Xoi is yellow sticky rice with mung beans and fried onions. Street food in the streets of Hanoi.
There's an alluring (or overwhelming) aroma of barbecued meats wafting in the streets of Hanoi. They entice you and make it difficult to escape unfed.
The trouble is that there's so many places to choose from, then it becomes a matter of sticking to principles - which ones are full (with locals), the food looks good, the food smells great. After much deliberation and walking back and forth, Nam Tung was chosen for the large seating area filled with bums (both local and foreign) and the food envy in my eyes.
All the dishes advertised on the sign were tried - well-cooked beef steak with (soft squishy) fries, delicious roasted birds and flavoursome tender pork ribs. You can't go too wrong for flavour with fish sauce-marinated barbecued meats.
On my list to visit was Nola Cafe. Unfortunately after eating so much I couldn't order any food there (most of the menu is Western and you can get cheaper local food outside). However in the interest of visiting my marked places and because in the night time the glowing red sign and moonlit atmosphere was so lovely and peaceful from the balconies, I'm glad I went in and had tea and a fruit shake.
The concierge at our hotel (the exceptional Hanoi Elegance Emerald) recommended us a topline cruiser for the Halong Bay overnight trip. The Calypso Cruiser was supposedly the best of the lot and many guests had enjoyed a stay there. Although the weather was cold and skies winter bleak, the junk was lovely and comfortable. The rocking motion didn't induce any form of nausea. At night looking out across the bay you can see other boats anchoring.
The staff assisted us in a small cooking class to make cha gio (spring rolls) which added a little fun. Otherwise dinner included a mix of prawn cocktail, salad, clams, spring rolls presented electrifyingly on a pineapple, not very good fries (for some Western familiarity), chicken, fish and fruit.
None of the food was outstanding but it was satisfying enough. It is a boat after all.
After returning from the trip, I commented to the concierge that the stay was nice, however there were some cockroaches in the rooms (not mine but others) and that other guests had managed to get a discounted fare of about USD20 less from a travel agent. The concierge took this on board - later that day the manager of the junk company came to the hotel in person. He greeted me and apologised for the cockroach issue. I was reimbursed the difference in the discount fare and offered a free hotel transfer at the expense of the junk company.
This service is impeccable. I think given that you can't completely immune any cruise from the issues I noted, I can't recommend the hotel or junk enough.
I can't quite remember how I heard about Bobby Chinn's restaurant in Hanoi, it may well have been seeing his name attached to a TV food show and researching from there. A couple of blog reviews made the place sound interesting in its quirkiness and good in flavour.
The restaurant setting is beautiful, a quiet area in north Hanoi accessible by taxi. The entrance and the downstairs bar are very warm and welcoming, and it would have been nice to have more time to rest here and enjoy the hookah and a few cocktails.
The quirks start with the illuminated magnifying glasses to read the menu. The menus themselves are written with hilarious banter and make for good entertainment. The next quirk (should you choose to accept it) is the "you are beautiful" sidedish, that comes as menus to take home and the staff regularly telling you (or your partner should you order it for them) that they are beautiful, right up until the written form with dessert and the final goodbye gesture at the door on leaving.
The food itself is delicious, and I had no faults. If you want something special to end your trip in Vietnam/Hanoi, I recommend this place very highly.
12-2016
In cleaning up very old collections of travel documents, I came across the menu...
It's a shame this Hanoi restaurant is closed in favour of a (not well rated) London version.