Crave for a tasty American burger in Hanoi?

I have been scouring the streets of Hanoi. I constantly risk my palate to continue bringing you the unsung food outlets, bars and restaurants.

Sometimes, the disappointments have been so bitter. But I choose not to write about them.

On this occasion, I find something truly worthy of sharing.

Introducing: My Burger Mỹ

They serve the Super Works Mỹ Burger - an absolutely mouthwatering burger, with nice char-grilled beef petty, jalapeno peppers, chillis, thin strips of fried bacon, toasted cheese, and hot buns. A real bargain at VND125,000.


Also seen in the picture above is a glass of totally refreshing strawberry smoothie, specially made for me. It wasn't even on the menu. They serve smoothies made from seasonable fruits. What's in season now are pineapples, bananas, and mangoes (VND30,000). The mixed fruit smoothie is made from those fruits, and strawberries (VND35,000). As it's a special order, the strawberry smoothie costs VND35,000.

Besides burgers, they also serve Mexican food (e.g. nachos, burritos), and ice cream.

All these wonderful food brought to you by a wonderful American chef, who has been living in Hanoi for 3 years already.

My Burger Mỹ
Address: 5 Hang Bac Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi
Tel: 84.4.73090777
Mobile: 0912 223 966

The Race To Save The Hồ Gươm Turtle

Everyday, for the past two weeks, a crowd will gather during the day to watch the rescue obsession.

The hapless victim: the reverential Hồ Gươm turtle

I understand from my Vietnamese friends that news about the rescue mission has been broadcasted daily. I witnessed the news broadcast about the turtle today.

During the day, they will even peer through a mini-telescope from their office building overlooking the Hoàn Kiếm lake to see the progress of the mission.

Why is there such great interest over a turtle?

Well, the Hồ Gươm turtle is no ordinary turtle.

According to Vietamese folklore, the Golden Turtle God, Kim Qui, gave a magic sword to Lê Lợi, who became an emperor of Vietnam and founder of the Lê Dynasty.

One day, when the King was out boating on a lake in Hanoi, he saw a large turtle surface. The turtle told the King to return the sacred sword that had helped him defeat the northern Ming aggressors now that peace had returned. Lê Lợi unsheathed his sword and threw it to the turtle, who dove into the depths of the lake. Efforts to find the turtle and sword were unsuccessful. Lê Lợi acknowledged that the sword had gone back to the Kim Qui, and renamed the lake "Hoàn Kiếm" (Lake of Returned Sword).

Given this backdrop, it is not surprising there's so much excitement among the Vietnamese when they see the turtle. In fact, seeing the turtle is supposed to bring them good luck.

What happened to the Hồ Gươm turtle?

The legendary turtle has been injured by red-eared turtles, an exotic species. My Vietnamese friend said these red-eared turtles came from China, and may have been initially adopted as pets, before they were eventually released into the lake.

Pictures of the injured turtle have captured the imagination of the nation. They have revealed injuries on its neck and shell. Scientists have also claimed that it is suffering from fungal infection and pollution.

According to VietNamNet, it is an endangered species. Besides it, there are only three other giant turtles in the world, including one in Hanoi’s Dong Mo Lake, one in Hoàn Kiếm Lake and two in China.

You can read 'The death of the giant turtle in Ngoc Son Temple' for more information about the last giant turtle to die in Hoàn Kiếm in 1967.

They assumed the food was good :P

This was the customer feedback form that triggered it all.
I was so inspired I decided to write a review 'They assumed the food was good :P' on TripAdvisor.

During the process of submitting the review on Khazaana, I was prompted to rate the place. In the process, the link to the image I was trying to upload was dropped.

I failed to notice this, and as a result, the image was not uploaded, even though the review specifically mentioned about the 'offending' picture. :P There's also no way right now for me to refresh the review and upload the picture.

