Beer Ahoy?

Anyone who spends a good deal of time in Vietnam cannot avoid the Bia Hoi, cornerstone of Vietnamese male social life.

A bia hoi (literally 'fresh beer') is for all intents and purposes a beer hall. In fact, the Vietnamese apparently got the idea from the Czechs. Within, on the usual plastic chairs and aluminum tables, one can find a 90% male clientele cheerfully consuming large quantities of very cheap, light beer and having the best time.

One thing about Vietnamese drinking: there are alot of toasts. People frequently clink their glasses with cries of 'Yo!' and, if someone yells '100%!' they will drain their glasses to the bottom.

Beyond this, most bia hois have expansive menus spanning much of the animal kingdom - the usual beef, chicken, pork and shrimp but also frog, snake, various other birds, squid, and other things to offend the squeamish.

In short, they're wonderful.