posted about 11 months ago by Symmo_24
about the venue: Au Delice

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I was absolutely stoked when I found this place. Finding a place that would put sundried tomatoes on a sandwhich was purely and simply one of the happiest days in Hanoi so far. You got me - I love food, okay?
Great selection of cheeses, cold meats and pates. Soft bread, which is a rare commodity indeed, and I agree with Carl that this is a must; for the life of me, I cannot understand who ever believed that overly crusty bread is a good thing, and anyone who has had a sandwhich from Maison Vanille could agree with me here.

Best of all, they stock Pilsner Urquell, probably the worlds second best Pilsner after the drop from Nha Trang's Louisiane Brewhouse (although those who know me will know why I have such an obscure and obvious bias towards the brewhouse). On top of this, I found what I have as yet been unable to find elsewhere in Hanoi in bottled fresh juice, which is also surprisingly cheap. It has always been a gripe of mine that a freshly prepared juice can sometimes cost upwards of two thirds of your meal.

Lastly, I loved the fact that there is just a little table amidst shelves of wine bottles. Put that baby out on the street and you could almost feel that you were sitting outside Satriales from the Soprano's (I know, its Au Delice, not Papa Delice's)... come to think of it, I could almost hear a faint scream out the back as some hapless backpacker got de-pinkyfied for running afoul of the Hanoi mob.
Love it.

posted about 11 months ago by Symmo_24
about the venue: Green Mango

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A lot of people were happy when they found out that the Mango was making a move to the 'Noi, taking after its original incarnation on Cat Ba Island. I have been a bunch of times since it opened.
Firstly, the fitout I find extremely agreeable. There is something very inviting about entering the Mango, an understated elegance to the decor that is unpretentious yet classy. I like the fact that a restaurant serving fine cuisine has a waiting area with current magazines. Sure, it's a bar as well, but this area at the entrance seems to tell the visitor thats it ok to come in and just while away the hours. The outside 'courtyard' area complements the more formal dining setting perfectly, and alludes to what the GM is all about; that you can feel equally at home as a refined diner before retiring to have a layabout over some vino in the back room - you don't have to change venues for a post dinner drink.
I have found the wine list to be commendable, and in Jeff they have a truly rare commodity in Hanoi: a sommelier who is both well-informed and very helpful.
Having said that, it is not all peaches and cream just yet. The initial menu seemed somewhat erratic in terms of its choices, but that has now been refined with some more balanced choices. Most of the dishes I have had have been terrific. The filet is excellent, as is the duck, although I was a little bit confused about the lamb-shank, which was served dry, not stewed, with a red wine jus of sorts. The gnocchi was one of the better ones I have had, and friends recommended the Asian options.
That brings me to the last barometer of performance, service. I will say this. If you find yourself becoming impatient at any point, know that Mr Hai has hired entirely new staff and is training them from scratch. They have some teething issues - orders for large groups can take a while, and can often come out at irregular intervals. But I am confident this will improve.
But best of all, Green Mango is one of those rare finds in Hanoi where you will be personally welcomed back by the staff and owners should you go there on more than a couple of occasions, which is always a huge tick in my book.

posted about 11 months ago by Symmo_24
about the venue: Tay Ho Waterpark

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I have to say I love going to amusement parks in Vietnam, and not always because of the facilities. Rather, I always sense that something is just not quite right whenever I am at one. Its the local guys dressed up in daggy costumes that intend to look faintly like Mickey Mouse; its the quaint rusticism of the the communist-chic rides and stalls; and most of all, it is hordes of Vietnamese people staring at you as though it is, in fact, you that they are coming to see, rather than Chang the performing (and possibly sedated) elephant...

That said, I did enjoy my day out here. The changing facilities were adequate but not entirely welcoming. I was told by my companion that the reason so many Vietnamese men wear body-hugging speedo shorts is because they believe their nether regions will avoid any contact with the water. Now, I don't know if that is true or not, but it certainly would explain the sheer volume of men thus clad. Clearly, the faint traces of Soviet-bloc influence still exist, not only through Minsk motorbikes and blocky, minimalist architecture, but through the mimicry of young Vietnamese men dressed like East Europeans on holiday in Thailand.

But I digress. The slides are fun, albiet of questionable safety standards for some. I would not be surprised if the odd rivet popped up every now and then. Morevover, on one of the very steep slides, I did not feel entirely in control as I popped out of the tunnel. As a heavier bloke, I did feel like I might shoot out and keep going. I was similarly perplexed as to why the 'safety mats' we were ordered to use on some slides came with handles that consisted of large, protruding screws wrapped in hard plastic, which were kept in place by a wingnut. Seems to me to be rather counter-productive to have so many sharp edges on a safety mat, but I only got a few minor scratches.
Lastly, although I refuse to countenance any rumours, a friend of mine insisted that she got some conjunctivitis after she went there, but no such issues for me.

All in all, a good days harmless fun. Watching the locals trying to navigate the wave-pool is a humourous experience, and if you have voyeuristic tendencies, then you will no doubt enjoy the large group of people who gather at the foot of the slides to watch your Western frame hurtle down at twice the velocity of a local kid. But if you are someone who gets riled up by suspect health and safety standards, probably don't come... in fact, why did you even come to Vietnam in the first place?!?