Going local
Just around the corner from our hotel, we saw a "sidewalk cafe" with loads of people and decided this has to be the place. You almost always can't go wrong where there's a big crowd and especially when they're all locals.
My Vietnamese vocabulary is extremely limited, but I've learned enough to know when I've chanced upon a porridge or noodle stall and when I should avoid thit cho at all cost. Yet my Vietnamese food words failed me as we didn't come across any pho or bun or chao sign. Still, we pulled out a small blue plastic stool and observed what the next table was having. We asked what it was they were eating and from what few English words we could discern, it seemed like some cow spare parts.
Unperturbed, I waved for the attention of a young man and indicated "one" with my index finger.
I got served a bia hoi. Tastes no different from back home and gave me a pink flush after.
Bia hoi is fresh local beer, which around this region is something they brewed daily. It's not an illegal activity so to speak but the "breweries" are not exactly regulated either. Bia hoi are stored not in barrels but jumbo metal containers with a short hose attached to the bottom, for pouring. An efficient use of garden hose I must say.
Let's try this again
With not much luck there, we decided to hunt down some bun cha (vermicelli with grilled pork and minced pork) instead. Walking further down from the "sidewalk cafe", we turned into Duong Thanh Street. By now, The BF was getting hungry (I had a bia hoi, remember?) and almost all the shops along this street had its shutters down.
As we persevered on, we saw Dac Kim (67 Duong Thanh Street) and the words bun cha... ahhh, a sight for sore eyes. As we walked in, they gave a welcoming smile and ushered us upstairs. A lady asked us how many portions we wanted. Besides bun cha, they also have nem, crab meat spring rolls. "Very good," she said. We asked for one portion of each.
If you think the picture looks good, it tastes even better! The BF, who's got burnt food phobia, lapped it all up without much thought. I guess bun cha takes precedence over phobia, hehe. It's so good I wished I have not had any breakfast or downed that stupid bia hoi, coz I wanted to order two portions of barbeque just for myself. The nem's rather so-so but The BF like it a lot. Prices of food are displayed prominently on the walls, so I'm quite sure they're fair.
Spend a bit
At Vnd100,000 (equivalent to about RM20) per head, it's still a tad too expensive for a kopitiam-ish, rickety chairs and tables set-up. But I really miss cha ca (fried fish) and it's one of the main reasons why I'm back in Hanoi. And the only place I would have this is at Cha Ca La Vong (14 Cha Ca Street).
Like my last visit here, the place is still really popular with tourists and locals. The BF went absolutely bonkers for it (something unexpected) and we ended up eating there twice.
The secret to a good bowl of cha ca noodles is undoubtedly the stinky goodness of mam tom (fine shrimp sauce). You gotta ask for it coz they won't serve it to you if you're not local. Without mam tom, I probably wouldn't enjoy my cha ca noodles as much. I dunno why I like stinky stuff like this and cencalok (fermented tiny prawns) and belacan (dried shrimp paste) but I absolutely cannot stand durians.
Cha Ca La Vong gets packed at dinner time, so one should either make their way there early or just wait out until someone finishes their meal.
Splurge a little
One of those nights we treated ourselves to a nice little dinner at Green Tangerine (48 Hang Be), a self-described gastronomic restaurant and cafe.
This restaurant has won a lot of favourable comments from various food/restaurant forums. I would call their food European with a light Asian touch. I'm not a big fan of fusion but Green Tangerine does it well. No such unsophisticated stuff like spaghetti with green curry sauce. Yucks.
We had 2 soup starters (US$5.40 each), a beef carpaccio (US$7.40), lamb racks for me (US$21.10), salmon for him (US$19.60) and 2 juices (US$1.90 each). Although I love fish, I was glad I had the lamb coz the fish tasted kinda bland in comparison. The interesting flavours of the cous cous coupled with the grilled lamb left me wanting for mooooore. I'm still thinking about it now! Wish I could have some pictures to show you but we were dead tired that night and nobody wanted to lug the camera.
Portions are polite but not à la French, and had we been our usual hungry selves, we definitely need desserts. Although it wasn't cheap by Malaysian or even Vietnamese standards (US$ and Euro spenders would find it more than decent), it was worth it for the quality of food that we got. I can see myself going there again. For better value for money, they do have set lunches at US$8.90 for a main course and dessert.
Reservation is recommended. We strolled in at 7pm to a fully booked restaurant and had to return 2 hours later. Do ask for a table outside, it's much nicer!
Sweets for my sweet
As we were strolling along Hoan Kiem lake one day, we saw this chic French cafe looking shop. We took a peek inside and to our delight, it's an ice cream parlour! Since our tummy was already bloated from overfeeding, we made a pass with a mental note to return.
So on Christmas Eve, after we discovered there's not much partying activities in Hanoi, we made the slow and hazardous journey to Fanny (48 Le Thai To Street).
It seemed like everyone are out in the streets that night. Hoan Kiem lake was exceptionally jam-packed with every boyfriend-girlfriend in Hanoi. The roads circling Hoan Kiem lake was chock-a-block with countless bikes and pedestrians, all apparently heading to St Joseph's Cathedral. If crossing the street was a challenge on normal days, it was an absolute nightmare bordering on suicidal that night.
It wasn't any better at Fanny. There was no queue and it's basically "you get the table if you're nearest to it". A concept not foreign to us Malaysians. We went for a table that's just about finishing and stood next to them quietly. Pressured by our presence, they called for the bill and waited a bit to settle and a bit more for the girlfriend to return from the toilet.
We took longer than necessary to order, thanks to their drool-inducing menu. Their range of flavours are somewhat regular with a couple of not-oft seen ones like nougat, ginger and avocado. BUT, I can tell you dark chocolate is
the bestest ever! Order that with some fresh strawberries and float straight to heaven.
Fanny has a website
here.
Coffee cultureThe Vietnamese love their cuppa. It seemed less like a cup of caffeine boost and more like a lifestyle thing. At any time of day, weekdays or weekends, you can find a crowd in any coffee place, sipping on
ca phe sua da (iced milk coffee), watching the world go by. It's as if they don't have to work.
Maybe I should move to Hanoi.
Cafe Nang (6 Hang Bac)
