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| Bò Kho ranks first place in TasteAtlas' top 10 Best Rated Southeast Asian Meat Dishes (Photo: Internet) |
TasteAtlas’ food rankings are based on the ratings given by their audience, featuring a series of mechanisms. As of March 30, as many as 2,889 ratings were recorded, of which 1,743 were recognised by the system as legitimate.
First place went to Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew). The dish is a popular Vietnamese beef stew that can be consumed on its own or accompanied by a baguette on the side.
TasteAtlas noted that it can also be served over noodles, together with a variety of fresh herbs. The dish includes ingredients such as diced beef, carrots, lemongrass, cinnamon, chili, pepper, garlic, and shallots, all of which are simmered in a spicy and aromatic broth.
Bò nhúng dấm (Beef in Vinegar Hot pot) ranked second in the list – a dish that is traditionally served in a communal style.
“In its basic form, the dish consists of a vinegar-flavored broth that may also include coconut milk or coconut water, lemongrass, onions, or other additions, while typical accompaniments include thinly sliced raw beef and an assortment of fresh vegetables and herbs such as bean sprouts, daikon, lettuce, cucumbers, mint, basil, and perilla leaves,” the website noted.
Bún chả (Grilled Pork Meatballs with Vermicelli Noodles) ranked in fourth place.
The food magazine revealed that the dish combines three elements:a bowl of grilled pork meatballs served in a cold broth; a plate of rice noodles; and a combination of various fresh greens such as perilla leaves, lettuce, coriander, and morning glory.
It stressed that although bún chả or similar varieties can be found in other parts of Vietnam, the local Hanoi version is typically held in the highest regard.
“Not much is known about its history or origin, but the dish became internationally recognized in 2016 when it was featured on the show Parts Unknown – in which the host Anthony Bourdain enjoyed bún chả together with the former president Barack Obama,” TasteAtlas concluded.
Other dishes named in the TasteAtlas’ list were Ayam goreng of Indonesia, Inasal na manok of the Philippines, Satay of Indonesia, Rendang of Indonesia, Lechon of the Philippines, Larb of Laos, and Lechon kawali of the Philippines.
Hot spell intensifies, highest temperature of 42℃ recorded
A hot spell hit the western part of Vietnam on May 16 morning and spread across the north-eastern, north-central and central regions, with the average daytime temperature reaching more than 37℃, reported VOV.
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| Hot spell intensifies, highest temperature of 42℃ recorded (Source: vov.vn) |
A scorching summer is expected this year as El Nino is said to return this year.
Statistics show at 1pm 37.9℃ was recorded in Hoa Binh province in the north, and 37℃ in Ha Tinh province in the central region.
Notably, more than 42℃ was reported in some places of Quy Hop, Tuong Duong and Thai Hoa districts in Nghe An province, a locality in central Vietnam.
At that time the relative humidity also fell to a low of 60% or even 40% in some places.
The hot spell is forecast to increase its intensity on May 17 and reach its peak on May 18 to grip large areas from the northern to central regions.
In Hanoi, people felt the heat when they ventured out by noon on May 16, with daytime temperatures rising to 35-37℃.
In addition to the heat, the ultraviolet index in most of the areas reached high levels of 10 - 11, causing harm to people’s health.
The ongoing heat wave is anticipated to last till early next week.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, it’s highly likely that the El Nino phenomenon will return this summer, bringing more heat waves and prolonged droughts.
This year is predicted to be hotter compared to 2022, and the fifth or sixth hottest year on record.
Vietjet presents one-year free airfares to Vietnamese women's football team
According to VNA, congratulating the Vietnamese women's football team on their gold medal at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, which is also the fourth consecutive championship at the biggest regional sport event, Vietjet has presented the players and coaches with free airfares within one year on all domestic routes that the airline is operating.
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| A Vietjet aircraft (Source: Vietjet) |
This is a thank-you gift that Vietjet has offered the team for their hard work and dedication to bring pride and happiness to football fans across the country.
Vietnam beat Myanmar 2-0 in the women’s football final of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia on May 15, becoming the first team to win the gold medal for the fourth time in a row.
Vietjet has always accompanied Vietnamese sport athletes and fans during various tournaments, including SEA Games.
The new-age carrier Vietjet has not only revolutionised the aviation industry in Vietnam but also been a pioneering airline across the region and around the world. With a focus on cost management ability, effective operations, and performance, applying the latest technology to all activities and leading the trend, Vietjet offers flying opportunities with cost-saving and flexible fares as well as diversified services to meet customers’ demands.
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| Vietnamese women's football team (Source: zingnews.vn) |
Vietjet is a fully-fledged member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. As Vietnam’s largest private carrier, the airline has been awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars by the world’s only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com and listed as one of the world's 50 best airlines for healthy financing and operations by Airfinance Journal in many consecutive years. The airline has also been named as Best Low-Cost Carrier by renowned organizations such as Skytrax, CAPA, Airline Ratings, and many others.
Quang Ninh to become centrally-run city by 2030
The northeastern province of Quang Ninh will become a centrally-managed city by 2030 with seven subordinate cities, making it a large metropolitan city with regional and international significance, reported VNA.
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| Ha Long city in Quang Ninh (Photo: VNA) |
The Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee has approved the Urban Development Programme of Quang Ninh Province to 2023. The province will develop seven cities within the centrally-run city, districts will not be formed in the city.
This model is unique as there is currently nothing similar explicitly defined in existing legal documents.
Those cities will be linked together by advanced technical infrastructure systems such as urban public transport systems or information and communication technology infrastructure.
The seven subordinate cities include Ha Long, Quang Yen, Uong Bi, Dong Trieu, Cam Pha, Van Don and Mong Cai cities.
Those cities are invested in building socio-economic and technical infrastructure following the criteria of Grade 1 cities by 2030. There are 152 commune-level administrative units, of which there are 77 wards.
The urban population is up to 850,000 people, accounting for 86.7% of the province’s population.
Five other urban areas are Tien Yen, Dam Ha, Binh Lieu, Ba Che and Co To.
According to the programme, Quang Ninh province will qualify to be a centrally-run city by 2023 and will strive to achieve structure and socio-economic development criteria. The other cities also will attempt to meet the criteria of a Grade 1 city.
Currently, Quang Ninh has 13 urban areas of which one city is a Grade 1 provincial-run city.
Along with that, Quang Ninh also has two coastal economic zones and three border gate economic zones. The province's urbanisation rate reaches 67.5%.
By 2030, the province will strive to have 12 administrative units with 12 urban areas, of which, four are Grade 1 cities including Ha Long, Mong Cai, Uong Bi and Cam Pha.
Tien Yen will be a Grade 3 city, Dam Ha, Binh Lieu-Hoanh Mo-Dong Van and Co To will be Grade 4 cities and one city of Grade 5 is Ba Che town.
The urbanisation rate will be over 75%./.