Cafe Anh

I have been going to this cute cafe for the last 7 years but not regularly. Last week with my friend's son, I went back to Anh Cafe and enjoyed the experience and very much.

Right opposite Thien Quang Lake, this is a great place for people-watching. The big trees in front provide shade for the customers and a nice breeze from the lake blows across, which is a blessing in the heat of the Hanoi summer. The coffee isn't the best in town but it passes the test on a morning when I am a bit slow to get going. I take my coffee with a slightly bigger pour of condensed milk and ice. Of course, in summer, hot coffee is out of the question - though sometimes my street food tour customers still prefer that.

Perhaps the best featyre of this cafe is the owner, a skinny old man who wanders up and own the line of customers sweeping up the discarded sunflower seed husks and collecting the money. His cafe is really a part of old Hanoi, I guess and that's reason enough to come back again and again.
Cafe Anh
70 Nguyen Du - Hanoi

Cafe Lam

Hanoi coffee culture is a bit different compared to the rest of Vietnam with low chairs and tables and sometimes just plastic chairs acting as both chairs and tables. I like this style very much and after 10 years in Hanoi sitting this low, I feel very comfortable.

Beside my favorite Cafe Nang, I sometimes go to Cafe Lam for a cup of coffee or juice for a change. Cafe Lam is located on Nguyen Huu Huan street and consists of two traditional old houses joined together. This cafe is very popular among all age groups in Hanoi and the number of customers leaves no doubt about the quality of their coffee and juices. The staff, who are amonst the most friendly in the city, serve the hot coffee with the cup sitting in a bowl of hot water; very cute. Their coffee is perhaps a bit stronger than average but not bitter at all. One of the features of this cafe is the photos and paintings lining the walls, making the experience of having coffee here quite a cultural one as well.

Their prices are pretty standard for Hanoi and, like the coffee culture in many of the cafes here, the best part is that you can sit on the pavement out front (away from the smokers!) to observe the passing side-show.
Cafe Lam
Nguyen Huu Huan
Hanoi

PS: I have gone off this coffee shop as of yesterday because when I took one of my foreign street food tour client there, I discovered they have a policy to charge foreigners more. I will not be going back!!!

Winter Winter

Winter in Hanoi is super challenging for a southern beach boy like me. Today, there are more signs of warm spring, though it's very wet and quite cold still inside the house. Hanoi's humidity makes the 'feels like' temperature several degrees lower or higher, depending on the season. The cold gets into my bones. The heat I don't mind. Winter tourists upon arrival don't seem to notice but within a few days they are seeking out the jumper shops.

The other problem is the lack of heating. Hanoians tend to tolerate it because the deep winter is not that long. They wear their coats and wooly hats inside while they're watching television! This year I've bought a cheap Chinese heater which is actually only useful when it is blowing directly on me and will probably put our electricity bill through the roof. I've also bought these water bottles that plug into the electricity and heat up in a few minutes. So I am prepared much better than my past ten years in Hanoi.

Another way to keep warm in winter in Hanoi is to eat smart. On the streets, trying hot sweet potato or cassava, steamed buns and even boiled corn from a mobile street vendor while crowding around their heated cart give a few minutes of warmth. Rice porridge and hot pots are my other favourites at this time of year.

Winter time is also a time that I put on weight even though I am very busy with work, because winter food in Hanoi is mostly pretty heavy and deep fried. This sometimes means I have to buy winter clothes for my expanding waistline. Hanoians actually love that they can get out of T-shirts and shorts in winter and they go quite crazy buying and wearing heavy clothes. I don't go crazy but I did buy a jumper the other day in the Old Quarter. The worst part was taking my many layers of shirts off to try it on!

I'm sure it won't be long now before people are complaining about the heat.

Plant Sellers

Street plant vendors are very common now in Hanoi in addition to the more noticeable flower sellers. After getting cheated a few times, I now know to check the plants very carefully before finalising any purchase from these vendors. Just remembering how I got cheated makes me feel silly but I do admire their endeavour, even though it's clearly not right.

At that time, as is my habit, I was sitting in front of Cafe Nang listening to the different conversations going on around me. I saw the plant vendor ride her bike past on the back of which was a very beautiful small bonsai covered with many gorgeous red flowers. After a round of bargaining, I thought I got a good deal. In fact, most of the customers in the cafe admired my bargaining skills and the flowers on the plant. Of course, two days later the flowers were dead. My friend checked them and we realized that the flowers had actually been pinned on, every single one of them. Hate that.

