Eat and meet

Hanoi

Hanoi is an exceptional city for eating. An entire book could be written about the street food alone, but many vendors have no address or fixed location, so all we can say is follow your nose, pull up a plastic kiddie chair, point at what the people next to you are eating and enjoy. At the other end of the spectrum, you'll find a great variety of fine, authentic international cuisine cooked by some of the best chefs in the country. It's pretty much standard for a restaurant to have a charming atmosphere with balcony seating overlooking the road, great service, and cheap prices, at least by western standards.

A very good introduction to the Hanoi food-scene can be found at the Sticky Rice website -- their coverage of Hanoi is both comprehensive and very well-written.

North of Hoan Kiem Lake
Hanoi's best known Cha Ca restaurant, Cha Ca La Vong is in a cramped little two-storey house on, Cha Ca St. In the guidebooks for eons, it's a testament to their tasty fare that this place remains more often packed with Vietnamese than foreigners -- and it's almost always packed. At 70,000D for a brazier, this certainly isn't the cheapest dish in town, but if you're planning on trying just one Vietnamese place, this should be it.

There are two locations for the Little Hanoi restaurants, both quite popular, offering traditional Vietnamese dishes in a clean atmosphere. However, this is the skinny: the one on Ta Hien Street has a solid reputation as a backpacker slophouse of inferior quality and attracts mostly tour groups and guidebook-wielding travellers. Head to the location on Hang Gai nearer the lake for a better meal and atmosphere. But if you want some truly excellent, traditional Vietnamese food, on sparkling clean plates, prepared in a spiffy-looking kitchen by staff wearing hair nets (we know some of you are jumping for joy while reading this) don't overlook the restaurant in the lobby of the Youth Hotel on Luang Van Can street next to Minh's Jazz Club. It's popular with Vietnamese and travellers alike, and draws a lot of business from outside the hotel, which says a lot. They also have a decent selection of wines, and the prices aren't much more than you'd pay on the street from one of the more hygienically challenged local places.

Up to your ears in pho? Apparently the management at No Noodles is hoping you are -- they serve deli sandwiches on fresh baked bread with crisp green salads. It's on Dao Duy Tu Street in the northern part of the Old Quarter.

Well situated on the corner of Ma May St, Old Hanoi's claim to being the best restaurant in the Old Quarter is well off the mark -- but we believe the 'Old' part is based on the look of the building and the slightly musty smell. However, if you're after Vietnamese food in a western-friendly environment (that is,no plastic stools and an English menu) then this place isn't too bad. Once you've finished eating, linger over a coffee or two as the people-watching potential here is good. They also offer cooking classes that go from 09:30 to 13:00 daily.

Finnegan's Irish Pub is a great spot to head for pub grub -- they offer fish and chips, bangers and mash, and special nights see them serve up steaks or all-you-can-eat Irish stew. It's also a popular late-night spot.

Bar 69 bar and restaurant is set in a two-storey wooden building on Ma May St at the heart of Hanoi's tourist district. The menu is standard Vietnamese fare -- we'd suggest swinging by for a pre-dinner snack and a drink rather than a full meal. Their specialty beef strips with lemon, chilli and salt sauce goes a treat with a cold Saigon Beer. Upstairs is more the restaurant while downstairs the bar.

Big and red, with comfortable seating and ample people-watching possibilities, Le Pub is a notable spot for pizza and other western fare. While it isn't party central in the evenings, it's worth dropping by for a relaxed evening drink. Popular with expats and travellers a like, it's a fine spot to meet others.

The biggest brew house in the Old Quarter, Red Beer is big and red and full of beer. Beers are good and the snackies not too bad, but as we passed through on a sleepy evening the atmosphere was lacking. Popular with locals, expats and tourists alike.

Run by a very friendly mix of Vietnamese and antipodeans, Culi Cafe on Luong Ngoc Quyen has a congenial upstairs lounge area (with complimentary WiFi internet access) along with a great people watching veranda. Their food (both western and Vietnamese) is good, especially the pizzas and the meat pies, but what really makes it here is the straight-shooting travel advice. Even if you're not going anywhere, at least drop in for a pizza. Recommended.

The fun and fanciful Cyclo Restaurant is one of the must-visit spots in the Old Quarter. All the tables are made out of cyclos -- definitely bring the kids. The food here gets the heads up, but it's worth going just for the atmosphere.

We had high hopes for 1001 Nights which offers Arabian food in the northern part of the Old Quarter, but the food was extremely disappointing -- the Italian dishes looked more worthwhile. Head here, though, for a sheesha, which is a hookah where groups can smoke up a bowl of flavoured tobacco (and nothing else). The 'sheeshas' are all up on the second floor, with cushion seating and Arabian decor, and along with a few draught Halida beers, it's a fun way to spend and evening.

