Eating in Hà Nội (Part 2)

My eating experience in Hà Nội continued...

1. Bún chả Hàng Mành
One of the most popular Hà Nội specialities is definitely "bún chả, nem cua", it's so famous that everyone want to try at least once while visiting there. The foreigners might have a difficulty to find the best place in Hà Nội, but to Vietnamese - should be no problem! But by somehow ridiculously an original Hà Nội-born gentleman in his early 40s took us to a place for bún chả, where after the first bite, I realised something wrong with the crab roll. It was bad, quite bad, strangely covered with bread crumb that I've never seen before.

                          Looks good? But honestly tastes not good, after the first bite....I gave up! 

Eating in Hà Nội (Part 1)

Eating in Hà Nội is always a pleasure for me. I quite like Hanoi taste. I know many people from South could hardly survive in the North as they found Hanoi food a bit bland, no flavours, and especially too much MSG. To me, I found it different - quite authentic, probably sophisticated and specially not too sweet or too fatty as our Southern taste.
Anyway everywhere could be the same - something tasty, something not! This time I spent almost two weeks in the North, so I got a chance to visit Yên Tử, Hạ Long Bay, Sapa, Tràng An...I even went to Hội Lim for the first time, and came back to Bát Tràng, where I visited almost 15 years ago.
During these two weeks I experienced a lot of good foods but at the same time - some far from good!
Let's start with our glorious beef noodles - Phở!

1. Beef noodles at Bát Đàn 

                          One the most recommended beef noodles in Hà Nội - Phở Bát Đàn.

Ha Long Bay - one of the new 7 wonders!

My first time in Ha Long Bay was sometime between 1993-1994 and it was not a sightseeing trip. It was a one-night stay for business. I had to accompany an Australian agency during the shooting of TV commercials around Vietnam for my company. Ha Long was the second selected spot after Hanoi.The film director, by his words, used to be a friend of Nicole Kidman and some other celebs, wanted to capture the sunrise at the Bay, so his request to everyone - to be ready by 4:00 am, but the next scene was more memorable - it was shot in the fish market, next to the fishing village, with a very nice view to the Bay.
It was wet, windy, fishy smell, muddy, dirty, big noisy crowd...and the talent, a Beauty Queen of Vietnam was asked to dress always in pure white áo dài that her mom had to wash, dry everyday after the shooting. That TVC was recognised one of the most beautiful TVCs at that time on air, as within 45 seconds we could see most beautiful places in Vietnam, from North down to Mekong Delta.

                      Hòn Trống Mái or Hòn gà chọi - one of the symbols of Ha Long Bay