I've been holding off from writing this post for a while now, keeping my fingers crossed that I'll eat a breakfast that beats this incredible morning feast I ate in Hoi An last week. So far, though, it's not happened, and to be frank, it would take something pretty bloody spectacular to top this one. So, here it is: The Best Breakfast of my Life.

As with all good breakfasts in Vietnam, it started early. Up and out of bed and on the streets by 7, I was rushing to the market when I encountered this: soymilk, Vietnam-style.

For me, this epitomizes all the differences between China and Vietnam's drinking cultures. In the former, soymilk is drunk hot or warm; in the latter, it's given the same treatment as coffee and tea - iced to within an inch of its life, which in China would be seen as a serious threat to one's health. Me, I adore it, and so nicely refreshed and ready for more substantial fare, I headed to the riverfront market, where, right on the edge of the quay, I found this:

The vendor was serving my quang, one of central Vietnam's most famous noodle dishes: springy rice noodles, beansprouts, herbs, shrimp, quail's eggs, chopped peanuts and a dash of lime juice.

Totally delectable, and even better with the beautiful view.

Most people would probably be satisfied by these two offerings, but predictably, not me. Feeling the weight of all Hoi An market's delicious foods on my shoulders, I felt duty bound to keep eating, and so headed next to a stall whose wares I had sampled the day before.

This is banh khaoi, and the stall came with a recommendation that did not disappoint. In the batter of freshly made pancakes nestles a piece of pork and half a shrimp, upon which is piled beansprouts, fresh herbs and green banana slices; the whole lot is then wrapped up in a sheet of rice paper, and dipped in a sweet and tangy sauce.

Though by this point I was pretty full, I figured I had just enough space for one more drink from a sinh to stall I'd spied just a few doors down.

And oh boy, was a glad that I did, for look what I got.

This wasn't your standard, middle of the road type sinh to, but a luxurious sinh to fit for a queen. Not only was it a blend of a number of different fruits (instead of the normal one), it had a topping which took the drink to a whole different level: crunchy, roasted slivers of coconut, a whole dried Chinese date, and juicy, lychee-flavour jelly cubes. Many different textures going on there, and for some perhaps too many, but I couldn't get enough of it - although, as you might imagine, I drank this last part of The Best Breakfast of my Life very, very slowly.

Hanoi is, as I've already mentioned, an utterly charming city, and one of these many charms is it's rich cafe culture. I'm not talking about the (often lovely) kind of cafe aimed towards foreign tourists; but rather the countless unfussy establishments that cater to the local's seemingly unquenchable thirst for coffee and tea, both hot and cold.

I've been hugely enjoying this cafe culture over the past week, especially when with my great friend Karin, who was also in Hanoi until just the other day. The cafes we've been frequenting are not the sort of places to linger on one's own with a book or a newspaper, but they are perfect for a quick drink and chat with a buddy.

One particular joint Karin and I went to several times was a rather characterful place near the apartment where we were staying. This area, far away from the touristy centre, was nonetheless full of great eateries, and at midday the streets were full and bustling with office workers on their lunch break. Karin and I would often come to this area for a breakfast bowl of pho or bun, followed by a glass of this cafe's excellent coffee - black for Karin, white for me.

I actually don't usually drink coffee, but the way there serve it here in Vietnam, ice-cold and with a generous dollop of sweet condensed milk, turns it closer to chocolate milk-shake than espresso - which, luckily, suits me all the better.

104 Ngoc Khanh
Ba Dinh district
Hanoi