Reviews by hanoiRob
(This review is of their BBQ)
Came here courtesy of New Hanoian and Festa (Thanks Guys!). Although I knew it was a risk, decided to take my girl and her fam in tow as I'd heard good things and admittedly had somewhat high expectations. I was not let down.
While this place has received pretty radically different reviews on their food, there seems to be unanimous consent on their atmosphere. Lighting and tones are subtle and the place is very clean. Music played softly in the background. I would say ideal for romantic dinner or good conversation.
Staff were very attentive, one waiter in particular (unfortunately didn't catch his name) went out of his way to help and carefully explains things in both Vietnamese and English. We were never bothered but nor did we have to wait when something was needed. Marco, the owner, was kind and informative, checking on both us and other guests but not intrusive or sycophantic.
On to the important stuff. The meal started with a selection of breads, at least 4 varieties, that were all fresh and delicious and served with olive oil and vinaigrette. A large bowl of salad with fresh ingredients, including big chunks of blood red perfectly ripened tomato was served and then refilled when we devoured it. BBQ is, of course, truly about the meat. First, a large sausage platter was served with 3 different types of sausages. Two of them were good, no complaints, but the 3rd type, a breaded or battered kind, was truly outstanding. These were followed by a motley crew of meat that included chicken, ham steak, and burgers. I've not yet seen ham steaks like this in Vietnam, and both their cut and flavoring was good. The burgers were cooked just the way I like them, a bit pinkish (sorry Brits, but grey meat is for prison, dormitories, and y'all only) however definitely could have used more seasoning, they were a bit bland.
All in all I was thinking 4 star as I to get 5 that extra something special was needed...then the Marco brought out the big guns (for boozers anyway). Turns out that Festa has a selection of homemade liqueurs that are absolutely not to be missed. We started with a lemon flavor, and after singing its praises were offered the rhambutan one as well. The trick to these things to me is to make them sweet enough to enjoy but not head to slurpee or cough syrup sweetness. These were great, particularly the SouthEast Asian twist of 'rhambutinis'. Really not to be passed up.
Finally, it seems this place has sponsored a variety of different reactions to their food. I would say that if you find something not to your standards, speak up. Marco seemed a very genuine guy who sincerely wanted guests to have a good experience. If yours isn't, a polite word to him can only help your cause. Enjoy!
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Ok so its your typical Highlands I really wannabe Starbucks coffee, but it ain't.
The amazing thing about one of the first chains in Vietnam is how un-chainlike they are. While menus, logos, and uniforms are the same, quality and service seem to vary greatly from locale to locale of the ubiquitous Highlands coffee straddling whatever landmark or commercial center you find in Vietnam.
Though not usually a big Highland's fan I have been to the opera house branch 3 days in a row and have to say that you'd be hard pressed to find a better place to soak up the sun. The branch next to the opera house is entirely outdoor, nestled in the courtyard between the Opera House and the Hilton with great views of both. Couches and seating are cozy as to be expected with Highlands and an easy place to spend an afternoon. Coffee aint bad but aint great, its a bit pricey but your paying for the view. Then again you aren't, as a good friend pointed out any other cafe in the world nestled between an opera house and a 5 star hotel would be charging much much more. Food is standard and unimpressive coffee shop stuff, although the breakfasts here are better than the same ones at hanoi towers- well cooked eggs and nicely fried hash browns as opposed to runny and soft. With a free coffee thrown in 50 k aint terrible. I have heard that there were problems with the service before but all of my visits have been hassle free and I've been well looked after. One thing to absolutely avoid here and all highlands are the so called cocktails. I once order a screw driver at vincom towers which should have been called a screw customer. It came pre mixed with no ice and I s$%t you not there was less than 1.5oz of liquid in the glass. I insisted they take it back before I took a sip and went with a hiney instead. A friend ordered a g&t here the other day and it was similarly abysmal. Not a place to booze it up.
If looking for a great place to spend a sunny (sober) afternoon with hints of luxury, this is the shizzel.
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A perfect place to take your hot Vietnamese supermodel date as all Hanoi's trendissimos love to be spotted here, the atmosphere is more elegant than one would ever expect from a restaurant specializing in a dish started by the Mongol Hordes, and the food is the type she can pretend to eat all night with out actually gaining a single calorie and altering the balance of her chic anorexic frame.
