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City Info: Hà Nộioverview attractions [ restaurants ] hotels As the capitol of Vietnam, Hanoi (written locally as Hà Nội) is the smaller of the country's two urban centers. Filled with museums, lakes and restaurants, it is a perfect entry point to seeing more, but it could take months to run out of things to do here. Surprising to some, there is an enormous range of food available in the city. Hankering for a quesadilla? Pizza? Curry? Don't worry, it's here. But don't forget to check out the street food where the prices are ridiculously low and the flavors are intense.
Moca Cafe68 Nha ThoThe closest I could possibly come to a Portland cafe in Ha Noi. The atmosphere is strictly expat with the prices to prove it. The food is delicious and tastes pretty close to homemade. The breakfast menu is especially good: french toast, banana pancakes and waffles (the kids' faves). And hands-down, the best cheesecake in the country. (Stuart: "It made me feel like home") 
Ciao Cafe02 Hang BaiWe've eaten here a number of times and have never been disappointed. Chicken Cordon Bleu, cheeseburgers, lasagna, pizza, garlic bread, lemon juice... it's all good. It is quite hip inside and very Western, but the prices were still reasonable and the fruit drinks were delicious. Seemed to be the place for late 20-somethings to meet up with friends and chat (both live and on their mobiles). Free WiFi during specific hours (not traditional meal times). 
Al Fresco's23L Hai Ba TrungA hit with the kids, this place was a taste of home, for sure. Feeling a bit homesick for the US? Come here and it's like you're back on American soil, sans the 20-hour flight. Labeled as Tex-Mex in our guidebook, I was a bit dubious of the quality in a country so far from Mexico, but they do a darn fine job with it. We had a chicken quesadilla (can you say tiny?), potato wedges w/ bacon and sour cream, and small nachos. There were plenty of potatoes and nachos, but the quesadilla was the size of a tea saucer. The prices are high for the quality of food, but the kids love it. They have a coloring contest and a spin-the-wheel games for the little ones.
Papa Joe's Coffee112 Cau GoSame Western-style food as their sister restaurant Al Fresco's, but we like this place for their ice cream and wi-fi. Their soft-serve is some of the best we've had and seeing as it's in the middle of the Old Quarter/Hoan Kiem area, we pass it far too often. They have an all-you-can-eat ice cream bar, always a hit with kids. The paninis are pretty darn good and on Thursdays they're buy one get one free. They also have a lunch special of soup , fried rice and drink for about 35,000VND. Sit up on the third floor for the best view and enjoy the wi-fi and some dessert. Though Audrey says she'd give it 7 out of 5 stars!
Meat shish-ke-bob ladyon Hang BeOkay, so there are a few ladies selling shish-ke-bobs (meat on a stick) on the street, but we particulary like the one near the Ha Noi Spirit House (see above). She charges us 3000VND each (half the price the other woman charged us) and they are so yummy. Two of those and a bowl of rice... a simple dinner for 10-15,000VND (less than $1USD), depending on where you buy a bowl of rice.
The Garden36 Hang ManhBilled as inexpensive in our guidebook, we found it to be more moderate in price, but worth every bit. Excellent Vietnamese food; easily the best fried rice in town. It's nice enough to have fabric napkins, but relaxed enough that I didn't feel too out of place with kids in tow. Opens at 5pm for dinner. 
A Little Italian Restaurant78 Tho NhuonOur first trip here was on the recommendation of a friend; he was right about it. It's a classy little restaurant, but go at off-times and the kids won't bother anyone. The thin-crust pizza is excellent, especially the slightly funky versions. The pasta carbonara was good, but the pizza is where they excelled. And on Saturdays, the pizza was (is?) half-price. Score! Good food at a good price.
Chuc Linh73 Hang BacOkay food, but nothing to brag about. I ate fried rice (com rang rau) that was pretty good, but Audrey's pasta was tasteless. Stuart had a hamburger and they did a nice job with that, included ketchup even. Not bad, but I doubt we'd go back. 
KFCnear Vincom TowerSame ol' fast food, but in smaller portions and smaller prices. We were bitterly disappointed in the lack of barbecue sauce, but must admit that the kids got a kick out of this novelty. Same kid's meal with a toy, just in a different country. Not the same biscuit though, to my own disappointment. Here it's been replaced by a bread roll. One time was enough. 
BBQ ChickenA Korean chain of fast food restaurants, it opened in March here in Ha Noi. The prices are quite high, but the quality was fair. They have Coke Chicken, which is a strange sounding concoction, but stranger in reality. It's simply a large cup of Coke with a special lid that sits down in the cup and holds a small handful of popcorn chicken. We couldn't quite figure out why? it needed to be this way, but we were stumped.
Have another recommendation? Let me know.
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| Sa Pa • Ha Noi • Ninh Binh • Phat Diem • Tam Coc
Thanh Hoa • Sam Son • Hue • Hoi An • Tam Ky • My Lai why go getting there city info food & culture our travelog site map our trio contact us © 2007 VietnamWithKids.com |
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