Best Of Hanoi, by a Soon To Be Very Sad Ex-Ex-Pat

Diner Food: L's Diner OK, so the typical diner decor (the chrome bar stool that you can spin all the way around and the red leatherette bench seats with formica tables) and the fancy jukebox may be missing, and (horror!) replaced by decor with a Vietnamese flair - i.e. wooden chairs with fake fur and brown checked tablecloths, but the food is fine and dandy. All the usual suspects are offered, along with a few nifty surprises. Burgers range from the pint-sized Kiddie Burger to the Godzilla-sized-loosen-your-belt Double Decker (45,000 dong or $3.00). Beef Tacos consist of two meaty tacos, set into cozy red plastic taco holders, topped by a mountain of lettuce, tomato, and shredded (real!) cheese (35,000 dong or $2.30). Fish and Chips are served with fresh whitefish, fried in a light batter (28,000 dong, less than $2.00). Don't forget to save room for the rich, creamy milkshakes, gee whiz, in your choice of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry (20,000 dong, or $1.30). Old Times and Newsweeks abound (not dating all the way back to the 1950's, just a year or two) for your reading pleasure. Even the most avid rebels without a cause leave here full and happy. Let's go, Daddy-O! (L's Diner, Ngoc Khanh Parking Area - Near UN International School and Von Phuc Diplomatic Compound, tel: 846-2529) Pizza: Lay Bac In search of a quick fix from hours of Old Quarter haggling, too many moto-near-death-misses to count, and general malaise from the ever in your face noise and pollution? Duck into the Lay Bac, an oasis of relaxation and calm, to regroup (and a cold beer always helps!). This Aussie-owned and operated establishment offers excellent food and friendly service. Large pizzas, starting at 49,000 dong, or $3.25, range from the light and tasty Pizza Margherite to pizzas with your choice of all kinds of veggie and meat toppings. The Greek Salad is a veritable feast for the eyes and stomach, with farm-fresh bright red tomatoes, greens, spongy feta and marinated olives (25,000 dong, or $1.66). Australian rib-eye, topped with roquefort sauce, is a hearty gourmet treat (45,000 dong, or $3.00). The three-scoop smooth chocolate ice cream (16,000 dong, about $1.00) rounds out the meal nicely. For a quiet one, sit upstairs in the romantic woodbeam ceilinged room. Stop in twice and you may be greeted at the door with an ice cold frosty one, a "No worries mate", and a toothy grin. Kind of like your own little Cheer's in Hanoi, I'd say. (Lay Bac 135, 135 Hang Bac Street, Hoan Kiem District, tel: 826-6901). Sandwiches: No Noodles And no noodles you will find, just french bread subs filled with large portions of fresh meats and vegetables. A longtime favorite among ex-pats, No Noodles offers such lipsmackers as Chicken Tandoori, Camembert and Bacon, Salami with Avocado, Prawn Maryrose, and Curry Club. Advertising boasts fresh local and imported meats, olives, pickles and condiments. Prices range from 9,000 dong, or $.63 cents (Joy!) for a simple Crudite, or vegetable sandwich, to 54,000 dong, or $3.63, for the Big Filler (yes, you guessed it, the kitchen sink). Try the Croque Monsieur, perhaps their biggest seller, a tasty pressed sandwich, filled with ham and gouda cheese (26,000 dong, less than $2.00). Refreshing fruity concoctions include Pineapple Crush, Watermelon and Lime Slush, Gingered Pear Juice, Papaya and Banana Smoothie, and Nut Milk and Yoghurt (18,000 dong, or $1.20). Take away and delivery are available. Who's ready for a picnic? (No Noodles, 20 Nha Chung Street, Hoan Kiem District, tel: 928-5969). Local Vietnamese: Bittet When you see the sign for Bittet, turn into the narrow doorway and just keep going and going and going. Yes, this place gives you your first taste of the old French system of property tax, based on width, which translates into you build your house extremely narrow and ridiculously long. Seemingly hours later, still in the corridor of the house, you arrive at the kitchen. As the smells of oil and garlic pleasantly assault your senses you think, aah, the expedition was all worth it. And it was. Simply decorated, densely packed, this place is the haunt of many a happy Vietnamese family. Try the Bittet (you know, the beefsteak!), a nice slice of steak, and a deal at 15,000 dong, or $1.00 (where else can you get a steak for $1.00?!) Chicken Dinner arrives with a generously-sized portion of a leg and thigh, nicely roasted and accompanied by the also-introduced-by-the-French pomme frites (french fries), good value at 30,000 dong, or $2.00. The real treasure is the seafood. Your choice of blue crab or giant shrimp is served deep-fried and topped with heaps of scrumptious garlic. (40,000 to 60,000 dong, $2.66 or $4.00). All meals come with french bread (Hey, what is it with the French theme!) (Bittet, 51 Hang Buom Street, Hoan Kiem District, tel: 825-1211) Specialty Vietnamese: Hue Style Restaurant Don't come here for the ambience, focus on the food. Served tapas-style, this cuisine exposes you to simple, delicious tastes, attractively presented. Start with the delicate custard, elegantly-served in tiny bowls, topped with dried shrimp and fried onion. Dense pancakes come filled with morsels of meat and bean sprouts, accompanied by a soybean and meat sauce. Spring rolls are served two ways - the first, pre-rolled, with rice noodles, lettuce, dried shrimp and pork pieces. Roll-your-own rolls are also available. Be creative, and choose from among pork-skewered chunks, pineapple, banana flower, lettuce, green Vietnamese mint and the more spicy purple mint, cucumbers, and basil. (Hey, what was it about that don't play with your food directive from childhood?) Feeling fearless? Add a little of the knock-your-head-off chili paste to any of these foods and eat in truly classic Hue-style. Wash down the spicy samples with Huda beer ('Hu' for Hue and 'Da' for Danish, which indicates the specifications under which this brew was prepared). Prices are not listed, as they are too low to mention. Suffice it to say that a stuff-ourselves-silly lunch for five, complete with beverages and beer, cost less than $13. Cheapskates, alert: this is one time when you really should spring for the check. (Hue Style Restaurant, Quan Hue, 6 Ly Thuong Kiet) Japanese: Edo, Hanoi Daewoo Hotel Sidle up to the only teppanyaki bar this side of Hanoi, at the classy Edo restaurant inside the Daewoo Hotel. Teppanyaki is a style of cooking where the chef cooks on a grill in front of you, quickly searing meats and vegetables in a flash. The grilled delights are then served with flavorful sauces. The Salmon Teppanyaki Set promotes the best of all Japanese flavors. This $9.00 set lunch consists of grilled salmon and vegetables served with both a ponzu and a chili sauce, salad (with miso dressing), a full-flavored red miso soup, Japanese sticky rice, and chawanmushi, or egg custard with tiny bites of shrimp, shitake mushroom, chicken, and bean. Even the otsukemono, or Japanese pickles, are authentic, down to the last crunch. Try the weekend lunch buffet, at $13.90 a person, and select from among dishes of sushi and sashimi, soba, teppanyaki, tempura, sukiyaki, and other Japanese specialties. Ask Chef Ikeda about his ten year career in Tokyo. (Edo, Hanoi Daewoo Hotel, 360 Pho Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, tel: 831-5000) Indian: Dakshin Playing to a full house every night, this is the only Indian all-vegetarian restaurant in Hanoi. South Indian dishes are featured, though you can find some North Indian fare on the menu. Try the Dakshin Thali set meal, a South Indian set, served with chappathi bread, rice, pappadum, sambhar (fried lentils and spices), rasam (dhal and tamarind, nicely spiced with garlic, pepper and cumin), two chef-selection poriyals, or chopped vegetable curries, yoghurt, and a dessert, along with your choice of soft drink (50,000 dong, or $3.33). The Uthar Thali sampler contains North Indian dishes, including two curries and the naan of your choice (also priced at 50,000 dong). Individual curries range from a very reasonable 28,000 to 30,000 dong ($2.00 and under), and require such tough choices as Aloo Jeera (potato with flavorful cumin), Palak Paneer (a delightful blend of creamy spinach and cottage cheese), Baingan Bartha (spicy mashed eggplant), and Malai Kofta (vegetable minced dumplings in yellow gravy). Trivia buffs, did you know that Dakshin is Sanskrit for South? (Dakshin, 94 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem District, tel: 928-6872)

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Published on 7/1/02