Reviews by hinotori
I had dinner here recently with my work colleagues and we literally had dinner by candlelight (actually gas and tealights) as the power suddenly went out (and was out until we got to dessert).
However, this didn't stop the staff from providing us with the best possible service that they could give under the circumstances (and since we were the only customers in the restaurant, probably because the other diners canceled as a result of the power outage, they were quite quick in bringing out our food and drinks). Even the lady playing traditional Vietnamese music was unfazed by the dark and continued to pluck at her instrument while we were there.
I remember tasting (the boss pre-ordered everything before we arrived) pad thai, stir-fried veggies, a beef dish, a pork dish, and some tofu. There was one guy whose task was to dish out steamed rice on our plates but he could have just left the bowl on the table and made it easier for all of us (including him-remember it was dark!).
As one of my colleagues was celebrating a birthday, another colleague snuck out with one of the restaurant staff to buy chocolate cake at Love Choco Cafe. Later, the dessert came out decorated with fruits and a candle for the birthday celebrator.
I agree that it's more a Vietnamese restaurant rather than Thai but the price was reasonable and the food good enough so I'm giving them 4 stars for their effort in making sure that our group had a great time.
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I was craving for Mexican or whatever it is that passed for Mexican in Hanoi and thought of Havana Club after reading a couple of reviews here. Sure, the last two reviews didn't exactly rave about the place but that didn't deter me from paying them a visit.
I booked a table for 7 and we were shown to the best table in the house, one that was overlooking Hang Bac. I found it nice that the the staff seemed very pleased to see me and my friends and Ha, the guy who took my reservation, even shook my hand when we came in. My friends were suitably impressed and thought I was a regular (har har).
We thought the decor was quite nice. We all took note of the photo of Nong Duc Manh and Fidel Castro in a very chummy hug (It was facing our table so it was hard to miss). A very fitting symbol of Vietnam-Cuba relations, we thought. The rest of the decor fits in with the Spanish/Latin American concept of the restaurant.
On to the food and drinks. They said they had diet coke on the menu so we ordered that. They gave us pepsi max instead. We also ordered the cuban coffee, which turned out to be Vietnamese drip coffee that you pour on a glass of rum. Hmmm....
We ordered nachos, quesadillas, fajitas, a burrito, mexican spareribs, and a salad. I agree that the salad was more asian than mexican and the nachos weren't crunchy and looked a bit too oily. The burrito came with melted cheese on the outside and black bean rice on the side (I must say I'm used to seeing a burrito that has everything packed in so that it looks like a sausage rather than a crepe). We thought that the guacamole was another type of salsa until we tasted the avocados. But the food did taste good and we were generally happy with the experience.
Since we were first-time diners, Ha gave our group a round of cocktails for free(I think it was Sex On The Beach).
Note: I was writing this review when I saw the TNH newsletter and found out I won a prize to dine in Havana club. Now that's quite a coincidence! So, Ha and company, I hope you are prepared to improve on my experience.
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I normally have dinner in a Japanese restaurant with lots of friends just so we can take our time with the food and order as much as we want without minding the hours. But I was in Ren for lunch to catch up with a Japanese friend so I ordered the katsudon, an uncomplicated meal that is a speciality of Ren, according to my friend.
I have to say my expectations about the quality of the food were met. The pork was tender, the sauce salty-sweet on a bed of steaming rice and the scallions gave it a little oomph. Made me remember other katsudon meals shared with friends in years past.
I couldn't linger since I had to go back to the office but will definitely return to try their other selections now that I've had a taste of what they had to offer.
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My partner and I dined here one rainy evening and we agreed on three things: the meats were of good quality and quite flavourful, the a la carte menu sparse and the price exorbitant.
We ordered the meat buffet. Unlike the earlier reviewers, there was no problem with the quantity of the meats. When we liked one in particular (the roast beef cooked medium well), the chef returned and gave us bigger portions. But we also noted that some of the trimmings on the menu were not available. We only did two rounds of the meats and trimmings before we surrendered and pronounced ourselves too full to eat one more bite.
A day after our meal there, we still felt quite full. And we still couldn't get over the fact that we paid the equivalent of a month's wage for some of the locals for our meal.
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I am quite fond of Japanese food (and culture, thus the nickname) and last Saturday night, I had the good fortune of discovering a new Japanese food place with three of my friends.
The kimono and yukata-clad staff burst into a chorus of "irrashaimase" when we entered. We sat ourselves at the sushi-kaizen and started ordering as if we were death row convicts enjoying our last meal. This amused the staff to no end for we kept calling them to our table to refresh our pot of tea, take away empty plates or to take down additional orders. I'm sure they wondered how four women could eat that much food.
