The number of rock formations in Hạ Long Bay—1,969—brings good luck, according to Bourdain’s oldest friend in Vietnam and his former Foreign Affairs Ministry minder, Dinh Hoang Linh. “Six is for fortune, and nine is for forever—so fortune forever,” he told Bourdain.

Tony started this Vietnam journey at this bún ốc restaurant in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Bún ốc is a snail noodle soup.

Tony met with Thao Griffiths, the country director of the Vietnam Foundation. They ate Banh cuon, a dish of ground pork with wood ear mushroom in a thin rice noodle roll that is dipped in broth.

Also known as "Cussing Noodles" due to the owner yelling at people, but is Tony's friend Ha Pham's favorite place to get bún chin zou, or as Tony describes, "a glorious steaming bowl of rice noodles with spicy chilies, a rich hearty porky broth with pig's knuckles and snout. It's the only item on the menu and it's good!"

Tony met with his old friend Dinh Hoang Linh, his former Foreign Affairs Ministry minder. "Bia Hảirefers to the roadside joints where locals gather to enjoy keg dispensed, freshly brewed draft beer

Tony met with President Obama (while he was in office) to have bún chả. It was Obama's first visit to Vietnam, and it reminded him of his childhood visits to Indonesia. They shared cold beers and bún chả, a traditional Vietnamese soup of grilled pork belly, pork patties, and noodles served in a broth of vinegar, sugar, fish sauce and served with chilies. Obama told a story about a city in Indonesia called Puncak where he would eat at a roadside restaurant overlooking the tea fields, with a river running through the restaurant. You could pick a fish and they'd fry it and serve it with a bed of rice. Obama said it was a simple meal but his favorite.