My kind words aside, there are some pluses to this hall of haute couture. Number one, vegetarians love this place. There are scores of mushroom varieties to choose from and as not a huge fungi fan myself there is still plenty here that I find mouth watering. They do have meat as well so those insisting upon being carnivorous can order a separate bowl with something to sink their fangs into. The place on TVV is in a luxurious old villa that is nicely decorated and has a majority of customers in suits or semi-formal evening wearso if longing for pretense in cozy Hanoi this could be your place. For entertainment, one need look no further than the comical English translations on the menu, accolades to anyone with the cajones to put the word 'spunk' on menu (Cow spunk mushroooms,HMMM! so tell me, Garcon... what is that secret ingredient???)
And now for the downers. First, Its expensive, for both standard hot pot and all the extra ingredients/drinks your charged for. One night there with about 10 people and 2 decently stocked pots, plus 2 rounds of beers wound up at about 150k per person. Again, we're talking about a meal originally prepared in the helmets of Khan's minions around a campfire near the latest town they pillaged and later seen as a great student food cause 10 could share the bill and the fun of 1 bowl, this aint your Ong's Lau anymore. Second, service sucks!, I really don't know where they got these people but they manage to screw up nearly everything. Not hard when trying to translate cow spunk mushroom but Heineken and Tiger sound totally different in every language. We made reservations once, they told us that the only available time was 8:30 then called at 8 to say the table was ready and come down. When we arrived at the pre-booked time, we weren't let in as the restaurant was out of broth. Broth, no broth, in a soup restaurant, C'mon! Three, you will wait and wait and wait. The place is always packed and you'll be lucky to get your order within 1/2 hour, which is the first time you get it and you have to factor in the 3 times you send it back for them to get it right. This leads to 4. Unless you are really a supermodel with physique to match you will most likely be left hungry as portions are by no means large. Granted you may have the illusion of a full belly from the broth (if they dont run out) but within an hour you'll be home (having forked out 3 pink Uncle Hos a person) ordering a pizza.
All this being said it should be known that the majority of Hanoians must disagree as Ashima is constantly packed, meaning perhaps they need not worry about service or size or value. Still, one would hope they change some things around or once the trend of eating spunk wears off, as it inevitably will, they face a fate similar to their Mongol predecessors and fade into history.
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Long a favorite (not a type-o, American e.g. superior spelling, don't like it then I'll listen when your country becomes a number one world SUPERPOWER!) of the RMIT crowd for post work brews, this place deserves kudos for its high quality decently priced beers, relaxed atmosphere, and friendly service.
500 mL of pure Czech goodness will saturate your gullet for the measly price of 30,000 VND. While admittedly 10 times the price of its bia hoi cousins, its also 4 times the size and a 100 times the quality. Undoubtedly the hardcore proletariat will be unimpressed but one must enjoy a little luxury from time to time. Here its available in both gold and black varieties. The gold is good and as to be expected the black's a bit heavier and a bit more bitter, but dark beer fans will likely be impressed. I also seemed to recall a red variety last summer but it wasn't there last week and recollection and big cups of beer aren't friends at the best of times, so don't quote me. Size-wise yo u can get little (330 ml?) big (500ml) and although I was not aware of this until recently, 1L steins that make great photo opps. Be warned though, a dear friend consumed 3 of those bad boys in an hour and a half one evening while waiting for another friend and I to get facials (moment of fem weakness) and proceeded on a rampage of destruction that left him feeling 10 years older the next day.
The setting of the place is great. Its very near the temple of literature (though a bit of a b@tch to find the first few times round) and is in a large enclosed courtyard with a small windmill out front. The courtyard has covered seating on both sides outside for drizzly winter days but the middle is open and tree-shaded for rare moments of Hanoi sun. There is also seating inside the villa, very spacious but lacks all the charm of the outside seats.
Service is fairly friendly and on the ball. The girls are a bit shy to non vina speaking foreigners but have enough English to get by, some simple Vn phrases will earn smiles and a bit more attentiveness throughout your evening. My aforementioned friend enjoyed one of his behemoth brews with the owner of the place, a seemingly quiet and modest man who spent several years in Czechoslovakia when it was still one country . Apparently he also imports wine, which is also on offer here so those of you with more class and thicker wallets may want to check that out.
Food is good but a bit pricey. There's a wide variety of standard vina fare that's pretty delish and very clean, served on proper plates with all utensils to the standards of a decent western place. Alas none of the cracked plates and chipped glasses that add character, but its not that kind of venue. Beer snack wise one would be hard-pressed to find more scrumptious onion rings in the capital, fatty fresh golden fried served in a large mound that will disappear much quicker than you think.
Usually this would be about the point I'd say something critical but I have nothing to say, its a great chill spot. 4 instead of 5 because there's nothing that makes me go absolutely Wow about the place. Still, a great little spot where I've relished many evenings and look forward to a few more on my last few weeks in Hanoi.
