I wish I could read Vietnamese.

A prawn brunch: I order soft-shell prawns/shrimp fried in a caramelised garlic syrup.

Apologies to Chef but I can’t stand eating soft-shell anything.

Oh well, my fault, so I attack the prawns with alacrity and dexterity, and do my best to de-shell the sticky little critters – much to the amusement of the restaurant staff.

The meal is sweet and delicious; the hot, crunchy, “candied” tiny prawn legs have obvious appeal.

Travel is an adventure – and I only shelled out (yes, awful pun!) 186k dong/AUD$12