Mystery Diner
A good slice of otoro should literally melt in your mouth.
Fancy some Malaysian cuisine as it is cooked in Malaysia? This month our mystery reviewer visits the self-styled kopitiam, My Place. Photos by Elisabeth Rosen
It’s rare to discover a new cuisine in Hanoi. Most city dwellers have grown accustomed to a limited array of culinary options and reconciled themselves to the fact that most ethnic delicacies will likely be toned down for local palates. But walk along Truc Bach and you’ll find a small, cheerfully decorated restaurant that aims to change this situation. Although it’s modest in scale, the eatery serves flavourful curries in ample portions. What’s more, it represents what could be a completely new dining trend for Hanoi — if only more people were aware of its existence.
Our secret reviewer checks out the third restaurant in the chain that also includes Wild Rice and Wild Lotus. Photos by Francis Roux
The unusually named Le Paul Conti has rightly gained plaudits for its quality and well-thought out wine list. But what about the cuisine? Photos by Francis Roux
If one word can capture the fiery energy of the bird’s eye chilli, it might well be gusto.
My memories of dim sum buffets are of bright pink and red decorated ballrooms, lots of noise, carts pushed around by screaming waiters, hangovers, overeating, pointing and talking, and more overeating. All an experience not replicated by the dim sum buffet on the second floor of Sofitel Plaza — except for the overeating part, that is.
Hanoi is known for its ability to stuff the most intriguing cafes into the most inconspicuous spaces a city can provide. That’s just the case with Exchange Café, which is squeezed into the diminutive, easily-missed Ngo Trang Tien, that exits onto the main drag off Phan Chu Trinh opposite the Opera House.
Our undercover reviewer finds out why the spice is right for one of the city’s most celebrated restaurateurs. Photos by Francis Roux