There are a few, very popular steak joints located on Hang Giay (Shoe Street) at the junction with Hang Buom. This is about as authentic as street food in Hanoi gets. Who knows how many cows a night they go through, but the streetside restaurants here are packed nightly. The grease and grime (on the floor, not the plates) may deter some, but the food is excellent -- in particular, the thin, marinated steaks swimming in gravy and piled with steak fries. Don't neglect the other items on the menu -- we got a delicious, steaming bowl of Chinese-style veggies and noodles with beef (my xau bo) and some meaty, finger-licking chim (a small game bird). No English menu -- if you can't speak Vietnamese, just point and smile -- they'll figure it out.

After being told the Tamarind Cafe was one of the stand-out vegetarian places in Hanoi, we admittedly had high expectations before wandering in, but left thoroughly disappointed. Prices are high for the standard -- particularly given there's an Internet cafe and travel agent in the middle of the restaurant. Service is slow and curt. Yes, the food is tasty but not up to the prices, nor the reputation. Vegetarians may try heading to the Whole Earth Restaurant on Ta Hien street to investigate the offerings there.

At the northern tip of Hoan Kiem Lake is a five-storey building called the Ho Guom Trade Centre. The ground floor houses a flashy Tourism Information Centre that struck us as fairly useless, and the building itself is pretty cruddy, but each floor hosts a different restaurant, all with good views of the lake, and all border-line tourist traps -- an overpriced Highlands Coffee which also serves pizza and pasta, Legend Beer with German lager, Dunkel, and Weizen beers on tap. Other floors house The City View Cafe, serving Vietnamese and western Food, and a Korean restaurant, Quan An Viet-Han, which offers a reasonable fix for anyone craving a piping-hot pot of kim chi stew.

For Indian food, Shalimar on Ma May Street is an old stand-by. It's run by Pakistanis, so the food is good and authentic, but there are a lot of complaints about the high prices, and like so many Indian places, it's frequently empty even during dinner. (Consult the relevant episode of Seinfeld for more information on this inexplicable phenomenon).

West of Hoan Kiem Lake
The area around St Joseph's cathedral has attracted a number of great eateries worth checking out. Chief among them is Mediterraneo, it's owned and run by Italians who make their own pasta, mozzarella and bread. Antipasto here is a true treat, the pizza is the best in town, and you just can't go wrong ordering anything on the menu. They pay exquisitely careful attention to quality, and it shows. Head upstairs and try to snag a seat on the balcony. A bit pricey, but worth it. Right next door is Salsa Tapas Bar and Restaurant, yet another fine choice. We came here with a group and ate our way through most of Southern France and half of Spain, and only paid about US$8 a head, with a bottle of wine. Again, try for some seating on the upstairs balcony. On the same side of the street, the Paris Deli offers French-style bistro food, sandwiches, pastries and good coffee -- they also have a location near the Opera House. Moca Cafe is just across the street--a good spot for an early morning latte or a lazy lunch. Air-con and popular with both Vietnamese and foreigners, the coffee is tart and the food reasonable, though the service, particularly when busy, can be glacial -- bring a book.

If you're looking for more Italian food, Festa is a new place on Ly Quoc Su Street -- we tried out the 100,000 VND lunch buffet here, and it was good -- plenty of fresh salad fixings, some pizza, lasagne, beef stew and the like. Also, Mama Rosa on Le Thai To Street, right next to the lake, offers a great atmosphere for an intimate meal. And finally, Pane Vino on Hang Trong Street is a new place that looks worth a try.

Ngo Bao Khanh is a picturesque, L-shaped laneway just to the west of the northern tip of Hoam Kiem Lake where you could easily spend the better part of an evening. A cluster of restaurants has risen up in recent years -- the most convenient branch of the Pepperoni's pizza chain is here, with some streetside seating and tables on two floors -- the pizza is good, if a bit pricey, and you can expect the standard variety of Italian dishes, in pizza-parlour-style atmosphere. Right across the street are twin restaurants under the same ownership, with a kitchen lorded over by a bone fide Italian chef. The Stop Cafe offers a more casual, bistro-style menu, and Cafe Des Artes next door goes a bit more upscale with its continental cuisine -- the roof-top-patio dining at the top of The Stop is actually part of Cafe Des Artes, and is a good choice for an intimate dinner on a summer evening. There are some great bustling Vietnamese cafes right near by, so plan on taking your after-dinner coffee there.

