losing my breakfast, I'm talking about the quality of the dining experience.  The last time I got fed on a boat, lunch consisted of a bony little fish that gave me the evil eye until I made somebody else debone it and huck the head overboard.  (Well, not overboard, because I didn't want it to come back and bite me when I went swimming later, but someplace out of sight at any rate.)

Anyway, turns out this time I had nothing to worry about.  The food we ate on the first day of the cruise was great.  I mean, there was no risk of its getting a Michelin star, but the freshness and quality of the seafood was obvious and much appreciated.  Also, the chef got a little creative with the presentation on some of the dishes, which was fun. 

Lunch

Mushroom and tomato soup

Clams

Prawns
(I do not understand why prawns can't be served without the body parts.)

Sauteed squid and vegetables

Green oranges and watermelon

Dinner

French fries -- sugared, not salted

Green mango salad

Spring rolls
The eagle is carved pumpkin

Spring rolls

Crabs
The boat is carved watermelon, the sails are carrots.

Staring contest

I won

Chicken



Pork

Choko (kind of bland)

Grilled mackerel

Flan
(does anyone else think flan is way overrated?)

There was less panache on the second day, and breakfast was downright boring, but the food was still perfectly decent and we were able to disembark and start our journey back to the Hanoi airport without having to search for a place to eat lunch first.

Breakfast



Lunch

Stir-fried chicken, rice, scallops with cauliflower, some kind of slaw