What will you have done if you see the form? Feel free to leave your comments. I will love to hear your views. :)

Weekend Getaway to Ancient Capital of Vietnam

We enjoyed glorious weather yesterday. Thank god for that. After two days of planning, we were on our way to our weekend getaway in Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam.

A boy holding a Hoa Lu (Lu flower) branch.

According to folklore, the ancient king used the

Hoa Lu branch to practice swordsmanship. The ancient

capital was named after the Lu flower.

It took about 2 1/2 hours to travel from Hanoi to Hoa Lu by bus, inclusive of a 20 minute rest stop at a souvenir gift shop.

Our APT Travel Coach

On arriving in Hoa Lu, we entered through a majestic gate (unfortunately, the bus driver did not stop, so I could not snap a picture of it).

A trip to Hoa Lu includes visits to the King Dinh and King Le temples. Many Vietnamese still pray to the ancient kings at this temple. They still believe that their prayers will be answered by the spirits of the dead kings.

Entrance to the King Dinh and King Le temples	Just outside King Dinh temple
Alter to King Dinh	Devotee praying for divine assistance

King Le temple

After the temple visits, we went for our buffet lunch. Not inclusive of drinks, which we paid for ourselves. It was a large spread of crackers, rice, fried noodles, french fries, salad, chicken and pork cooked in different ways, and fruits.

Originally, I was worried that the food would not suit my vegetarian friend. However, he found enough variety of vegetables and fruits to satisfy himself. A 'crisis' was averted - he had made an earlier request for vegetarian food.

After the satisfying lunch, we embarked on our boat trips to Tam Coc, famous for its 3 caves.

Tourists waiting at Tam Coc Wharf

Getting onto the boat

Off they go!

The boat trip was the most memorable part of the trip.

The boats can accommodate up to 4 or 5 passengers. But if you are a tourist, your travel guide may tell you that each boat can take up to 2 passengers.

The boatwoman started off by peddling with both oars. Then she did something unexpected. She decided to peddle with her feet instead.

Our capable boatwoman pedding with her feet!

She did so for most of the boat ride, except at the start and end of the boat ride. I observed later that many other boatmen and boatwomen also did likewise.

My friend and I also helped to row the boat with oars. It was definitely good exercise under the bright sun.

Majestic mountains

More scenic views

Deep crevices in the mountain face

I could not have asked for anything better: sunny weather with occasion cloud cover, luxurious greenery, great scenery, enjoyable boat ride and friendly boatwoman. The highlight was undoubtedly rowing through the largest and longest cave, when we were greeted by a refreshing cool breeze.

Cool refreshing boat ride through the largest cave	It's good fun to pit your rowing skills against others!
Fishing in Ngo Dong River	Captive monkey - it sometimes bear its fangs when taunted by onlookers
Rest stop after passing through the 3 caves - convenience does not come cheap.	Rowing our way back to Tam Coc Wharf

How to get to Hoa Lu-Tam Coc

You can enquire about travel options to Hoa Lu-Tam Coc at the numerous travel agents around the Old Quarters, Hanoi.

1. By private car - you can arrange for a private car for USD 135 with an English-speaking guide. That works out to USD45 per person for a party of three persons.

2. By package tour - There are standard, superior and deluxe options.

• Standard tour: priced at USD 17 - USD 18. You get a set meal valued at VND30,000. (USD 1 = VND 22,000 today).
• Superior tour: priced at USD 22 - USD 26 (depending on the number of persons, and your choice of travel desk). Caters for 14 to 22 persons on a single tour bus. Includes a buffet spread valued at VND100,000 per person.
• Deluxe tour: priced at USD 27 - USD 30. Coach is supposed to be better than for the standard and superior tours. The buffet spread is supposed to be better than that for a superior tour.

You can also opt for a bicycle ride from Hoa Lu to Tam Coc. The additional cost varies from USD 3 to USD 5.

I used the Sinh Cafe at 100 Ma May to book a tour for a party of 4 persons. I only realised later that the APT Travel agency is just a stone's throw away along the same Ma May street.

