Vietnamese Delivery Food Unboxing in Da Nang, Vietnam (Rough Cut)

This is our first, impromptu attempt at doing a delivery food unboxing here in Vietnam. These bao dumplings are a big mystery and we were especially surprised by what was wrapped in the banana leaf.

We not only had to unbox the food, but we had to open the dumplings to find out what we got.

*On some of the links provided we might make a commission if you purchase something by clicking through our link. This creates no additional cost for you.


There are many times when I place an order for food and I’m really not sure what we’re getting. Even when I think I know what we’re getting, that’s not always the case.

The video is rough. We decided on the spur of the moment to do this and I was still getting used to the new recording equipment. Next time should be better, or not, but hopefully. 😉

Bon appétit.

Check out more of Team Hazard’s Food Adventures Around the World.

The Exotic Fruit Tasting in Vietnam tasting is one of our favorites as is Tim’s Fufu Challenge (in Ghana).

Video Transcript

TRINA: Ah, you’re too tall.

Hey Everyone, we just got an order of food from a place that does banh bao, which is a type of dumpling roll, and we’re going to share it with you.

TIM: Yep.
TRINA: Do you know what we got?
TIM: We got food.
TRINA: Yeah. One of, you’re getting a meat dumpling. We don’t know what kind of meat, just a meat dumpling.
TIM: Meat dumpling. You know, meat.
TRINA: And I got one shaped like a hedgehog. And we’ll show you the box, we’re gonna unbox it for you. So this is a Vietnamese food unboxing.
TIM: Okay.
TRINA: Okay, let’s do it. Okay, let’s take a look at what we’ve got.
TIM: This should be a yummy.
TRINA: They’re labeled, but that’s assuming that I remember what I ordered. Ooh, that one feels heavy. I think that’s, that might be the special, that might be the neat one. I’m not sure. We got one called special, one called meat, and then we got one hedgehog and one peach. Oh, gosh. Oh no, we got two each. That’s right.

Ah! There’s our little hedgehog. That’s our hedgehog dumpling.

TIM: Mmm, hedgehog. Grrr.
TRINA: Okay, oh…
TIM: It’s the bag of bottomless dumplings.
TRINA: Oh! That’s gotta be one of mine. It’s one of the triangular shaped ones and it’s all warmed up and it’s but it’s wrapped in plastic.
TIM: Oh.
TRINA: So I’m gonna have to fully unwrap that to find out what’s inside. Oh, and I think they send a guide with what’s in what.
TIM: Oh, now that’s helpful.


TRINA: I don’t know. That’s not what we got. Oh yeah, this is the (bon gil) and I’m probably messing up pronunciations, so. But I think that’s that one. Oh, dac biet, which I think was the special. Yeah, that’s the special. Thit looks the same. Some of these look the same. That picture with the the cute little pink ones right there, that’s what this is supposed to be. I can’t quite say that that is as advertised, but that’s the peach one. It looks kind of like a butt with diaper rash.


TIM: Oh gosh. I’m glad I can’t see.

TRINA: Okay, so I had to take a bite of each of them to see which one was which, and we have figured it out. This is the special, and it’s tasty. It looks like it’s all meat and with some kind of seasoning on it, but it’s fairly mild. It’s not cheesy at all. So you’ve got that bun. And they all have these little papers on the bottom, so if you ever get these make sure you don’t eat the paper on the bottom. So Tim, what do you have there?


TIM: I have chicken and cheese right here.
TRINA: Oh, mine has egg in it.
TIM: Oh, oh yeah.
TRINA: There’s a quail egg in it.
TIM: Yep, that’s yours. I despise quake ale.
TRINA: Quake ale?
TIM: Yes, quake ale. It’s delicious that way. The more ale, the better it is.
TRINA: And while he’s tasting that, I’m gonna try and unwrap this. I’m going to try and do it on camera for you. So how is your chicken and cheese? If there’s a magic way to open this…
TIM: [mumbling with a full mouth]

TRINA: There’s a tab. I’m going to try the tab.

No, tab’s not working very well, so…

TIM: That has a sweetness to it.
TRINA: Oh, the chicken and cheese?
TIM: Yeah, at least the outside part, the hull.
TRINA: Okay, here we go.

And do you want to taste your other one, the meat dumpling? See if you can figure out what kind of meat it is?

