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Finnmaccool's Posts

105 reviews or comments posted; 2 questions asked; 17 answers given.

Reviews / Comments (105) see all

posted about 5 days ago by Finnmaccool
about the venue: Papa Joe's (Hanoi Towers)

Looking at the other reviews makes me think, did I really visit the same place???? Well I did and I had a few different things. The pasta was al dente, the milkshakes were bloody great, the pizza was small, but edible and the coffee was spot on! Yes, I agree with the soulless shopping centre comment (let's face it, we are in Vietnam) but the food was fine. So maybe somebody has had a look at these reviews and given them a kick up the arse and they have managed to get their act together. The only negative thing I would say however, is the fact that they don't have wifi. You have to go into Highland's for that I am afraid.

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posted about 5 days ago by Finnmaccool
about the venue: Bún Chả Hàng Mành

Apparently, this place dates back to the good old days when there were very few restaurants or Bun Cha in Hanoi. One the first and best places to try Bun Cha for all the tourists. This by no means implies that the food will be any better than any of the other places you might want to try but it does have the privilege of being around much longer than the others. It has the same character that belongs to many of these "plastic stool" establishments, i.e. smoky, dirty and noisy. If you want clean and crisp with candles and music, then go find another place to eat - there are many fine restaurants in Hanoi. Don't whine about it being grimy or over-crowded. This is the nature of the beast but at the same time, the very place where you can discover the essence of Hanoi. If you have some Vietnamese then life is easier here, if not, then just struggle along like the rest of us.

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posted about 6 days ago by Finnmaccool
about the venue: Ya Beirut

At last I managed to eat here outside of the party we all enjoyed. The food was as good as I remembered it to be. Here is one of the greatest things about the place - not a secret, mind you but certainly worth knowing - it stays open late! And I mean LATE! No closing at 10pm, pushing you out the door at 9.59.... No, these guys understand the concept of hospitality and making you feel at home. You can stay and eat for as long as you like! Yes, the hummous is a tad expensive but you will get some included with some of the mains so not to fret about expenses - after all where the hell else can you get Lebanese food? So stop your whining, for Christ's sake and enjoy the food! Great place, great food, great service! What more do you want? Perfection????

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posted about 6 days ago by Finnmaccool
about the venue: Cook & Cook

Maybe it had to do with the fact that I turned up here at 9.15 and felt under pressure to eat fast. They close at 10 but the staff started leaving about 9.30. The menu variety was not there for me either as I am guessing, nobody wanted to have a go at preparing tempanyaki at this late hour! Oh well, such is life. The food was adequate and the large group that were finishing were nice and noisy just to top off the whole experience. Perhaps under different circumstances it might have been better, but at the current moment, I will just have to say, maybe next time.

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posted about 6 days ago by Finnmaccool
about the venue: Ramen Shop

There are several Japanese restaurants on Mai Hac De to choose from but as far as I am aware, this is the only Ramen place and it is quite good (if Ramen is your thing.) The service is obviously very good, as you would expect from most Japanese places and the food on both occasions has been very tasty. Granted, the decor is somewhat spartan but hey, you can simply take a stroll up the street to one of the more plush establishments if that is what takes your fancy. Well worth the trip and certainly will not break the bank,

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Questions (2)
  • Hi there,

    I am having a house warming party with quite a few individuals. Do you have any idea how I would go about getting beer kegs from somewhere so we can supply our own at the party?

    Many thanks,

    Dermot

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  • Well this one has been a long time coming and I am trying to find out what the actual legal angle is on how businesses charge in USD. We have all seen the recent fluctuations in the VND to USD rate that wreaked havoc on our rent payments over the summer. Now that things have settled down a bit it has come to my attention that a few establishments are happy to list their prices in dollars (not a problem) but then charge an arbitrary black market exchange rate (my bugbear) well above the central bank rate. These "establishments" also tend to be among the more expensive eateries in town so not only are they charging "top dollar" if you'll pardon the pun, but they are also capitalising on the inflated exchange rate to make extra margin.

    I have spent some time looking for information about what is "permitted" and what is not. Apparently, this practice is illegal although how in goodness name does one enforce it? When I queried it, all I got was a shrug of the shoulders and some lame line about the owner setting the rate. Of course I have tried to contact the owners for clarification but never get any replies. I wonder why? I have got several receipts with blatant incorrect exchange rates and cannot help but wonder how they can get away with it. Does anyone know how we can do something. I have no problem with businesses charging more money for their goods as inflation increases but please do not use stealth tactics to do so. We are not as dumb as the tourists who pass through this country.

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Answers (17)

Even a small star shines in the darkness

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Well-Written (45) Funny (23) Accurate (88) Useful (95)

Real Name

Dermot Hegarty

My Blog or Website

http://www.myspace.com/finnandoisin

Email

dchegarty@gmail.com

New Hanoian Member Since

Wednesday January 16th, 2008