Lonely Planet describes Vietnamese food as balanced between sour and sweet flavours, crunchy and silky textures, fried and steamed dishes, soups and salads. “Essentially it’s all about the freshness of the ingredients – chefs shop twice daily to collect just-picked herbs from the market,” it says. “Wherever you are, you’ll find exquisite local specialties – the ‘white rose’ of Hoi An, ‘banh xeo’ (savoury filled pancakes) of the south and centre, of the good ol’ ‘pho’ of the north.” It says eating out in Vietnam is just a feast for the eyes and treat for palate. In the Vietnam’s top 20 experience list, food tour is followed by Hoi An Ancient Town in the second place and Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park in third./.