Booking a tour through a hotel's travel desk may be dearer by USD 3 to USD 5.

It's Buzzing at 69 Bar and Restaurant

On the recommendation of a waitress at a restaurant (I have deliberated omitted mentioning the name of this restaurant to avoid any harm to the kind-hearted waitress) nearby, I patronised 69 Bar and Restaurant on last Friday evening.

The place was absolutely buzzing with people. I was ushered to a bar table in front of the door. Shortly after my arrival, arriving guests were told that they had to wait 30 minutes for a table. Some of them did not mind buying a drink and standing at the bar counter, while they waited to be seated.

I ordered the grilled duck "Hanoi" style and 69's cocktail. The food was pleasant, but the service was really good.

So if you want to try Vietnamese food in a pub setting and to meet fellow travellers, you may want to visit:

69 Bar and Restaurant
69 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tel: +84 4 3926 1720

It only gets better at Tamarind Cafe

I probably passed by Tamarind Café more than 20 times, before I entered it. The changing point came after I posted my review on Cafe Smile in the Lonely Planet website. Overnight, Cafe Smile became the #6 (initially it was #35) of 110 things to do in Hanoi, and ranked just above it at #5 was Tamarind Café.

One thing that threw me off completely initially are the prices in US dollars. I have got pretty used to paying for things in Vietnamese dong. All at once, I felt disoriented. I can't be punching all the prices into my calculator and find the equivalent prices in Vietnamese dong.

One of the house specials is the Tamarind mushroom steak (USD6.30). It had a patty of mushroom coated in rich, black pepper mushroom sauce, and little bits of carrot and brocolli on the side of the plate. It is not something which I will crave for again.

I was prepared to say that vegetarian food was just simply something that I would gladly give a miss after my first experience three weeks ago.

But as things turned out, I visited it again last week. I ordered the Crispy Mushrooms (USD2.90), Taboule (USD3.60) and Tamarind Exotic (USD2.20).

Crispy Mushroom and Tamarine Exotic

Taboule

I enjoyed the refreshing taste of Tamarind Exotic, a blend of tamarind, pineapple and sugarcane. Then came the Crispy Mushrooms - I enjoyed eating them drenched in soya sauce. But the true star of the meal was the Taboule. Made from wheat grain, mint, lime, fresh vegetables and pumpkin seeds, every mouthful was delicious.

On my last visit two days ago, I tried the Surprising Sweet Potato (USD4.10), Eggplant Claypot (USD5.60), and Tangerine Dream (USD2.50).

Surprising Sweet Potato and Tangerine Dream

Eggplant Claypot

I absolutely enjoyed the Surprising Sweet Potato. Every clump of piping hot mashed sweet potato had a different flavour - wasabi, garlic and peanut. I liked the wasabi one best. The Eggplant Claypot is a mix of egglant and bean curd steamed in spicy and sour sauce. It was ok for me. The Tangerine Dream is a blend of tangerine and banana. I prefer the Tamarine Exotic.

Anyway, one man's meat can be another man's poison. You should try the food yourself, and formulate your own opinion of it.

Tamarind Café
Address: 80, Mã Mây, Hanoi
Tel: +84 3926 0580

Highlands Coffee Great Lunch Offer

If you are thinking that all Highlands Coffee outlets are the same, you are wrong.

I have been patronising Highlands Coffee outlets around Hanoi, including the ones at Hoan Kiem Lake and Vincom Tower.

Most people come for coffee. Not surprising. Afterall, Highlands Coffee aspire to serve the perfect cup of coffee.

However, one of the reasons I have been patronising this particular Highlands Coffee outlet on the 3rd floor of Trang Tien Plaza is the set lunch, which comprises one main dish, one soup and your choice of coffee or lime juice, for only VND55,000.


If you have been to Vietnam, you will know this is a fantastic offer. Only from 11am to 2pm. Not sure weekends are included, though the promotional banner does not put any limitation clauses.

