Down Home Country Folk.

Sometimes a little home style is all you need- even if you're approX. 7,809 miles from your original crib. Here's a little guesthouse situated on Hồ cốc beach, about 120 km up the coast from Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. What this spot lacks in basic western conveniences (HBO, sauna, heated toilet seats, Alaskan crab leg buffet, electricity, drinkable water..) it makes up for in rustic charm. A sort of charm you don't fully recognize after only your first visit when leaving with no less than 27 mosquito bites on your backside. Naw, I think a return visit is required to fully feel the love that family spots like this provide. I took a weekend trip out here back in November..and now I'm blogging about it.

Don't let the 1 star looks fool ya. 5 star charisma.

No set-in-stone menu here, but the husband and wife couple here will ask you what it is you're hankering for, then scoot off to the market to pick up the goods. This kid already knows what he wants.

Tonight's dinner is Cá sốt cà chua, or fish with a tomato sauce. Start with a full flavored fish like mackerel and chop it up into steak portions. In Việt Nam, they don't do those dainty, boneless fillet cuts. The skin and bone are left on, which provides maximum flavor. No comparison! Don't even argue.

After the fish is fried to a golden brown, it's combined with a tangy sauce of fresh tomatoes, scallions, garlic, sugar, fish sauce and M.S.gizzle

In Nam, everyone has one of these tabletop gas cookers. Oven-cooked dishes (with the exception of baked goods like breads and pastries) are virtually non-existent in Vietnamese cuisine. Just slap a lip on the pan...there's ur damn oven.

A finished plate of Cá sốt cà chua: sweet, salty and sour with a little KICK from the fresh scallions. Grub with a side of Rau Muống Xào Tỏi (stir-fried morning glory with garlic: A northern Việt Nam specialty). Don't forget to spoon that sauce over your rice; all smiles after that.

Vietnamese style beach play time: No swimsuit necessary!!

Stay Saucy.