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KAM MOTHERF&*&ING PAI Hanoians!!! Another reason why the TVV kicks bonzai booty (refer to address...YOU ON THE TVV? YEAH YOU KNOW ME!) This place is somewhat unfortunately never too crowded but the last 3 saturday's I've gone there I've been greeted by their great layout in the front, the friendly chorus of japanese greetings yelled by vietnamese staff, and 2 japanese guys one older one younger seated at the bar munchin and boozin. The older one always has a kitten his lap which he'll hold up to say hi to you with a smile before your whisked upstairs to your private room (should you so chose) for a dining bonanza (should you so chose). A is for Atmosphere and Ambience.
Once seated and comfortable in your own room, complete with the hole in floor and sliding door, you can divide and conquer the menu. As with the place further down the street, strong points here are not sushi/sashimi though I would say the sake sushi is pretty darn good. Stay away from breaded pork cutlet its too dry. However, Potato croquettes, fatty rice triangles and good noodle dishes will round it out nicely. Not to be missed and the unsung hero of the menu is the Yakitori (sp?). In another world, God decided instead of making meat out of tough dirty smelly animals she'd go for something much simpler, butter, and this is the one dish from there that made it to us. Super tender moist chicken kebabs that I try to let evaporate in my mouth rather than chew. Wash it all down with a big bottle of warmed-up sake from their collection which you can leave at the bar if you don't finish when you're done. B is for Brilliant Bite.
All of these food items will be deposited on your table by the helpful robe-clad wait staff who'll then leave you be but not be far behind the sliding door for whatever else you'll need. C is for cordial courtesy.
Though I'm a big fan of my saturday nightlife, I've twice gone here and nearly rolled down the stairs just content to go bed. Another good place to go with a group of friends and laugh at the gio mua dong bac as you stuff in style.
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On kind of a Japanese kick at the moment and gotta continue. I love livin on the ol' TVV for a # of reasons, and one of them is my hood is well-adorned with suprising and delightfully out of place japanese restaurants like this one.
Atmosphere is great. Lots of wood visible in the upstairs rooms, the sake shelves and the bookshelves behind the bar packed with all the manga and others. Wood combined with robes worn by all the staff makes me feel like I'm eatin in the samurai's dojo (do they have dojos or are they just for ninja/karate guys?). Its always packed but never too noisy, I guess all the japanese customers (which also increase the authenticity factor) don't really hail from a culture prone to raucousness. In general there's kind of a warm buzz about the place I really enjoy. Service great, very friendly wait staff and usually several are waiting on just you and your group. I'm always impressed when I see someone speak Japanese to one customer, Vietnamese to another and English to a Tay. The owner?manager? also seems super cool and always comes by with a bow, smile and hello.
My only negative bit about this place is its not the place for sushi/sashimi, and I can understand cheapie's gripe there. That being understood, the other stuff is faburishimas awesomrigato. I find japanese food outside sushi/sashimi to be quite filling and this place doesn't disappoint to keep my big belly full. The tonkatsu, pork cutlet, potato croquettes and the little fried ham/cheese things are really good winter comfort food, warm it all up with some of their heated sake and your passin the upcoming season in style. Prices aren't great but aren't too bad either and if you choose wisely you could do it without spending a fortune.
At the end of your meal when you ask for the bill you will be given a cup of hot tea and small bowl of ice cream.
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Just got back from a freebie lunch here courtesy of Ren and NH(thanks guys). As has been mentioned the quiet atmosphere is a real bonus, the subtle lighting and subdued tones of the place blend well with the fountain acting as a back wall. 5 stars for presentation as each dish was meticulously laid out and table settings were oh so chic. Service staff were friendly and attentive.
Foodwise, we were given free reign of the lunch menu. My buddy ordered the chicken, egg and rice bowl, my girl honnabaduri or something like that with hamburger, gravy and egg and I'd thought I'd round things out with the sampler set. Bud enjoyed the chicken rice and woofed it down pretty quick. Girl was none too impressed by hers, saying it lacked flavor and and nothing was really noteworthy. Mine was a sampling of mediocrity.
The sampler has tempura, sashimi, and a small piece of cooked fish along with veggy sides, hot soup and egg custard. Tempura was ok but the sauce it was served with was dull. Fish was a bit dry and lacked the tender moisty goodness I've come to expect in meat from Japanese restaurants. Sashimi was good and well cut though no more so than some of Ren's competitors around town (though definitely better than Asahi). Had we payed for the meal it would have been about 25 usd for 3 meals and no drinks and I think I would have been none too pleased.
So if your into your ambience and prefer design to delish and gabbing to gorging, its a great place to chill out and strike up a conversation. But for this funcionario over fashionista, I'll be giving it a pass.