Another time, I got off my bike just opposite Cafe Nang, and noticed another seller with beautiful fire cracker flowers. I bought two plants and got them home safely. I went down to the Red River flats near my house to buy two new pots to plant them in. Great job, I thought to myself as I sat admiring them with a cool drink. Unfortunately, the next day the same friend pointed out that I'd been scammed again. This time the flowers had started to go moldy and I realised they'd been stuck in using elephant glue and I was so disappointed.

Dua Ca Muoi - Pickles

Most Vietnamese women in northern Vietnam know how to make dua ca (pickles) well and my mother does, too. I have tried a few times when I was in Nha Trang but just couldn't make it right. Today, I walked pass Hang Muoi street and saw an old woman making it and my mouth started watering.

When I saw the woman hanging Dua vegetables on the side of an electric stand yesterday, I thought it'd be a great shot and I took a photo. Today, when I walked past again, she was sitting there making her specialty, going through the many different processes: the dried Dua veggies are laid in the hot sun for a few hours to wilt, after which they are well mixed with warm water and salt. They should taste a bit salty (no sugar is added). Lengths of spring onion are added and the Dua is ready to eat in 2 to 5 days. If you like the pickles a bit bitter then they can be eaten in a day. If you want to stirfry them, they are best after about four days of pickling.

In Hanoi, many typical Vietnamese restaurants serve stir fried Dua veggies with garlic, a little bit of tomato or sometimes with beef. In my opinion, it's better without beef as it has enough favor; the bit of sourness from the veggies, sweetness from the tomatoes, a little salt from fish sauce or soya sauce. It's a perfect match for beer and to eat with steamed white rice. It's actually a nice option for vegetarians, too...if you can get it without the beef, that is.

Fishing And Lunch

Many Hanoians went to other cities or to the beach for their Independence Day and May Day Holidays. I not keen on that as wherever you choose to go on these national holidays is generally very crowded and really expensive. So instead,my ex-colleages and I went to Thang Long retreat in Gia Lam for a day. This retreat is such a peaceful place with small bungalows located around a lake from where you can fish. When we arrived, we had the place to ourselves but 2 hours later, the crowds we were trying to avoid showed up. Some were turned away because the place was full. I really appreciated the fact that my friends had booked and ordered from the menu a few days in advance.

I've tried fishing before but I wasn't patient enough to catch any fish. My friends didn't seem to be very interested either so we played cards and drank a few beers, and had a wander about to see if anyone else was having any luck with the fishing. It really didn't seem as if anyone was concerned about it.

Soon after noon our lunch arrived, many different dishes that my friends had pre-ordered, including grilled squid, chicken baked in mud and beef in vinegar.But the highlight of the meal was the 1.5kg deep fried snake head fish to roll with fresh vegetables. I felt bad as we couldn't finish this super fish dish even though we gave it our best shot.

Anyway, the important thing was the relaxing atmosphere on the national holiday. For 8 of us, we only paid 900,000Vnd which means $47 including beers and soft drinks. I am sure I will come back to this place for a future party. Thanks to my friends for a great day.

Heaven Calling

In Asia, people believe in the laws of karma and that's why many people go to pagodas every first day, 15th and the last day of the lunar month to pray for their health and luck... also for their family members who have passed away.

The thinking is that dead people also need the same stuff as living people so, on these special days, some people spend millions of dong on fake paper products, from a pair of shoes to air conditioners, even motobikes. But in certain cases and for people in high positions in society, there may be different ways to celebrate. Families who have very successful businesses are known to spend a fortune paying a service to organise the praying and provide the paper goods.

Last week, on the way down to the old quarter, I saw people transporting their stuff on a small truck to the temple to burn after their prayer session and it included lots of huge paper horses, elephants, angels and fake money. This is not the first time I've seen these stuff which is mostly seen during pagoda festivals which are held early in the year. This occasion in Yen Phu street was a private one as it was nowhere near a special lunar day.

Anyway, even though it looks good and provides a great photo opportunity, I think this practice is such a waste of money and the smoke produced by the fire is an environmental nightmare, especially on lunar days when everyone in town is burning paper.

Handy Man

Yesterday, it was raining and I was checking my emails. I heard a very deep voice from an old man riding past my door on his bicycle. I finally recognised the call of the handy man who sharpens knives. I've frequently seen him riding by along with lots of other people riding bicycles who shine shoes, collect recyclable waste and even collect kitchen slosh to feed pigs.

