The Hungry Bunny

Because we were celebrating a dear friend's birthday, we got a cake from the Little House of Dreams , adjacent to Ben & Jerry's . The little cafe looks like a tea party set-up in the astro-turfed garden of a little princess, so totally girly I almost expected My Little Pony or a unicorn to pop out. The Fragrant Earl Grey Cake ($55) was so much prettier than it tasted. The blush buttercream confection was too saccharine, and the bergamot aroma was overpowering. Should have gotten an ice-cream cake from Ben & Jerry's instead. Little House of Dreams  Blk 8 Dempsey Road #01-14 Tel: 6472 4977 Open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 10.30pm; Fridays from 11am to 11pm; Saturdays from 9am to 11pm; Sundays from 9am to 10.30pm Website: www.littlehouseofdreams.com

This upmarket eatery is quite the popular haunt of many an expat. Street food purists will likely scoff, but I really liked the food here. It's clean (well, cleaner than most Vietnamese eateries anyway), windy (so we weren't perspiring even though it was open-aired), furniture was at regular adult-height (instead of the typical dwarfed chairs), and the seafood was fresh (what you see swimming in tanks will be what's served on your table barely 20 minutes after you take a seat). Prices reflect the premium set-up, but we thought it value-for-money and reasonable. The Pomelo Seafood Salad (VND95,000), or goi buoi hai san, was an assortment of poached prawns (deshelled for convenience) and squid, both perfectly cooked so they were springy yet soft, fresh mint, julienned carrots, and lashings of golden fried shallots. Fantastic salad, and a must-order. The succulent Grilled Chicken (VND320,000) or ga nuong lu, redolent of the smoky grill, was wonderfully imbued with the

We stopped by Ben & Jerry's for some post-dinner desserts. It may be overflowing with kids galore, but the ice-cream flavours are staggeringly awesome. You can pack a whole array of flavours exclusive to its brick-and-mortar shop, which are unavailable retailed in the supermarkets.  The Salted Caramel Blondie ($6.50) was my favourite, even if some of my friends thought it too saccharine. Sweet cream ice-cream that was like a salt-enhanced vanilla base, a salted caramel swirl, and blonde brownies was just perfection in a cup. Disclaimer: I'm nutters over salted caramel so I'm totally biased in favour of anything salted caramel. For those who prefer something light, the Mango Mango ($6.50) was tempered sweetness, with a fruity twist. Inspired by the banana split waffle cup, a friend got the Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz ($10.50 for regular), a base of coffee ice-cream mottled with espresso bean fudge chunks, and topped with bananas, fudge, and peanuts.

Seafood is a must-eat in Da Nang. While the most visible of seafood restaurants are along My Khe Beach, where the prime real estate is, we also noted that these restaurants were mostly populated with tourists. I suppose it's like seafood restaurants in Clarke Quay, which no self-respecting local patronizes, and also regularly attract CASE complaints for overcharging tourists. I can only expect that the entire stretch of sea-front seafood joints flanking the main beach would be overpriced, and quite unlikely to be authentically delicious. According to the locals, walk a little further inland, away from the main beaches, to the street of Vo Van Kiet, which is lined with seafood options crowded with locals. We popped into one, just because the origins of its name tickled us so much. Apparently, said seafood joint was named after its owner, affectionately call "Fat Nam" by the locals. In fact, its logo of a rotund guy is actually a caricature of him! We thought the seafoo

Da Nang street food is notably different from Hanoi's street food , and has its own distinct identity. It's right in the middle of Vietnam, and next to the sea, so its cuisine draws influence from the Imperial cuisine of nearby Hue, the sea-moderated tropical climate, and its history of being the R&R of many an American GI. Think lots of seafood, and Vietnamese-styled American fare like pizza. Unlike Hanoi which has the Old Quarter (where you find a concentration of the most amazing street food), street food in Danang is comparatively spread out. It's practically hiking if you plan to get from one street food stall to the next, so your best bet is to get with a food tour. We did 3 different food tours in 2 days, and would recommend our favourite, Danang Foodie, for all your food tour needs. Book a private one on a motorbike. You ride pillion and experience first-hand the life of a typical resident. Many of their guides are local university students, and give an hon