Puku Cafe is a little expat hideaway (and it is a hideaway) that sits upstairs above a typical shopfront and, with its comfortable sofas, relaxing tunes, great people-watching terrac, and terrific sandwiches and huge breakfasts, you'll be kicking yourself if you don't check this place out straight away. Prices are reasonable and with free WiFi internet access those burdened with a laptop will struggle to find a more comfortable place in Hanoi to tap away in. Friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere. Recommended.

We haven't had a chance to review Nisa Restaurant on Nguyen Huu Hoan Street, but the promise of Indonesian, Malaysian and Indian cuisine has our curiosity aroused. Could be over-ambitious or it could be a cornucopia of goodies. Let us know if you give it a try.

 

East of Hoan Kiem Lake
Highway 4, which specialises in traditional food, was the first (and last) place we'll ever eat camel -- camel on skewers to be exact. According to the waiter it came from a Vietnamese camel, but as we've never seen a camel anywhere in Asia, we have to admit to having our doubts. They seem to take pride in serving unusual dishes -- we spied fried cricket on the specials board recently -- but otherwise the food is best described as Asian fusion cuisine, with an emphasis on the eclectic, to be washed down with a wide range of traditional Vietnamese liquors. It's a great place for groups, especially if you're looking to please your Vietnamese and western friends in equal measure.

The area near the high-class Sofitel Metropole Hotel along Ly Thai Tu street offers, not surprisingly, some of Hanoi's best upper end cuisine. Au Lac has a garden cafe atmosphere with western and Vietnamese dishes on the menu at relatively affordable prices. But nearby are two very swanky eateries, only recommended for those looking to lay down US$30 or more per person for a meal: Club Opera has an elegant, intimate atmosphere -- we preferred it slightly over the Press Club next door. Both offer a mix of continental and Vietnamese, and despite the names, you don't have have to be a member to enter either.

South of the Lake
Asahi Sushi is a decent option for raw fish and other Japanese specialties -- no complaints with the offerings here, but we found more generous portions and a slightly better atmosphere at Fuji Restaurant east of the lake. Al Fresco's offers good Italian food at four different locations, but you're most likely to run across the one on Hai Ba Trung Street. The atmosphere here is fine, and the offerings are much what you'd expect, and perhaps a bit more pricey than you'd hoped. The same goes for their sister chain, Pepperoni's, which, again, has four locations, but the one on Ngo Bao Khanh west of the lake is convenient and offers a good, pizza-kitchen atmosphere. Also you'll find the most popular Indian restaurant in town, Tandoor, along Hai Ba Trung -- we've heard good things about the food here and they also deliver.

At US$11 a head, the dinner buffet atBrother's Cafe isn't overly cheap, but the food and the setting are excellent, so if you wanted to splurge and try a lot of different Vietnamese and western foods, Brother's Cafe is well worth considering. The house is beautiful with a pleasant, quiet atmosphere. The buffet lunch is half the price.

KOTO is a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that works to train and assist street and disadvantaged youth in Hanoi. Set near the Temple of Literature, this is a convenient spot to drop by for a snack or a full lunch. Prices are a bit on the high side, though the food is good and the money goes to a very good cause. If you're in the area, be sure to swing by.

Self-catering
A range of western wines and some hard-to-find items like feta cheese, Heinz ketchup and Dijon mustard can be found at the Western Canned Food and Wine Shop on Hai Ba Trung.

Live Music
The jazz revolution of the 1940's is reborn at Minh's Jazz Club on Luong Van Can Street which offers nightly sessions of bebop and blues played by some proficient house musicians -- they also host any cat with an axe who drops in for a jam, but you'd better be able to keep up with the big boys. If you're a jazz aficionado, you're in for a hefty dose of Train and Bird with a side of Miles. There's no cover, but the drinks are double what you pay elsewhere, so just nurse your beer and shout 'go, man, go!' Highly recommended. The band starts at about 17:30.

Hanoi is a magnet for accomplished musicians, though sadly they are often relegated to churning out saccharine Vietnamese pop ballads that delight many of the locals. This is the case at The Big One on Hao Lu street, though when the singer took a break, the house band played Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, and even an extended rock-jam on No Woman, No Cry, by Bob Marley. The band plays upstairs and there's plenty of comfy, lounge-style seating, and cocktails at club prices. The band plays only from 21:00 to 23:30 nightly, so show up for a mid-evening drink before heading elsewhere for a nightcap.