I called him back to my door and asked him to sharpen some knives. He was a funny man and he did a great job. But in the end he was a bit cheeky asking for more money even though we made the deal at the beginning. Anyway, I think most people doing these jobs don't earn lots of money and I usually give some extra.

As he sharpened, he told me he's from the countryside just out of Hanoi and he leaves his home early in the morning, rides around west lake looking for customers and finishes the day at about 6pm. His average income for a day is about 70,000Vnd which is not so bad, considering it takes only 5 minutes to finish a knife. I paid 30,000Vnd for 4 knives and it took him less than 15 minutes work. Unfortunately for him, though, most Vietnamese families have their own whetstones to sharpen their own knives.

Heavy Snack

My friends usually go out in the evening after their dinner for a snack and a chat. Last week, they invited me out for Nem Chua Ran - deep fried fermented pork in Tam Thuong Lane. There are lots of small shops selling this snack around Hanoi but it seems the most popular area is in Tam Thuong lane in the middle of Hang Bong street.

We ordered one serve which included Nem Ran, mangos, cucumbers and also french fries. Beside these snacks, they also serve different kinds of grilled dried fish and dried squid. Dry seafood doesn't exactly sound very nice but they are a perfect match for wine and beer, even hot and iced corn juice. All of these snacks use the same dipping sauce and condiments, salt and chilli or sweet chilly sauce. These two dipping sauces sound boring but they really work with these dishes

It's a good snack for a change but you wouldn't want to eat it every day as it's quite high in fat. I am sure I will come back for more as it is quite cheap and something that you can dwell over for a long time for a good chat. Definitely worth exploring this little lane in the Old Quarter.

Thanh Son shop
Tam Thuong Lane

Truc Bach Lake

There is no doubt about the beauty of Truc Bach Lake is but it not always a pleasant place to be because of the pollution and waste in the lake and the craziness on the street in the evening. Almost every single house opens a hotpot restaurant and their staff keep annoying people who drive past. The problem is that they are not supposed to do business on the foot path around the lake. When the police come, they try to move their tables, mats... and leave all the rubbish behind. Besides that, Hanoian don't seem to care about the environment as they throw eveything possible into the lake including plastic bags, bottles and food scraps.

Today, I talked to one of the staff of the Hanoi water company on the side of the lake while they were trying to dredge Truc Bach Lake. According to him, " Hanoi water company dredges Truc Bach Lake every two years but they have changed the routine now, as it's getting polluted very quickly due to the habits of the people who live around the lake and their customers. From this year, they will clean up the lake every year to maintain the clean water and the environment for not only the lake but for Hanoi as well". From what I've seen today, these workers are working so hard. Some of them even have to stay overnight in a small floating boat to keep an eye on their machinery. I personally think that the best idea is to educate people about the environment and encourage them to keep the area around their properties tidy.

I hope people pay more attention to the environment to keep Hanoi clean and green, particularly as Hanoi's 1000 year anniversary is not too far away. Please keep the world alive!!!

Happy National Day!!!

This is the 8th national day that I have spent in Hanoi, which means I have been living here for over 8 years. I love this romantic city, the food and beautuful sunset in the afternoon at West Lake. But the winter is just terrible - something I'll never ever forget for the rest of my life as it's damn cold even when I'm wearing 4 shirts, 3 pants, gloves and a woollen hat on my body. The best time of the year is autumn from September to November.

Yesterday's Independence Day was a good chance for everyone to have a day off to relax or go away with family and friends. Surprisingly Hanoi was a bit quiet as most people took advantage to escape to the countryside or to the north. I love Hanoi during big celebration days as I can drive around easily; no traffic jam, no crazy drivers and so peaceful. I prefer to hang around in Hanoi rather than going away because prices at holiday destinations tend to be inflated and they get really crowded, too. Better to stay home and really relax!

Happy National Day everyone, I hope you guys have a beautiful day.

Speeding Bush

It's amazing what you can see on the roads in Hanoi. Lastweekend, while I was driving along the dyke road toward the old quarter for lunch, I saw a huge green pile of vegetation about 5 metres high moving along the road in the distance. From behind, you couldn't even see a vehicle. As I got closer it became clear that it wasn't a moving tree. It was a truck full of tree branches which were kind of sweeping the road sending heaps of dust and leaves into the eyes of everyone behind it.

Finally, I got my photograph and got the hell away from it. I could imagine that somewhere down the road the whole lot would fall off and cause a big traffic accident. There are laws about what can be transported on trucks and motorbikes in Hanoi but there doesn't seem to be much action to control it.

I lost my photos for this article