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“A poorly grilled turbot is a turbot that has died in vain.” This is the motto that hangs in Kai Kaipe, one of the two stars in a village that really shouldn’t have any. They specialize, like Elkano, in grilled fish. Locals who prefer Kai Kaipe do so for the wine list and the ambience.

Vietnam’s capital offers hotels with pockets of peace—lakeside tai chi sessions and ancient pagodas—amid the city’s motorbikes and hawker stalls. For a classic stay, book a room at the Sofitel Legend Metropole, a landmark in Hanoi’s French Quarter. Culture junkies should base themselves at the Hotel de L’ Opera Hanoi or the Hilton Hanoi Opera. InterContinental Hanoi Westlake is just north of the bustling Old Quarter, but offers a serene waterfront setting.

A once-impenetrable country reveals itself to writer Matt Gross one meal at a time.

The Vietnamese rise early and work hard, and a nourishing morning meal along with some rocket-fuel coffee goes a long way toward setting up the day. The breakfast staple is, of course, pho, and its warming goodness shouldn’t be missed. Western-style sustenance—from crepes to steak and eggs—is also easy to find within the city.

While big international bands tend to stick to Ho Chi Minh City (if they visit Vietnam at all), Hanoi can nonetheless offer its share of quality live tunes. And when no live musician is onstage, a talented DJ is often on hand to lend a creative soundtrack for the evening.

With settlement dating back to 1699, the “Little City” is named for The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish (for whom President George Washington was a vestryman). At only 2.2 square miles, this historic suburb of Washington, D.C. is known for its urban village community, nationally ranked school system, restaurants, and a thriving Hispanic and Vietnamese community.

Central Vietnam was one of the heaviest affected regions of the country during the American War. There is little evidence of fighting at many of the war sites nowadays, but several spots remain fascinating for history buffs.

With a long and often tumultuous history that encompasses the heady days of the Champa Kingdom, Hoi An’s heyday as a regional trading hub, the American War, and Vietnam’s recent emergence as a tourist destination, the central part of the country is not short in intrigue.

Alternative new venues underscore Hanoi’s status as the nation’s capital of understated hip. Hanoi has pop-up cafés in the homes of artists, cafés that strike the right balance between quality coffee and youthful atmosphere. Also, tucked-away you will find Hanoi’s bars and music venues purveying heady cocktails, and soundtracks covering all bases from Thai funk to hip-hop beats sampled from scratchy vintage Vietnamese records.

Founder’s Note: Uncommon Travels

Comfort food doesn’t have to be heavy and drowned in grease: just try pho, the light and flavorful Vietnamese soup that’s much loved by Seattleites. Than Brothers is the local chain, with locations all around town, but the Capitol Hill one is one of their longer-established restaurants. First-timers can start with the classic #1, medium-rare beef, before advancing to options such as tripe and tendon; chicken, meatball, and vegetarian choices are also available. The “small” bowl is a hearty, filling portion for about $5, and comes with their trademark cream puff, but add on a Vietnamese iced coffee or tea for an extra sugar-and-caffeine rush. As their menu notes, pho is particularly good when you’re feeling under the weather — Vietnam’s answer to chicken noodle soup, perhaps?

With a fantastic location by Hoan Kiem Lake and some of the best-prepared Vietnamese food in the Old Quarter, this stylish venue is onto a winner. The dishes here are very much old-style Vietnamese. There are no bells and whistles or attempts at fusion, but down-home creations such as pork steamed in coconut, fried tofu with lemongrass, and shrimp in chili sauce are right on the money.

Inspired by the cooking of his wife’s grandmother, Madame Hien is chef Didier Corlou’s attempt at upscale but unfussy Vietnamese cuisine. Set in the former Spanish embassy, it is a beautiful spot for both lunch and dinner, with the outside courtyard in particular providing refuge from Hanoi‘s busy streets. Dishes, meanwhile, run the gamut from traditional classics to Corlou’s “New Hanoi” creations, adding exotic twists to familiar French and Vietnamese staples.

Spoken of in almost reverential terms by people that have traveled there, Sa Pa is often seen as a holy grail of destinations in Vietnam. Part of that is because of the environment—a cool mountain town that has lured visitors with its salubrious air and alpine scenery since the early 20th century, when the French constructed facilities for sick officers to recover—as well as its remoteness, located close to the Chinese border in the country’s extreme north. Most visitors come to Sa Pa for the hiking in the nearby valley peppered with minority-ethnic-group villages, or to climb Mount Fansipan, the country’s tallest peak, which is located just southwest of the town. Conquering the summit once required a two-to-three-day hike, but now can more easily be reached with the help of a cable car (opened in 2016) that gets you most of the way.

At over 1,000 years old, Hanoi is not exactly a spring chicken. For some truly ancient Vietnamese history, however, it is worth spending time at Co Loa, the country’s first fortified citadel and a onetime capital of the nation dating back to the third century. Only three of the original earthen ramparts are extant today, but a pretty temple underneath a banyan tree provides added diversion.