We ordered the following: 5 plates from the sushikaizen (with the price depending on the plate's colour), a couple of grilled items (mostly fish), 3 orders of different types of maki (8 pieces per order), mixed tempura, a salad, chawan mushi, yakisoba, pork ribs, okonomiyaki and 2 other items .
With all the food we ate (with leftovers we were more than glad to take home), we paid only $17.50 each for something that left us very full and happy until the following morning.
The restaurant itself is quite spacious, with the sushikaizen on the ground floor, a teppanyaki section on the second floor for those who like to watch their food being prepared with flourish, and private rooms on the third floor should you wish to dine (and drink yourself to oblivion) in privacy, esp for big groups. The place itself has been open for about 10 months now but the sushikaizen is a recent addition. The head chef is Thai but he worked as a chef in Tokyo for a couple of years before working in Poland and Vietnam (the advantage of being seated in a booth by the sushikaizen is you get to interrogate the chef, made easier by the fact that 2 of my friends are Thai).
Their sushis and chawan mushi aren't as great as the ones we've had at Hanayuki and Ky Y so I'm only giving them 4 stars. But we will definitely pay them a visit again.
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They are currently doing a David Lean tribute and the boyfriend and I watched 'Oliver Twist' last week. Their seats aren't really the most comfy in Hanoi (especially if you plan to watch Lean's bum-numbing selections, such as 'Lawrence of Arabia' or 'Dr. Zhivago'-bring a seat cushion!), but, as the other posters have said before, it is a real treat to be able to watch high quality films in Hanoi.
And sipping drinks at the courtyard bar certainly adds to the feeling of anticipation as you wait for the movie to start. Their quesadillas are to die for and the gin and tonic is refreshing! Good food/drink + lovely company + great movie. Now that is the formula for a wonderful time.
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Yes, actually. We should 'ape' your exemplary performance and quit 'monkeying' around :D
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I had my hair coloured, highlighted and treated here yesterday. The price wasn't cheap but then again my hair is long and thick and it takes a lot of hair colour to do the job. But having said that, I have paid less in Hong Kong for the same kind of treatments and my hair was in the exact same state and length. I am happy, though, with the way my hair turned out. Yes, they don't do head massages but the staff makes you feel at home and are quick to attend to your needs. My stylist, Ms. Thuy, was quite friendly and can speak English well. I had a blast trying out my Vietnamese on her.
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I went here for dinner last night with friends and it was one of those serendipitous encounters that made it an outstanding dining experience.
We were actually looking for Asahi sushi in Mai Hac De but couldn't find it (and later found out it was in another area). So we asked our taxi driver to turn around and we stopped in front of Hanayuki. It was more because of the grumblings in our tummy that made us choose to enter this place rather than the two other similar restaurants nearby.
With greetings of irrashaimasse still ringing in our ears, we were ushered into a private dining area on the 2/F after leaving our shoes outside. The room is typical for a Japanese restaurant, with a low table and the bottom hollow so your legs and feet can dangle, and aou sit on cushions set around the table.
The menu was quite extensive, with more bento choices should you wish to have a little of everything.The dinner bentos were at 15-20 US but the lunch bentos were also available for an additional fee. I ordered the ginger pork, karaage and saba bento, which came with the steamed rice miso soup and chawan mushi, washed down with cups and cups of green tea. My friends also ordered from the lunch bento selection.
The service was quick and the attendants would leave us alone to enjoy our meal but was quick to come to our assistance when we needed it, including taking our pictures.
The bill was 30 US (498K VND) for 3 pax, cheap considering the quality of the food, the service, the choices available and the comfy, private dining experience. And yes, we saw a lot of Japanese dining in the restaurant so we know that it is the real deal.
We will definitely return here and soon!
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I went here for dessert with a bunch of friends and here is our review:
3 stars for the food! When ordering any of their sinfully tempting chocolate concoctions, it's better to share because it's a shame to waste the good stuff (especially if you just had lunch). I had the cream cheese and chocolate-covered chocolate cake and partnered it with tea in order to fully relish the chocolatiness (and calories!) of my dessert. My companions ordered cake and chocolate-infused drinks and, needless to say, they had a bit of trouble finishing the cake.
1 star for the decor and the over-all look of the place. My friends and I checked out the level of cleanliness in the toilet and give it two thumbs up.
Finally, 1 star for its patient manager, Frank, who had to contend with a bunch of giggling women with very definite ideas on how their tea should be served and determined to have their photos taken in as many areas of the cafe as possible.
Thanks for a great time and we will definitely be back.
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