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The Helmsman implies a nautical theme and it definitely did that for me but perhaps not in the way it intended. Have you ever been in one of those crusie ship bars where the clientele range from the recently retired to those reminiscing of the good ol' days when they'd recently retired and like one or two honeymooners who wondered what the hell they were thinking to book a cruise full of ol'fogies? The actiivies director tells cheesissimo jokes and has modern trivia from the late 50s. Well this place is like that but replace ol fogies with a scattering of international businessmen bored and getting loaded and replae the activities director with a Filipino band. Standard hotel furniture and sterile sanitized setting is par for the course though.
I decided pop in for a beer when an ex girlfriend won a beauty competition and the prize was a free weekend at the Guoman, kind of a weird prize to give someone in Hanoi but we'd thought we'd do our best to make do. When in Rome, or Guome, as they say...so I'd thought I'd scope the hotel bar.
The one redeeming factor of this place (and why its a 3 star) is the Filipino band. While the jokes and cheesy smiles are as entertaining as late night re-runs of Oprah when she was voluptuous, the sound is awesome. Vietnam exports rice and coffee, Saudi's do oil, and the Philippines send bands (and health care workers). Thank God, cause there were some awesome windpipes and the 2 female singers were smokin in every way. Really entertaining if not totally authentic, in a glorified Karaoke kinda way. Sheerly for this reason I'd say check the place out.
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My salvation on many a day of long hours with unruly students, a ruou hangover, and a burning desire to strike dead any spiky haired teen who drives past me at breakneck speeds with a darn car horn on his motorbike which he refuses to stop pressing (as of yet, I lack said 'striking dead' ability but when I am finally able to harness my qi this city will be a much quieter place).
Binhs is a mecca of chillness that I associate with highs that take no toll on my brain or body (but do do so, unfortunately, on my wallet). Being a dude who fears the ostracization from buddies if I ever get and admit to a pedicure or manicure or facial, I have to limit my observation to the haircuts, head massages, and full body massage, but I assure you they are amazing. Quyen, one of the hair dressers here, is the only guy I've met in 4 years in the country who I'd trust with my mangy mop and the ever so rare occasions when I go under the scissors. The polariods lining the walls of the places are testament to the fact that I'm not the only expat whose made such a decision.
Its a bit far out there, but as such Binh's has been burgeoning with a lot of the Xuan Dieuans and UNIS crowd for some years now . Even though I disdain the lot of them, I expose my hypocrasy by driving all the way out there for visit (than stopping by at UNIS/XDans place afterwards to mooch a beer). That's how good I think the service is. For the piece de resitance go for the full body massage. Its an hour (generally more) in a proper massage room with oil and music and comfy beds with a hole so you can breathe (and not a hole for anything else) and flower petals floating in vases on the floor. You hear no traffic or chatter and are left to enter a trance. Most importantly, the masseuses are all highly skilled and they don't walk on your back or do the super suprise snap on your neck. Huyen is absolutely AMAZING, my massage queen if you will.
The downside of their experience and expertise is their price. 250k for a massage and around 100 for a haircut, alas, true beauty has no price...
A final note, a great place to take out of towners not used to the hustle and bustle of the Nam. Took my best college buddy and his Viet kieu lady here after a good but intense trip and I think I will now permanently be in the girlfriend's favour; traffic, pollution and animal carcasses held no sway on her emotions after being Binhinized. If they're starting to get you down, give it a go
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You know your in the bizness when there's more japanese written on menus, walls and Sake bottles adorning the walls then there is Vietnamese or English. Double stoke if you pass a bunch of big ugly looking fresh fish on ice on your way past the par up to the tables. Sometimes looks can be deceiving but in this case your instincts'll serve you right, your in for an authentic and tasty Japanese meal.
Now I love Japanese food, not saying much as I tend to love food, but the thing that often scares me away is that for the good stuff its rare, nay, unheard of, at a cheap price. The key thing about ngon is that its both great and cheap. You pay 5 bucks, for example, for a sushi set lunch menu, that includes 12 pieces of sushi, salad, miso soup, small fish or pork dish, custard, vegetable, something I'm forgetting and ice cream. There's plenty of set lunches to chose from that offer even more bang for your buck. I thought the quality of the fish and other stuff was great, not like Asahi where its hit or miss, everytime I've been I've really enjoyed it. The 3rd floor and last table on the second floor both have great views of the park and lake across the street as well. Bonus, everytime I've been someone at a table near mine has been conversing in Japanese, really adding to the ambience. Another great place to lunch when your having less of a water dragon and more of samurai day. Sayounara!
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