BY: Graham Holliday, former Reuters correspondent, BBC journalism trainer, and author of the blog noodlepie
WHAT: An English blogger/journalist goes on a culinary quest for the best street food in Vietnam.
FOR WHOM: For foodies, world travelers (more adventurous ones)
WHY: I loved this book, but must confess to a bit of bias, having served as a foreign correspondent myself in Southeast Asia. Holliday conjures up both the revealing and revolting in his journey as he searches for the best (such as Vietnam’s finest pho, the ubiquitous noodle soup served both the north and south of the country) and sometimes encounters the worst. As he says, “You just kind of take chances. You just literally follow your nose.” Some squeamish readers may find some of the incidents a bit too much. But this a lively, funny, well-written book. Bring on the pho!
PUBLISHER: Anthony Bourdain/Ecco Press, 2015
BOOK RECOMMENDATION BY: Gary Thomas