Mind you this offer is only specific to this specific Highlands Coffee outlet, as confirmed by the one of the staff. There may be also lunch set promotions at other outlets (e.g. at Vincom Tower), but these outlets do not offer a complimentary drink, and the set lunches are more expensive.


Address:
3rd Floor, Highlands Coffee (Trang Tien Plaza)
24 Hai BA Trung street,
Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi.

Revisiting (Infamous?) Chả cá Lã Vọng

Of all the restaurants recommended by the Lonely Planet, this must stand as one of the more controversial ones - Chả cá Lã Vọng.

'Rip-off', 'Rude', 'Over-rated', 'Tourist trap' - these are some of the recurrent terms used in reviews on virtualtourist.com.

I also noted that the prices have been going up from VND70,000 in 2005 to VND 90,000 in 2008, and to VND 100,000 in 2009.

I decided to visit it today to see if it lives up to its (infamous?) reputation. Here's the price today.

The rising prices of this popular Chả cá dish are reflective of the high inflation rate in Vietnam. Just simply observe the astounding inflation rate of 24.4% in 2009! The inflation rate was 11% in 2010.

It didn't take long for the dish to arrive once you place your order.

Chả cá is a fried fish dish, spiced up with tumeric, dill, spring onions, peanuts and sweet sauce, and eaten with rice noodle.

Chả cá - the whole works!

A closer look at the fish and spices sizzling in oil

The waitress will pour the bowl of fish slices, and the bowl of spring onions into the sizzling oil. Thereafter, you have total control of how you want to eat it.

I read somewhere that you are supposed to eat the cold rice noodle with the peanuts, fried fish slices and spring onions. I chose to throw everything in, including the rice noodles, peanuts.

So how's the food?

It definitely was oily at first. The fish slices were fried to a crispy brown on the outside, and tasted wonderful. The noodles soaked up pretty much of the oil, so naturally tasted oily. I also enjoyed scraping the fried spring onions from the pan and eating it.

One of the common grouses is the small portion of rice noodles that comes with the dish. As an Asian, I found the portion small too.

Are they overcharging?

It really depends on your perception of its value.

Some people have voiced suspicions that they charge foreigners more than the locals. With my little grasp of Vietnamese, I can tell you no. Foreigners are charged the same as locals.

Would I recommend Chả cá Lã Vọng?

Seriously, if local Vietnamese are prepared to pay the hefty price of VND120,000 per person for Chả cá, it certainly says something about the quality of food.

Chả cá Lã Vọng also enjoys a long heritage. Apparently, this dish has been served for over 200 years by 5 generations. Just imagine that!

If this Chả cá dish can be the source for the street name, surely it is worth a try.

Chả cá Lã Vọng
Address: 14 Phố Chả Cá, Hanoi

A Romantic Getaway at Paris-Deli

Nestled in the middle of a row of old shophouses in Church Street (Phố Nhà Thờ), I was amazed at the spaciousness of Paris-Deli's interior, the exquisite table cloth, and fine cutlery.

Varnished wooden staircases bridge the three main floors and one mezzanine area for dining. The whole place was brightly lit, and the four large panes of windows in the mezzanine area just seemed to accentuate the expansiveness of the whole place. You can even dine on the balcony on the mezzanine floor, but since it's getting rather chilly these days in Hanoi, it may be a better idea to dine indoors.

Spacious Interior of Paris-Deli

Even though it claims to be a 'Boulangerie et Cafe', it offers more than that. They offer a fine selection of Vietnamese cuisine, burgers, Italian pasta, alcohols, coffees and beers.

Macaroni tossed with Ham, Bacon and Cheese and Watermelon and Strawberry Lassi

A tip is expected when you pay the bill. Should you overlook this, don't be surprised when the waiter's face turns sulky.

