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!

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.

"Don't You Call Me Fat!"

It seemed like it was going to be just like any other evening.

I went to one of my favourite cafes along Hang Hanh Street in the Old Quarters.

The cafe was quiet, unlike the past few times when it was filled to the brim with patrons.

I ordered my favourite set, comprising a delectable selection of Bánh cuốn, fish, ice-cream and a glass of red wine for a neat price of VND130,000 (Note: 1USD=20,000VND today).

One of the Vietnamese waitresses started touting for business from the passers-by. She managed to interest two Caucasian men to try her cafe for drinks. The two men sat down at a table just across from me.

Now, catching everyone by surprise, she asked one of them, "Why you so fat?", while another fellow waiter and waitress were trying to get their drinks order down.

The barrel-chested, rotund white man crossed his arms, and tried to ignore the poor waitress.

Thinking that the customer has not heard what she said, she repeated her question 2 or 3 more times. His back was facing me, but I could almost imagine his eyes flashing daggers at her. He grew visibly red in the face, and he inhaled deeply, seething with anger.

He must have really wanted to yell at the poor waitress, "Don't You Call Me Fat!".

The poor waitress only wanted to practise her conversational English, but she chose the wrong topic to engage her customer. I will bet that customer will NEVER return to the same cafe EVER AGAIN. One of the taboo conversational topics is a person's physical appearance, regardless of language or culture.

In this case, this unhappy incident could have been avoided if the Vietnamese waitress understood about the culture of these foreign men.

Now, such unhappy incidents can happen the other way. Unwittingly, as we travel the globe, we may create some annoyances to the local people, due to our insensitivities of their cultures.

If you are visiting Vietnam, I strongly recommend that you read Vietnam - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture.

I have deliberately not named the cafe where this incident took place, because I don't want to sully its reputation. Honestly, it serves quite good food at affordable prices.

Old Quarters - Where Time Does Not Stand Still

Dear fellow travel bugs,

It's been 3 days since I arrived in Hanoi. The weather has just been absolutely gloomy, and I have got a cold, and have been sniffing away for the past 3 days!

What a welcome relief today, when we actually enjoyed the sun for pretty much of the day!

Armed with my camera, I decided to trot around the Old Quarters and snap some pictures.

You can see a picture above of the statue of Lý Thái Tổ in a park within the Old Quarters. Lý Thái Tổ founded the Lý D‎ynasty, after ascending the throne following a popular revolt against the last king of the Anterior Lê Dynasty.

Lý Thái Tổ decided to move the ancient capital to what is known today as Hanoi. The myth goes that he saw a yellow dragon ascending on his way to the new capital, so he decided to name the new capital Thăng Long.

Well, the Old Quarters has been going through massive changes. It is not uncommon to see construction and renovation works going on in many streets, as many of the original "tube houses" and temples continue to make way for new hotels, travel cafes and other new enterprises.

An aerial shot of the Old Quarters. You can now see multi-storey buildings sprouting out here and there. Much of the charm and homogeneity in the Old Quarters has been lost due to economic progress.

The Old Quarters deserves more mention, so do stay tuned to this blog for more entries on the Old Quarters.