Everything Random

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon and Typhoon Kajiki was creating serious damage in several parts of Vietnam. It was cold and grey outside but I decided to venture out into the rain and find a place to have a good dinner for the night.

My friend First is going for some “styling” appointment with a friend in Hanoi’s Old Quarter so I hitched a ride with her. Good we were able to book a ride despite the weather. When we arrived at her place of interest, I started roaming around to find a small painting to bring home (yes, Hanoi has galleries every where) and look for dinner.

I searched around and found that Viet Restaurant Hang Bong has good reviews so I hunted the place down.

The restaurant sits at the rooftop of a hotel but you will not know this if you are strolling on the street. Signs (for directions) of the place is not prominent at the lobby, except that it says Viet Restaurant at the 11th floor. I almost missed it to be honest, but had the courage to ask, in my broken Vietnamese, a food seller nearby. It’s at the 11th Floor of GM Premium Hotel. So I went inside the elevator and was greeted by a restaurant that overlooks the city.

The place is tastefully decorated and the furnishings are quite stylish. It does look more like Mediterranean than Vietnamese though.

There is a rooftop seating accessible via stairs from the bar. Too bad there was a typhoon so I was not able to enjoy the open air vibe.

In terms of food, the menu is expansive and has very good vegetarian options. I opted for a tofu appetizer and it was really good. I ordered the traditional bun cha for my main course and it was fairly decent. The mocktails are okay but not to die for. I did not order dessert because I was planning to go to at least two coffee shops nearby to cap the night.

It comes on the pricey side but overall worth it. Service is attentive and thoughtful so congrats to the crew. (By the way, they only accept cash, so you have to carry some bills if you want to eat here. I saw two couples who did not proceed to avail of the restaurant services as they do not have enough cash.)

Do I recommend? Maybe. But not sure if you would like to brave the Old Quarter traffic for this place. But if your hotel is nearby, maybe worth the try.