4 October 2018
One of the things to enjoy while visiting a city in South East Asia is its local and unique cuisine. We did not have much things planned on our first day, except to explore the Hanoi Old Quarter and sample some of Vietnam’s gastronomical delights. Prior to our trip, I had done some research and armed myself with a list of recommended places.
We took a pre-arranged taxi from Noi Bai International Airport to our hotel, Hanoi Imperial Hotel, conveniently located in midst of Hanoi Old Quarter. It was slightly past noon and we were too early for check in which was at 2 PM. Leaving our luggage in the good care of the friendly hotel bellboy, we went to try one of the best beef noodle soup or pho bo near the hotel.
This restaurant known as Pho 10 is located at 10 Ly Quoc Su Street, which is also the corner of Ly Quoc Su Street and Chan Cam Street.
Pho 10 was crowded which is a sign that it serves good food. We managed to get seats pretty quickly. Eating here reminded me of eating in Hong Kong’s small eating places. Seats are limited and patrons may share tables with other diners. This is not a place to linger or enjoy the dining environment. You come for the delicious food, eat and go.
This restaurant specialises in beef noodles and offered a variety as shown in the menu below. Although the prices are relatively higher than other pho restaurants frequented by locals, the quality of the dish was worth the price.
Service was efficient and we were soon slurping on our bowl of hot steaming Tai Nam or noodles with half done flank beef. Condiments like freshly cut chilli slices, chilli sauces, Thai lime, paper towels, chop sticks and metal spoons are available at the table.
Tai Nam or Pho noodles with half done flank beef at Pho 10, Hanoi.
Usually larger chillis are not as spicy as small chilli but the chillis on this day were extremely hot. I was soon perspiring from the hot chillis and thankfully, there were fans and air chillers to keep customers cool.
For me, the element that makes or breaks a beef noodle soup is the broth. Pho 10’s broth was dark and flavourful. This was the first pho bo or beef noodle soup I tasted during this trip and it was also the best pho bo that I tasted for the entire trip. I read somewhere that the owners simmer their beef bones for fifteen to twenty hours with spices like star anise, cinnamon, and ginger to create the broth.
After our lunch, we decided to go to “train street” before returning to our hotel for check in. Hanoi’s “train street” is not an official tourist attraction but lately has become a very popular place for visitors to see in Hanoi. After all, there are not many places where you can see actual operating railway lines running through a narrow street within the centre of a city.
“Train street” was fun to visit and was a photographer’s delight. More about our experiences at Hanoi’s “train street” in a separate post.
After an afternoon of street exploration, we chose to pamper ourselves with an evening meal in one of Hanoi’s fine dining restaurants.
We went to the Red Bean Classic Restaurant, located inside Hotel La Siesta in the Old Quarter. Stepping into the restaurant was like stepping into an oasis of peace and relaxation. An escape from the mayhem, noise, hustle and bustle of the streets outside.
Red Bean Classic Restaurant, located inside Hotel La Siesta.
The menu is extensive, with a long list of Vietnamese and Western dishes. I would normally want to try local Vietnamese cuisine during my travels but we ordered Western dishes since Hanoi is an excellent place to try French influenced dishes.
Pan seared Foie Gras served with sautéed mushrooms in olive oil and fresh orange with a balsamic sauce.
Grilled Australian Beef Tenderloin served with mashed potato and sautéed mushrooms, with red wine sauce.
Roasted Duck Breast with Orange Glaze. Duck breast marinated in orange juice, soya sauce and honey, grilled both sides and then roasted. Served with sautéed vegetables, cherry tomatoes, orange sauce, orange peel and herbs.
Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. Homemade panna cotta infused with the natural essence of passion fruit, sugar and mint. Served with fresh strawberries.
I think Hanoi is a good place to enjoy the excellent service, food and wine in a top tier restaurant. Prices are relatively inexpensive compared to what we would have to pay for an equivalent experience back home.
Since the night was still young after our fine dining experience, we made our way to the Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner, located at the corner of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets. This is a good place to have after-dinner drinks or experience the lively night scene of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
We sat on colourful plastic stools by the street and drank probably the cheapest beer in the world. A bottle of local beer like Bia Ha Noi or Bia Saigon costs 20,000 VND while a Tiger or Tuborg costs 25,000 VND.
Cheap beer and delicious street food at Bia Corner.
If we had come with a group of friends, we may have gone into the 1900 Le Theatre, a night club along Beer Street across from where we sat.
From the Beer Corner, it was a short walk back to the Hanoi Imperial Hotel.
We would have another day in Hanoi for sightseeing and sampling more of Hanoi’s gastronomical delights. Read more in the next post.
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