Hanoi Food Challenge #2 - The Recap

My Hanoi Food Challenge Number Two is finished! I visited a total of 19 new places in that week, which is two more than in Hanoi Food Challenge Number One!

So, here's my quick recap of all the places I went. As with last time, I'm separating them into places I would definitely go back to, those that are probably worth another try, and those that I'll probably only go to if dragged there for some special reason.

I'll definitely go back to:

1.  TET Décor Café (Day 1) - Beautiful, with good food. Actually I think there are already plans to go back this weekend with a faithful reader!

2. Bluebird Restaurant (Day 1) - With such delicious meals, I can't figure out why this place isn't busier. It looks crazy expensive from the outside, but is actually no more so than some other places on that street. Go!

3. Colonel Quy's (Day 2) - There aren't many places you can get a full English breakfast in Hanoi, and especially not while sitting in a quiet garden next to the lake. Totally worth it.

4. Hủ tíu noodles at 21 Hàng Điếu (Day 2) - Cheap, yummy noodles on the street. What more could you want?

5. Bud Mo (Day 3) - I'll probably go in the winter when I need some proper stodgy Ukrainian food, or whenever Jacqui drags me there to sit in the garden and drink Siberian Pine vodka!

6. Sushi Dai (Day 3) - Good value for money, decent food, and close to work. 'Nuf said.

7. The phở place on Kim Ma near work (Day 3) - Another good alternative for those days when I don't have food at home. 

8. Han Kook Kwan (Day 4) - A very promising replacement for our favourite old Korean restaurant!

9. Paolo & Chi (Day 5) - Tasty pizza, delivered to your door. So what if it costs a bit?

10. The 5th floor cafe at work (Day 5) - Not because it's that good, but because I can get food there without leaving the building on those days when it's pouring rain.

11. Thai Elephant (Day 6) - Pretty good Thai food in a city where good Thai is somewhat lacking. Yum.

12. Cutisun (Day 7) - Maybe not the best quality meat but it's cute inside, tasty, cheap and very close to home.

I'll maybe try again:

1. Chả cá on Giảng Võ (Day 4) - Fish that was yummy enough, but I probably won't go out of my way for it.

2. Cafe Nắng Sài Gòn (Day 5) - I think there's better bánh xèo to be had elsewhere, but I'll go when I have a craving at work, and I still need to try the Rock@Roll Lipton.

3. The Locals (Day 6) - Probably not to eat, but it's a cute place to sit inside and have a drink.

4. Bánh xèo Nhật Bản (Day 7) - Because I'm still not sure how I feel about okonomiyaki, so I might go try something else on the menu.

I'll skip:

1. Mỳ gà tần (Day 2) - Although the chicken in it was delicious, I didn't like the rest of it, so probably won't go there again.

2. Cafe Quang (Day 4) - A lovely setting on the lake near work, but I still prefer my bánh mì trứng lady on the other side of the lake.

3. Fresh Garden (Day 7) - Less than fresh, and I can make better cake myself. However, I did see some whole wheat bread there, which in a pinch might be worth a try.

All in all, I'd have to say that was a pretty successful week. My only regret is that I feel like I didn't hit the budget end of the scale very well, but maybe next time!

Yes, that's right, there's going to be a next time. Because out of 44 places on my list (ok, a few are question marks as to whether they are actually eligible for the challenge) I only hit nine. NINE. So I'll let you know when I do this again!

Hanoi Food Challenge #2 - Day Two

Well so far, Hanoi Food Challenge Number Two is going spectacularly well!

On Sunday Christine and I went to another place recommended by a coworker, Colonel Quy's. It's down on Lang Yen Phu, which is a road that goes around a small peninsula that sticks out into West Lake. Because of this location, there's very little traffic so it's a quiet and peaceful place to sit and have breakfast.

You could sit here for ages in the greenery next to the lake, looking out at the fishermen and enjoying the shade and quiet.

Colonel Quy's is run by a woman whom, I was told, was formerly a Colonel in the military. Looking at her, you would never think so, but apparently she got that rank as a performer for the troops! Now, she makes egg and bacon sandwiches and full English fry-ups, as well as juices and smoothies.

Nothing fancy, but all very tasty and the setting makes it all that much better!

For dinner I decided that we'd had a few big, heavy, relatively expensive meals so we went to the Old Quarter for some street food. There's a fantastic street food map of Hanoi, made by Nonna Chong, which the following two places feature on. Check it out and start exploring the fabulous food of Hanoi!

At 21 Hàng Điếu there's a busy street food stand selling Hủ tiếu, which is thin noodles with slices of pork, bean sprouts, peanuts and fried shallots. They also sell a few other kinds of noodles, but this is what was recommended to me so that's what we had!

The owner assumed we were tourists who had no idea what to do, so he came over and showed us that we should add chili sauce and the garlicky vinegar, and mixed Christine's up for her! Doesn't she look impressed?

The owner came back a bit later and gave us a couple of maps of the Old Quarter, which just made me laugh considering we've both been here for three years! And yet, I had taken a map with me because I always get lost in the Old Quarter!

For only 40,000 dong a bowl, this was entirely worth it. Yum!

 

When we were finished, we decided that although it was VERY tasty and we could both happily eat another bowl, maybe we should wander for a bit and find something else.

We encountered a few more street food stalls. Lots were pretty empty so we passed them by, but there was one we wanted to stop at because there were crowds of people and more still arriving! However, there was absolutely nowhere to sit, so we took note of it and moved on. Finally, another corner covered in tables and people caught our eye, and we stopped for what turned out to be mỳ gà tần, a dark broth served up with instant noodles and chicken on the bone.

I actually wasn't a big fan of this. The broth had a strange taste to it, the green veg also tasted weird, and the instant noodles didn't do much for me. However, I would go back and pay another 40,000 dong for a bowl just to have the chicken! It was amazingly soft and tender and dipped in a little bowl of salt and lime it was absolutely divine!

So that's day two! More soon!