Along the way we had an introduction to the preparation of Vietnamese dishes which made a change from being totally in consumption mode.  We were amazed how the Vietnamese could turn out a range of lovely food from a single gas burner.   Back home we have found the barbecue a convenient substitute. 

The first difficulty when preparing exotic food is to get some of the more unusual ingredients required to make the recipes as authentic as possible.  In New Zealand we have found it impossible to obtain green papaya and green mango so have had to forgo some of the delightful salad dishes but it is amazing what can be done by substituting these with ingredients that are available.  For example, our favourite Auckland Vietnamese Restaurant, Fan Si Pan, makes a deliciously refreshing salad which mainly consists of shredded carrot, spring onion and bean sprouts with shredded chicken or prawns.