Vietnam Day 4: Back to Hanoi! Shopping & Savouring!
We
made our way back to Hanoi and had planned to spend the day checking out some
famous Hanoi old quarter streets known for their wares; Hang Gai [i](Hemp
/ Silk Street), and Hang Dau [ii]
(Bags and Shoes) in particular. Many of the streets are named after the wares
they sell, there is a silver jewellery street, and one that sells only chocolates,
one with wooden handmade products like combs, spoons, etc. I forgot the name of
the street which sells chocolates but it is on the same street where the
famous Bach Ma temple[iii]
is located. Our day was exclusively set for shopping and indulging our taste buds.
However, I will pool all our food and drink and shopping recommendations together
here.
We
started with some street food right besides our homestay[iv]
(Hanoi Old Quarter Homestay). We were recommended Bún Dậu Thập Cẩm and but maybe
because the rice vermicelli noodle cake was served cold, the sausages and fried
tofu were dripping oil and the shrimp paste was quite pungent …we didn’t enjoy
it very much.
I
suggest going for fresh grilled dishes with rice/rice noodles and side dishes,
instead of fried ones. We had a great
time grilling our own food in one of those Korean style barbeque pavement
joints( around the corner from our homestay) where we selected our own meat and
veggies to be grilled and then had an exciting time listening to the sizzle on
our stove grill and gobbling them down with chopsticks…We used chopsticks
everywhere we went. It is easy and fun once you get the hang of it. This table
top K Town grill experience is a must, especially for all my fellow crazy K Drama
fans!
For
a quick bite while shopping, you can try Banh Xeo (Crispy Pancake)
Vietnamese omelette loaded with all the goodies you can think of! One must savour
steaming hot Banh Bao [v]
(easily available in any of the street food joints) and Salty Cheese Buns at King Roti [vi]
(Really yum…melts in your mouth!). The liquid nitrogen infused cereal balls
also known as Dragon's Breath are also a fun treat if you want some great
videos of vapours escaping your nose and mouth! It tastes okay and we were fine
after eating. However, do not indulge little kids just to be on the safe side.
 |
| Dragon's Breath Candy |
For
lunch, you can try Noodle & Roll.
They have a great menu to choose from including vegan options. We went there
twice as it was right behind our alley and was quite cheap. We got to finally
try fresh Vietnamese Spring rolls (Goi Cuon) and they immediately
registered into our favourite food list along with Bun Bo Nam Bo and grilled
meat on lettuce wraps! Many a times we have had Bánh mì (Vietnamese Bread
Sandwich with choice of fillings) for an early lunch. Make sure, you have it at
a street joint popular with locals and tourists and fresh and hot. It is a safe
bet and fills you up for all the walking around.
For
dinner, the quintessential Vietnamese Pho is a must try, although you
can get it everywhere throughout the day. If you want to eat at a good restaurant
with a decently priced menu, I highly recommend Gecko[viii]
. Must try their Fish/Veg options in lemongrass flavoured tangy sauce with a
side of rice and Cinnamon and Honey tea for a drink. We could never try any of
the high-end restaurants as we would always grab a quick bite of something
while roaming around and then would not be hungry enough for a proper fine-dining
experience! We also missed out Cha Ca La Vong, Vietnamese turmeric fish
with dill and noodles. I suggest you don’t miss it… and try it when you are
there!
 |
| Dinner @ Gecko |
The
coffee lovers can try all sorts of coffee here. I personally liked the cold
versions of Vietnamese coffee and make sure you load yourself with the
Vietnamese instant coffee sachets for a steaming cuppa wherever you go! My
sisters tried Vietnamese local beer and found it quite light and breezy. There
are all sorts of international fast food joints around the Hoan Kiem Lake area,
but we avoided them like plague to save space for local cuisine at all times. Best
decision ever!
The
entire Old Quarter is a shopper’s delight. It has all sorts of bric-a-brac and is
a lucky treasure hunt sort of experience overall. We got some nice bargains for
good fancy bags, shoes, clothes, and souvenirs. The Hang Gai street
tailors promise you a customised outfit in 24 hours at a good bargain. We can
buy the Vietnamese traditional costume Áo dài[ix]
for just around (250000 VND/ 773 Rupees/ 11 $), or you can get it custom made
in pure silk for around Rs 4000/- (55 $).
The Hanoi Night Market area (personal
favourite) is lively during the day also with shops where you can drive a hard
bargain and come out smiling ear to ear! Beautiful dresses, shoes, trinkets,
caps, hats, silk scarves and shawls, you name it …and the place’s got it! Every
minute we had, after our walking sight seeing tours, we headed straight to Old
Quarter to explore a new street each evening. The Dong Xuan Market is a
whole sale market, you can skip it unless you are looking for some good quality
leather bags (good copies).
The
French Quarter is mostly a high-end shopping area with elegant French architecture
and wide-open spaces and roads, a complete opposite of the Old Quarter, but showcasing
another part of Hanoi history and lifestyle. Do try Mochi Ice-cream at
Kem Trang Tien, while checking out the Trang Tien Plaza. We didn’t buy
anything inside the plaza but it provides the cleanest place for a toilet break
in the area!
To
be continued…
[iii] Closed
for renovation when we were there!
[vii]
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g293924-d2095487-Reviews-Gecko_Restaurant_89_hang_Bo-Hanoi.html
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