Paris-Deli Boulangerie et Cafe has 2 outlets:
(1) 13 Phố Nhà Thờ
Tel: +84 4 3928 6697

(2) 6 Phan Chu Trinh
Tel: +84 4 3934 5269/70

Definitely a place for a romantic getaway!

Heartwarming Cafe Smile

I can only smile.

I love the smiling welcome from the staff;

I feel at home with the bright cheery interior;

The delectable treats satisfy my hungry stomach;

Hence, I can only smile.

Operated by the Hoa Sua School, Cafe Smile provides training and employment to disadvantaged youth in the hospitality industry.

It offers unbelievable value, with great tasty food at affordable prices. I had trà xanh (green tea), xúp rau nấm tươi (vegetable and mushroom soup), chả mực đặc biệt (fried squed balls) and cá rô phi chiên giòn (special-fried tilapia) - all for VND125,000. Wow!

Cá rô phi chiên giòn (special-fried tilapia)

Chả mực đặc biệt (fried squed balls)

Cafe Smile is also listed as #6 of 110 things to do in Hanoi by the Lonely Planet Guide.

Cafe Smile
Address : 5 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi
Phone: +84(0)4 3843 8850

Support a worthy cause by dining at Cafe Smile.

Truly Refreshing Experience at Gecko

I can only say it was a pleasant surprise.

It is not the first time that I am eating at Gecko today. I have previously visited the outlet on Luong Ngoc Quyen Street on 2 occasions.

My first experience left me with a dread for the long wait it takes for the food to arrive on the table. Admittedly, the food was good, and it was one of the tastiest steaks I have eaten in Hanoi. But the wait was enough to kill me. It took close to 1.5 hours before the steak finally arrived on the table.When I threatened to cancel my order, that was when finally some action was taken, and my steak arrived on my table 10 minutes later. I remember another couple continually asking about the status of their order too.

I believe in giving second chances before I write my feedback on the restaurant. I resolved to go to the restaurant only when I had plenty of time to kill.

On my second visit to the Luong Ngoc Quyen outlet, there were fewer people that day. I can't remember how long I waited. But I have been conditioned to wait. The 2 backpackers seated on the adjacent table asked the waitress to expedite their orders as they were rushing for the train. I also recall that the smoked salmon steak with wasabi mashed potato tasted absolutely smashing.


Smoked salmon steak with wasabi mashed potato

What a surprise I had at the Hang Bo Street outlet today! I had a most scrumptious grilled beef with mustard sauce, tasty Bart Simpson (mocktail), and crepe chocolate - all served in triple quick time, for the price of VND152,000 (USD1=VND20,000). I also enjoyed the conversation with the co-owner, a Mr. Thomas Viet, who extolled on the importance of good service in his line of business.

Finally, Gecko is living up to the mantra 'Good Service - Inexpensive Price', that appears prominently at the bottom of the namecard.

Gecko Bar - Cafe - Fasfood is a chain of restaurants in Hanoi, with outlets at the following addresses:

(1) 89 Hang Bo Street, Tel: 043 9234000
(2) 22 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Tel: 043 9262382
(3) 86 Hang Quat Street, Tel: 043 8288773

It is also featured in the Lonely Planet Guide to Vietnam.

If you want to try Gecko, do try the Hang Bo outlet...unless, of course, you are prepared to wait.

State Bank of Vietnam

This stately-looking building is home to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) (Ngân Hàng Nhà Nước Việt Nam).



It is located close to the Old Quarters at 46, Lý Thái Tổ, Q.Hoàn Kiếm, Vietnam.

It is becoming difficult to take a nice picture of this building, with tall skyscrapers of BIDV Tower and Vietcombank Tower sprouting in the streets behind and dwarfing the building.

I resorted to squatting on the street corner opposite the building, and angling the camera upwards to capture this image. If you look closely, you can still see the Vietcombank Tower jutting out just slightly above the top of the SBV building as a backdrop to the Vietnamese state flag fluttering on top of the SBV building.