Night life
The Old Quarter is the place to be in the evening in Hanoi, and there are enough tourists and expats available year round to get any given place hopping on any given night of the week, though some nights are more hopping than others. Things usually start off in the late afternoon at bia hoi Corner, the intersection of Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien Streets, just north Hoan Kiem Lake. There are at least four outfits, one on each corner, offering bia hoi for 2,500 VND per glass. They seem to have figured out that tourists can't resist a bargain -- elsewhere in town bia hoi is typically 4,000 VND. The 2,500 VND beer is actually slightly watered-down, which is why it's cheaper, but it's still a refreshing drink, and the spot is an excellent place to meet other travellers.

Evenings often continue at one of the local bars -- Mau's Red Lounge is just around the corner on Ta Hien Street and seems to split business almost evenly with Hair of the Dog on Hang Giay Street -- the latter offers pool, daily drink specials, takeaway buckets, and on Monday and Tuesday you can drink a free beer every time you win at pool. Happy Hour entails buy-one-get-one-free on selected drinks from 17:00 to 21:30 nightly. Also-rans in the same category include Dragonfly on Hang Buom Street and Bar 69 on Ma May. And, no Asian capital is complete anymore without an Irish pub -- here, it's Finnegan's on nearby Duong Thanh Street -- you can get bottled Guiness here, though the amber Halida draft is cheaper and more popular. They also have a good menu of pub grub available. They manage to stay open past curfew until 03:00, so it's a great spot to wind up at the end of the evening.

Just in case the party is still not over, it's time to dance. What used to be the Barracuda Bar is now the Lighthouse Dancing Club -- not the same now that it's no longer under Australian management, but it does have the distinction of being the one place in town that's typically open very, very late, sometimes all night depending on the crowd. We have no idea how they manage to get around the local laws, but it may have something to do with the dastardly location -- in the red-light district, on an alley off and alley off Phuc Tan Street across a highway that is nearly impossible to cross on foot, to the east of the Old Quarter. Luckily, most locals know where it is by either its present or former name and definitely hire a taxi to get there -- you'll be rewarded with reasonably priced drinks and room to strut your stuff to the tune of thumping hip hop and R&B.


