Cindy and Banh Béo (Vietnam)

Cindy treated me to dinner at one of her favorite places— a small street shop near the airport that sells Banh Béo— rice cakes with various toppings served in small round dishes. You have to scrape it with chopsticks to eat it. All this Banh Béo for 20,000 VND or 90 US cents.

I love Saigon because I end up connecting with people so easily— at cafes, at bookstores, or even in short elevator rides. Cindy is one such person I met at a random place, and we meet up once in a while. Living on a student budget in Saigon, Cindy has become an expert at finding inexpensive eats.