Thuy Ta Garden @ Hanoi, Vietnam (Old Quater)

Our trip would not be complete without cupping the famous Vietnamese coffee, also knowns as Ca Phe. Coffee plants were first introduced by the French missionaries back in 1857. Today, Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil.

Thuy Ta Garden is situated right next to the Hoan Kiem Lake. This restaurant offered an extensive menu, ranging from pho to pasta and pancake to ice cream. 

Thuy Ta Garden is a very popular place for the locals and tourists to hang out and chit chat. 

Special filtered black coffee (60,000 VND ~ RM8.80) -  For many years people have been letting water run through coffee grounds to extract the flavors instead of leaving the coffee to steep in the water. Watching the water sipping through the filter can be a very therapeutic experience. This cup of special black coffee had a strong hint of chocolate, thanks to the vegetable oil used during the roasting process.

Ca Phe Den Phin (45,000 VND ~ RM6.6) - Perhaps one of the reason why coffee is so popular around the world is due to its sheer versatility. The ice coffee was less strong compared to the hot coffee. It also had a clearer texture, making it extremely refreshing. 

Verdict: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Thuy Ta Garden
Address: 1 Le Thai To Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: 04 3828 8148
Operating Hours: 6am-11pm

Cha Ca La Vong @ 14 Cha Ca, Hanoi (Old Quarter)

There are plenty of food related reasons for travelling to Hanoi. Pho (beef soup noodles), Bun Cha (grilled pork noodles) and Bun Bo Nam Bo (southern style beef noodle) are some of the dining draws. Today, I would like to introduce another Hanoi specialty called Cha Ca La Vong, which consists of river fish, turmeric, dill, peanut, ginger, spring onion, rice vermicelli and a fair load of oil.

This unique dish was created by the Doan family over a century ago and it has become so popular that the street name was renamed to Cha Ca Street. The humble looking restaurant had a lively atmosphere with narrow stairs adjoining the two floors.  

Here you will find locals and foreigners enjoying the gastronomic Cha Ca La Vong (VND 170,000 ~ RM25).

Rice vermicelli is an integral ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. The best rice noodles have only two ingredients: water and rice / rice flour.

Accompanied ingredients: Roasted peanut, mint, coriander, spring onion, dill, fish sauce and shrimp paste (not in picture). 

A portable gas stove and a small frying pan were brought to our table and the art of preparation was done by a waiter. The grilled fish was seasoned with turmeric before hitting the frying pan. Heaps of dill, green onion, cilantro and mint were chucked into the sizzling pan. 

 The room was instantly filled with a strong aroma of fish and fresh herbs. It was rumored that "dog fat" was used in this dish! Ewwww... I hope that's not true, but I guess no one would really know except for the inventor of this amazing dish.

After 3-5 minutes of cooking, the dish was ready to be served. The seasoned grilled fish was adorned by a tangy combination of onion, ginger, green onion and dill. It was further fortified by the peanut and shrimp paste, which exploded into a heady flavor. 

Cha Ca La Vong is a one dish sweatshop, specializing in Cha Ca. Even though it is more pricey than other traditional Vietnamese foods, it is still worth a try. With La Vong, the God of Fisherman overseeing your meal, it is almost guarantee that the meal will be nutritious. 

Verdict : SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant

Address: 14 Cha Ca, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Telephone: 825 3929

Opening Hours: Lunch & Dinner

Price: VND 170,000 per person (not including drinks)

Bun Bo Nam Bo @ Nha Hang 67 Hang Dieu

Just like Malaysia, Hanoi is a food paradise with plethora of food to choose from. Most of the best food in Hanoi is found on the sidewalk, with dishes that features the usual suspects such as, fish sauce, fresh herbs, rice noodles and beef. Nha Hang 67 Hang Dieu is a well known Bun Bo Nam Bo street kitchen that has been around since 1988. 

One thing I learned in Hanoi is not to worry about the language barrier. Most of the restaurant will know what you want. All you need to do is order the portion and find a place to sit. 

The restaurant is long, deep and narrow with stainless steel communal tables and wooden benches filling up the empty space.

Bun Bo Nam Bo (50,000 VND ~ RM7.33), which literally means "Southern Beef Noodle" is a concoction of rice noodles, topped with sliced beef, peanuts, dried onions, bean sprouts, green papaya, coriander and basil leaves - all drenched in a small portion of sweet savory fish sauce.

Like any bowl of noodles, mixing is essential before digging in. The tangy broth at the bottom of the bowl was exceptional, harmonizing all the ingredients together. The bowl of noodles was full of flavors, making each mouthful complex and intriguing.


Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN

Nha Hang
Address: 67 Hang Dieu, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +84 4 3923 0701
Opening Hours: 7am- 1030pm

Bun Cha Dae Kim @ Old Quarter, Hanoi

Hanoi is a heaven for cheap food and drinks, offering tourists a good variety of soups, noodles, buns, and sandwiches. I could really spend a week eating my way through the Old Quarter without having the same meal twice.


Originated from Hanoi, Bun Cha or Grilled Pork Noodle Soup is a very popular lunch dish, which consists of four main parts: 1) Rice noodles, 2) Warm fish sauce, 3) Grilled pork strips & patties and 4) Fresh vegetables & herbs. 