1001 Night Bar and Cafe: 28 Dao Duy Tu, Hanoi. T: (098) 319 8394. Hours: 11:00 'til past midnight
Asahi Sushi: 288 Ba Trieu, Hanoi. T: (04) 974 5945-6, F: (04) 974 5842. Hours: 11:00 to 22:00. http://www.trieunhat.com
Al Fresco's: 23L Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi. T: (04) 826 7782. Hours: 07:00 to 23:00.
Au Lac: 57 Ly Thai To, Hanoi. T: (04) 825 7807, 934 9163. Hours: 07:00 to 23:00
Bar 69: 69 Ma May, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 1720. http://www.69vn.com
The Big One: 2 Hoa Lu, Hanoi. T: (04) 974 6337. Live Music: 21:00 to 22:30
Brother's Cafe: 26 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hanoi. T: (04) 733 3866, F: (04) 733 3991. http://www.brothercafe.com
Cafe Des Arts: 11B Ngo Bao Khanh, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 7207, (0904) 134 490, (0903) 222 922. Hours: 09:00 to 23:00. http://www.cafedesarts.com
Cha Ca La Vong: 14 Cha Ca, Hanoi. T: (04) 825 3929. Hours: 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 22:00.
City View Cafe: 1-3-5-7 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hanoi. T: (04) 934 7911, F: (04) 934 7680. Hours: 07:00 to 21:00
Club Opera: 59 Ly Thai To, Hanoi. T: (04) 824 6950, F: (04) 824 6951. Hours: 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 22:30.
Culi Cafe: 40 Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 2241. Hours: 08:30 to 10:00. http://www.wideeyedtours.com
Cyclo Bar, Restaurant and Garden: 38 Duong Thanh, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 6844
Dragonfly Bar-Lounge: 15 Hang Buom, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 2177. http://www.dragonfly.vn.
Festa: 39c Ly Quoc Su, Hanoi. T: (04) 243 1589, (0904) 247 684. Hours: 06:30 to 23:00.
Finnegan's Irish Pub: 16A Duong Thanh, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 9065, (0913) 031 229, F: (04) 822 2179. Hours: 11:00 to 03:00. http://www.finneganirishpub@yahoo.com.vn
Fuji Japanese Restaurant: 13 Dinh Le, Hanoi. T: (04) 934 7070 F: (04) 936 0927. Hours: 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 22:00.
Gecko: 86 Hang Quat, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 8773. Hours: 07:00 'til late.
Green Tangerine: 48 Hang Be, Hanoi. T: *04) 825 1286, F: (04) 926 1797
Hair of the Dog: 27 Hang Giay, Hanoi. T: (04) 292 1387.
Highway 4 Restaurant: 5 Hang Tre, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 0639, 210 8681. Hours: 08:30 to 24:00.
KOTO: 59 Van Mieu, Hanoi. T: (04) 747 0337-8 F: (04) 747 0339. Hours: 09:30 to 22:30 (closes 16:00 Mondays). http://www.koto.com.au
Le Pub: 25 Hang Be St, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 2104. http://www.lepub.org
Legend Beer: 1-3-5 Dinh Tien, Hanoi. T: (04) 936 0345, F: (04) 936 0345. http://www.legendbeer.vn
The Lighthouse Dancing Club: 51 To 4A, Phuc Tan, Hanoi. T: (0903) 202 479, (0904) 170 052. Hours: 10:00 'til very, very late.
Little Hanoi: 21 Hang Gai, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 8333, (04) 928 5333. Hours: 07:30 to 23:00. Deliver Available: 09:00 to 17:30
Little Hanoi 1: 14 Ta Hien, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 2129, (0912) 151 375. Hours: 10:00 to 23:00
Mama Rosa: 6 Le Thai To, Hanoi. T: (04) 825 8057, F: (04) 825 5265. Hours: 11:00 to 14:30 and 17:30 to 22:30. http://www.thuyta.com
Mediterraneo: 33 Nha Tho, Hanoi. T: (04) 826 6288. Hours: 09:00 to 22:00.
Minh's Jazz Club: 31 Luong Van Can, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 7890, F: (04) 928 4352. Hours: 10:00 to 24:00. Live Music Starts at 21:30. http://www.minhjazzvietnam.com
Moca Cafe: 14-16 Nha Tho, Hanoi. T: (04) 825 6334 F: (04) 826 0248. Hours: 07:30 to 23:00.
Nisa Restaurant: 90 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 1859, F: (04) 926 1916. Hours: 11:00 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 22:30.
No Noodles: 18 Dao Duy Tu, Hanoi. T: (04) 928 5969, 929 0006. Hours: 09:00 to 21:00.
Old Hanoi: 106 Ma May, Hanoi. T: (04) 824 5251. Hours: 09:30 to 22:30. http://www.hanoi-cooking.com
Pane e Vino: 98 Hang Trong, Hanoi. T: (04) 928 6329, (0903) 429 790, F: (04) 934 9885. http://www.panevino.com.vn
Paris Deli: 6 Phan Chu Trinh, Hanoi. T: (04) 934 5269-70. Hours: 07:30 to 23:00
Paris Deli: 13 Pho Nha Tho, Hanoi. T: (04) 928 6697. Hours: 07:30 to 23:00
Pepperoni's Pizza And Cafe: 13 Ngo Bao Khanh, Hanoi. T: (04) 928 7030, F: (04) 928 7031. http://www.alfrescosgroup.com
Press Club: 59A Ly Thai To, Hanoi. T: (04) 934 0888, F: (04) 934 0899. http://www.hanoi-pressclub.com
Puku Cafe: Upstairs, 60 Hang Trong, Hanoi. T: (04) 928 5244. Hours: 07:30 to 22:30.
Quan An Viet-Han: Ho Guom Trade Centre (northern tip of Hoan Kiem Lake), 1 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hanoi. T: (04) 936 1483, (0904) 036 565, (0903) 434 586. Hours: 08:30 to 22:00.
Red Beer: 97 Ma May, Hanoi. T: (04) 826 0247, 825 8782, F: (04) 826 0248. Hours: 08:00 to 23:00. http://www.red-beer.com
Salsa Tapas Bar and Restaurant: 25 Nha Tho, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 9052. Hours: 10:30 to 22:30. Delivery Available. http://www.lasalsa-hanoi.com
Shalimar Indian and Pakistani Curry House: 63 Ma May, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 2897. http://www.shalimarvn.com
Stop Cafe: 11b Ngo Bao Khanh, Hanoi. T: (04) 928 9433, (0904) 134 490. http://www.escapade-stop-cafe.com
Tamarind Cafe: 80 Ma May, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 0580, 1296. Hours: 05:30 to 22:30.
Tandoor Indian Cuisine: 24 Hang Be, Hanoi. T: (04) 824 5359, 2252, F: (04) 825 1905. Hours: 11:00 to 2:30, 18:00 to 10:30.
Western Canned Food and Wine Shop: 17 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi. T: (04) 934 3854, F: (04) 826 9188

The Whole Earth Restaurant: 55 Ma May, Hanoi. T: (04) 926 1836. Hours: 08:00 to 22:00.
Youth Hotel: 33 Luong Van Can, Hanoi. T: (04) 828 5822, F: (04) 828 5862. Hours: 07:00 to 22:00. http://www.hanoiyouthhotel.com