You can read more about SBV here.

Changes Are Sweeping Through the Old Quarters

What do you expect to see in the Old Quarters?

If you have read the history of the Old Quarters in travel guidebooks (Lonely Planet Guide, Insight Guide Vietnam, Traveler's Companion), you know that many of the street names were derived from the trades that were plied in those streets in times begone.

However, many of the streets have lost the original trades which gave rise to street names like: Phố Hàng Bè (Rafts Street), Phố Gia Ngư (Fishermen Street), Phố Hàng Tre (Bamboo Streets), Phố Hàng Buồm (Sails Street).

Phố Hàng Gai (Silk Street) is a noticeable exception. It continues to live up to its name. There are many silk shops lining the street, offering tourists a colourful selection of silk scarves, shawls, dresses and áo dàis.

Besides Silk Street, there are still some streets, where some of the shops continue to ply their original trades. An example is Phố Hàng Bạc (Silver Street), where a few silversmiths continue to sell silver jewellery.

But on the whole, the Old Quarters seem to be developing a ubiquitous look – overcrowded with travel cafes, hotels, and restaurants.

Many of the original buildings and temples have given way to modern development. Instead of seeing two-storey ancient shophouses or temples, 7- to 8-storey hotel buildings now stand in their place.

In recent years, efforts have been made by the provincial government to preserve certain buildings in the Old Quarters, but is it already too late?

One thing is for sure. Some effort is better than no effort.

Tis the season to be jolly in Hanoi

It is truly amazing how the spirit of Christmas has caught up with Vietnam.

I hark back to the time when I visited Vietnam way back in Dec 2005. I don't recall seeing many Christmas trees and decorations, except in major international hotels, and shopping malls.

Fast forward to Dec 2010.

Christmas trees and decorations adorn many places, including:

(1) in major hotels, or hotels aspiring to be taken seriously by foreign tourists...


Thaison Hotel in Old Quarters

Hoabinh Palace Hotel in Old Quarters

(2) banks...

Christmas Decorations at Maritime Bank
(3) even in the Old Quarters

Choosing a Christmas Tree in Old Quarters

Tis indeed the season to be jolly in Hanoi.

Getting Great Bargains at Hanoi's Night Market

Without fail, a night market is set up on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday near the famous Dong Xuan market (Chợ Đồng Xuân) (see picture above). The present Dong Xuan market is reconstructed in the image of the old Dong Xuan market, which was almost totally gutted in a fire in 1994. You can find wholesalers and traders selling garments, household goods, fresh fruits and vegetables to stalls selling Vietnamese food.

The night market straddles 5 streets starting from Hàng Đào Street(Phố Hàng Đào), continuing along Hàng Ngang Street (Phố Hàng Ngang), Hàng Đường Street(Phố Hàng Đường), Đồng Xuân Street (Phố Đồng Xuân), and ending at Hàng Giấy Street (Phố Hàng Giấy).

You can get great bargains of bootlegged branded goods at fantastic prices...provided, of course, you know how to bargain.

Be prepared to be fleeced, if you don't bargain. Knowing a word or two of Vietnamese helps to soften the seller's resistance to reduce prices. There is no hard and fast rule, but a rule of thumb is to aim to achieve a discount of 30% to 40% off the initial quoted price.

Back off from aggressive bargaining, when the seller becomes visibly unhappy or testy. Your counteroffer has probably taken away too much of the profit margin, leaving little benefit to the seller in selling you the item(s).

At this time of the year when it approaches Christmas, and is not so far away from Tết (the Vietnamese New Year), it may be quite a sight to foreigners to see stalls displaying Christmas decorations for sale in one stall, and decorations for the Tết festival in an adjacent stall or across the street.
Besides festive season decorations, you can find leather bags, wallets, belts, shoes, undergarments, sports suits, clothes, handphone covers, books and movie DVDs being marketed in the night market stalls, as well as in the shops along these streets.