Hi food fans! Francesca here, your loyal snack scout and flavour reporter, with a very special update:
Today we left Japan (sob 😭) and touched down in Vietnam (yum 😋)!
It was a day of goodbyes, hellos, and one seriously tasty baguette. Let’s go!
🇯🇵 Japan: So Long, Slurps & Sushi
As our time in Japan came to an end, we couldn’t help but reflect on all the amazing things we’d seen, done, and — of course — eaten.
From slippery octopus and eel, to new discoveries like okonomiyaki (aka Japanese pancakes of joy), and plenty of old favourites:
- Sushi 🍣
- Katsu
- Wagyu 🐮
- Yakitori (on-a-stick magic)
- Fried chicken, noodles, and rice (shoutout to Lucia, our resident rice expert)
Japan served up flavours, culture, and fun in every direction, and we’ve officially fallen in love.
We’ll be back — maybe in winter next time so we can trade fluffy pancakes for fluffy snow!
We squeezed in one last train ride (because what’s a Japan trip without a good choo-choo?) and made our way to Osaka Airport.
Not much to report food-wise today (train station sandwiches = meh), BUT we did spot a genius invention we didn’t get to try:
The Sushi Burger. 🍔🍣
Yep, you read that right — Kobe beef, fried chicken, and more, all wrapped in rice and nori.
It looked messy. It looked magical. It’s on our must-eat-next-time list.
🇻🇳 Vietnam: Hello Heat, Horns & Hanoi Banh Mi
Touchdown in Hanoi! And wow — talk about a switch-up.
After Japan’s quiet order and spotless streets, arriving in Vietnam felt like jumping into the middle of a music video with scooters, street food, and a sky that looked like it had been painted for us. 🎨🌅
The taxi ride to our hotel was like a game of Scooter Tetris. We saw:
- Whole families on motorbikes
- A guy carrying 6 barrels of beer
- Another person balancing 3 bags of garbage and two chickens (probably)
Lucia loved it. Mum looked mildly terrified.
We finally reached our hotel, dropped our bags, and stared at each other with one shared thought:
We’re hungry.
Cue: Banh Mi across the street.
- Crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside bread
- Juicy chicken, fresh herbs, crunchy veggies
- Wrapped in paper, eaten in seconds
First meal in Vietnam: 10/10. Would banh mi again. 🥖🐔🌿
✨ Final Thoughts from Francesca
Japan — you were tidy, tasty and totally terrific. We’ll miss your vending machines, train station bakeries, and pancake wizardry.
Vietnam — you’re noisy, wild, and already delicious. Bring on the pho, rice paper rolls, and all the things-on-sticks we can find!
Until tomorrow’s feast,
Francesca (plus Ted, who is now rating scooters, and Lucia, who already smells like bánh mì) 💖🥢🌍
P.S. Dad says he still prefers Japan’s toilets. Everyone agrees. 🚽✅
Ted Tastes Francesca Feasts 
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