TIM: Oh, I did.
TRINA: Oh, you did?
TIM: So I tried that one first, and that.
TRINA: Oh, okay you snuck a bite. Yeah, okay, so this one is wrapped up in a banana leaf, or some kind of leaf.
TIM: Yeah, mon.

TRINA: And unfold and unfold and unfold.
TIM: It’s like eating an artichoke.

not that I’ve eaten an artichoke.

TRINA: Okay. It’s doughy. Oh, my. It reminds me of a tamale.
TIM: Oh, hey.
TRINA: It kind of has like the Central American ones, not the Mexican ones. It has the smooth masa. I’m calling it masa. Always, whenever you have (new) things, you relate them to what you know. So that’s what’s in there. You can almost see there’s an egg there. So let’s see what happens when I bite into this. So there’s our our mystery one.

Okay, that texture it does. It seems a lot like, a lot like a Central American tamale, like something from El Salvador, or something like that. We actually don’t know that from our travels, we know that from living in LA. Yeah because we had a, there was a great Salvadoran restaurant near our home.

I think, I think it’s like ground chicken and mushroom. I’m not sure about the mushroom. I’m not sure about the ground chicken, [Tim laughing] but it’s it’s ground meat and maybe some other green stuff. But you know I know they like to put mushrooms in these.

TIM: It’s ground something. Huh?
TRINA: I know they like to put mushroom in these. So that might be chopped up mushroom. And it’s got a little sauce on it. As I say it’s a lot like a tamale. So that’s that. And we’re gonna pause the video for a minute, we’re gonna eat our dinner, and then we’re gonna share the dessert ones with you.

So we finished our dinner and number one conclusion, you actually only need one of those to make a meal. We didn’t finish our second ones, but we wanted to show you what are supposed to be the dessert banh bao. Tim, we have the hedgehog and we have the one that’s supposed to be a peach but looks more like a baby’s butt with diaper rash. Which would you prefer?

TIM: Well, what are they supposed to be anyway?
TRINA: It’s supposed to be a peach, but I’m sure mine doesn’t have ground hedgehog.
TIM: Yours doesn’t have it?
TRINA: I think it’s supposed to have a custard in it. I’m taking the hedgehog.
TIM: Okay, fine. You asked me…
TRINA: I’m the one who wanted the hedgehog.
TIM: Huh?
TRINA: I’m the one that wanted the hedgehog, because it’s cute
TIM: Then why did you ask me which one do I want?
TRINA: You took too long to decide.
TIM: Bah. Grr.
Oops. [both laughing]
TRINA: Here you go.
TIM: Well it is the hedgehog.

TRINA: I put it on top of the box.
TIM: Oh, okay. Just remember I’m a blind guy.
TRINA: I know. So here’s the cute little hedgehog before I eat it.

and here’s the diaper baby butt peach before he eats it.

TIM: I’ll turn the the butt away, that way.
TRINA: I’m going to take, I’m going to eat the butt first so I’m not eating the head. Oh! Yep, I got custard. Okay, they say custard. I think it’s like yellow bean paste.
TIM: Oh, okay.


TRINA: If you’ve never had an Asian pastry, or something, or a sesame ball, with a yellow bean paste, red bean paste, green bean paste, they’re all really tasty. It’s on the sweet side and it’s good stuff. So that’s what’s inside the hedgehog. Tim’s going to give you a good look at what’s inside of his. Okay, what does it taste like? Does it taste like peach? It looks a little doughy.

TIM: Now it does, it tastes doughy. More than a little. It’s a dessert and usually I’m eating them so fast that I can’t give you an assessment.
TRINA: Is it tasty?
TIM: Yeah, it’s good. It has that light flavor that Vietnam has. All their sweets are sweet, but not quite, you know you can taste the sweetness but it’s such a light airy flavor.

TIM: Nom, nom, nom.
TRINA: So that was our first surprise unboxing of local Vietnamese food as we do from here in Da Nang. Did you enjoy it? [Tim nods vigorously]

We’ll be with you next time and we’ll show you a little bit more of what daily life in Da Nang is really like.

TIM: Bye.
TRINA: Bye.


Trina Phillips

I've been traveling to off-the-beaten-path destinations for more than 20 years. Now I'm sharing my continuing adventures in Africa.

View all posts

Add comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let Me Help You Plan Your Trip

Which African Country Should You Visit?

Map of Africa with a question mark over it

Awesome eBook!

Cover of eBook - Accra: An Opinionated City Guide, shows the Black Star Monument at Sunset
Cover of Packing List with Suitcase bearing flag of Ghana