The Tết Celebrations have already begun

Tết is the most important festival in Vietnam. Also known by its longer name of Tết Nguyên Đán, it is a time for reunion dinners, ancestral worships, giving lì xì (lucky money), temple visiting, and uttering New Year greetings.

Typically, two to three weeks before Tết, businesses start to slow down, and bosses take the opportunity to throw lunches to thank their staff for their contributions over the past year, and to celebrate the upcoming Tết.

Bánh chưng is a common dish for any Tết celebration. It reminds me of the Chinese rice dumpling. But unlike the pyramidal-shaped Chinese rice dumplings with many variations in terms of flavours, it is rectangular in shape, and it is typically made of pork, bean fillings and sticky rice.

Another popular dish is Thịt Kho Nước Dừa, which is made of fatty pork stomach and medium boiled eggs stewed in a broth-like sauce made overnight of young coconut juice and nuoc mam.

Toasting one another is customary during such lunches. They will all join in a chorus of "Một, hai, ba, uống!" ("one, two, three, drink!"), and down their glasses of whisky or beer.

So, let's make a toast to Tết:

Một, hai, ba, uống!

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

You can be at risk!

I thought my friends were joking.

Last week, they told me that the tap water was contaminated with arsenic. I have been boiling water from the tap in my hotel room to drink. According to them, boiling the water doesn't make the water safe to drink.

So I said if that's the case, then we are all at risk, since most food is probably cooked with water direct from the taps. We will all die from arsenic poisoning. They said I was right.

After that conversation, I consciously chose purified drinking water to quench my thirst.

Then I chanced upon the following story from the Straits Times: Drinking water in Vietnam has excessive arsenic.

The astounding fact is that more than a quarter of drinking wells in the Red River delta contain unsafe toxic levels of arsenic and manganese. This can potentially cause cancer, neurological problems and hypertension.

Don't take a risk with your health when you are in Vietnam. Stick to safe bottled drinking water.

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.

"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.

Forbidden City - No Longer Forbidden Grounds

Dear fellow travel bugs,

One of the feature songs during the countdown to the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics was 'Beijing welcomes you'(北京欢迎你).

Besides featuring more than a hundred entertainers and artistes from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, one is also treated a a visual feast of stunning footages from China's cultural, political and educational capital - Beijing.

There were many shots made in one of Beijing's must-see attractions - the Forbidden City.



With a long 590 years of history, the Forbidden City used to be home to the Chinese emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. These palatial grounds were off limits to all, except the royal household, officials and guards.

I am sure that those Chinese emperors of the past would have never imagined that their home would be so open to all paying visitors, regardless of status, position, wealth or nationality. The Forbidden City is visited by millions of visitors each year. In fact, in order to protect this World Heritage Site, it has decided to introduce an e-ticketing system next year to cap the number of visitors entering the palace.

According to Wikipedia, the Forbidden City consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms[1] and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft). Visitors are allowed to visit only parts of this complex, including the Palace Museum, which has an extensive collection of Chinese ceramics, architecture and artwork dating back up to 5,000 years.

During the peak season (April 16 to October 15), an admission ticket will cost RMB60 per person. During the off-peak season (October 16 to April 15), the ticket price is RMB40.

Admission times is 8:30am all-year round. The closing time is 5:00pm during the peak season, and 4:30pm during the off-peak season.