The restaurant only specializes in one dish - Bun Cha. 

The kitchen area

Let's try naming all the greens: Lettuce, basil, mint, perilla and coriander. These fresh, tangy, slightly bitter herbs and vegetables sung beautifully with the dish.

The well seasoned pork strips and patties were caged up in a wire and grilled over charcoal fire before being served in a warm dipping sauce. The pork was well charred, with small bites of black char falling into the soup. 

This luke warm soup (salty sweet broth) comprised of the usual suspects : Fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, lime juice and sliced green papayas.

The delicious spring rolls were packed with minced pork, garlic, herbs, mushrooms and glass noodles. These gorgeous golden brown rolls deserve a round of applause. 

To eat, add some rice noodles, pork patty, spring roll, sliced papaya, garlic, some greens and some soup into a bowl. The finish product should resembled a bowl of noodle salad. In my opinion, the soup is what brings everything together. We really enjoyed every component of the dish. It really has it all. 

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Bun Cha Dae Kim

Address: 1, Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Telephone: 04 3828 5022

Fanny Ice Cream @ Near Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

Fanny Ice Cream may not be on everyone's to-eat-list, but a visit there may change your mind. This family friendly ice cream parlor overlooking the Hoan Kiem Lake was founded by Jean Marc Bruno in 1994. The menu was comprehensive, with over 30 different ice cream flavors and unique food-like creations.

Die hard fans should visit the parlor on the first Friday of every month to indulge on the all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet starting from 630pm to 11pm.

Sushi (109,000 VND ~ RM16) - For those looking for an instant gratification, the Sushi,  inspired by tropical fruits would be a good choice - no chopsticks are required for this dish. The sushi was accompanied by chocolate and strawberry dipping sauce. We were won over by the creative design and creamy ice cream.

Spring Rolls (85,000 VND ~ RM12) - The Spring Roll was colorful and creatively flavored with vanilla ice cream, blueberry and mix berries sorbet. The combination of crepes, almonds, fresh strawberries and chocolate fudge escorted our taste buds to heaven.

Skilled at matching flavors and innovating new ice cream dishes. Jean Marc Bruno is not so much an ice cream artisan, as he is a flavor maestro. 

Question: How often do you have ice cream? Would you pay a premium for creative dessert like these? =)

Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN

Fanny's Ice Cream

Address: 48 Le Thai To, Hanoi

Phone: 0084 4828 5689

Operating Hours : 10am - 9pm

Pho Gia Truyen @ 49 Bat Dan (Old Quarter), Hanoi

Hanoi Old Quarter is the beating heart of the city, with more than 2000 years of history and development. This is where you will find the most authentic Vietnamese food and family owned restaurant. At Pho Gia Truyen, you will only have 2 opportunities a day to get hooked: at breakfast or at brunch. By noon, everything will be sold out!

The fixtures of the restaurant was rather old and tired, with tiny wooden stools and communal tables filling up the empty space. This may not be the most hygienic stall in Hanoi, but it sure does live up to its culinary standard.

The kitchen area 

Diners are required to order, pay and collect their Pho at the counter - It is 100% self service.

There are 3 different varieties of Pho to choose from:

Tai Nam (45,000 VND)  - Rare steak and flank

Tai (40,000 VND) - Rare steak

Chin (35,000 VND) - Well done steak

Tai Nam (45,000 VND ~ RM6.50) - The broth was clean and simple with a subtle undertones of complex flavors. The rice noodles was silky soft, unlike any other noodles I have tried before. The thinly sliced beef was accompanied by a generous amount of green onions and coriander leaves. The broth was fragrant and sweet, derived from the richness of the beef bones. Be sure to add some vinegar, red chili and hot sauce for extra flavoring!

This national dish was truly delicious and heart warming. I heart pho!

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Pho Gia Truyen  (Pho 49 Bat Dan)

Address: 49 Bat Dan St. , Hanoi, Vietnam

Operating Hours: 7am to 11am

Bia Hoi @ Old Quarter, Hanoi

Bia Hoi which means "Fresh Beer" in English, is Vietnam's version of draft beer. Each morning, large beer barrels and kegs are distributed by the local breweries such as Hanoi Brewery, Viet Ha Brewery and South East Asia Brewery to thousands of Bia Hoi outlets. 

Unlike canned or bottled beer, Bia Hoi has no additives or preservatives. Hence, it is essential to consume everything on the same day and as early as possible before the flavors begin to stray. 

Bia Hoi has an alcohol content somewhere between 4 to 4.5% and it only cost 5,000 VND per glass ( ~ less than RM1 or 72 cents to be exact! ). This might be the world's cheapest beer!

Bia Hoi Corner situated between Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien streets is the gathering place for beer drinkers. It is truly a luxury to sit on a tiny plastic chair, watching the world go by. 

 This unpasteurized and unpreserved brew was light, slightly bitter and had a subtle notes of malt and rice. 

After a few glasses of Bia Hoi, we were enlightened and ready to start exploring Hanoi's charms.

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Bia Hoi Corner

Address: Intersection of Luong Ngnoc Quyen and Ta Hien Streets

**Bia Hoi outlets are often nameless, so look for store with a large sign reading Bia Hoi.