While on our way to visit the Hanoi Opera House, we stopped by the iconic Trang Tien Plaza which is Hanoi’s first high-end luxury shopping mall. It is located across the road from the southern end of Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter. Expect to find familiar brands here such as Cartier, Dior, Louis […]

While exploring Truc Bach Lake, we ventured into this little island on the lake that was brimming with restaurants and eateries that specialised in one common dish – Pho Cuon or Vietnamese rice noodle rolls. After circling the area a couple of times, we decided to settle with the eatery that was bustling with patrons. […]

When I travel to a different country, I always like to check out its local bakeries (besides supermarkets) because I love bread and I eat it all the time. It’s something that I can easily make a meal out of it and I can have it whenever I feel like it. 🙂 While exploring the […]

This was one of my favourite supper spots in Hanoi because it was the only banh mi place that was closest to our hotel that opened till late around 11pm+ or so. It was set up in the shop front of a travel agency by the name of Sinh Cafe. Do note that are many […]

The best porridge I had ever eaten in my life was found at the same street of my hotel in Hanoi. That wasn’t an overstatement because the porridge was so good, it had me coming back not less than 5 times in one week. Normally I wouldn’t even eat the same thing more than twice […]

In one of my earlier travel posts, I’ve mentioned that if you’re staying in the Old Quarter in Hanoi, it’s actually very easy to get around on foot. In fact, many of the notable attractions and must-see places in Hanoi are also within walking distances from the Old Quarter. Well, when I say ‘walking distance’ […]

The first time I heard of Banh Cuon Gia Truyen was when I watched Jason Tastes Asia on AFC and I told the husband we had to come here should we visit Hanoi one day. That was exactly what we did. 🙂 Good that they had English translation on the menu so ordering of food […]

Bun Cha 34 was the bun cha place that I briefly mentioned in my earlier post (read Truc Bach Lake, West Lake Hanoi and Bo Bia), where we came by for lunch. It is not far from Dong Xuan Market. If you’re planning to visit Truc Bach Lake, West Lake and/or Tran Quoc Pagoda, you […]

After completing one round of Truc Bach Lake (read my earlier post -> Truc Bach Lake, West Lake Hanoi and Bo Bia) on foot, we came to Highlands Coffee, a popular Vietnamese cafe chain. The 2-storey cafe was like a red boat docked at the pier – very eye-catching even from a distance. Hubby said […]

Hubby and I were in the vicinity of Truc Bach Lake after having bun cha for lunch. We planned to explore the lake on foot and at the same time, check out the Tran Quoc Pagoda which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Hanoi. From Chau Long Street, we started walking around the lake in […]

If you’re currently planning a trip to Hanoi, you may want to have your travel dates overlap the weekend so you can check out the popular Hanoi Night Market a.k.a. Dong Xuan Night Market that only opens 3 days a week. On every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the whole stretch of road from Hang Dao […]

There was a time in Singapore when Mexican coffee buns were really popular. I remembered trying those from Rotiboy but I wasn’t super impressed with them – they tasted like regular buns with crispy topping. Anyway, Rotiboy had already ceased operation here a long time back though you can still find them in Malaysia. When […]

Hoan Kiem Lake a.k.a. Lake of the Returned Sword or Lake of the Restored Sword is located within Hanoi Old Quarter, which makes it a good spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s probably also the only place to get ‘fresher’ air in the Hoan Kiem district which is […]

Before I go on to introduce more drool-worthy eats in Hanoi, I thought I would take you all to the streets of the Hanoi Old Quarter to discover more about the Vietnamese culture and their way of life. The Hanoi Old Quarter a.k.a. Hoan Kiem District is the main tourist attraction and commercial hub of […]

When you’re in Hanoi, you will likely see these mass-produced donuts being sold EVERYWHERE. Women sitting down by the roadside with baskets of donuts. Women on bicycles (like the one pictured above) with baskets of donuts. Women walking down the streets with baskets of donuts. Whenever they spot tourists, they would enthusiastically approach them to […]

On our first day while exploring the Old Quarter on foot, we came by Cho Dong Xuan or Dong Xuan Market which was Hanoi’s largest indoor market. It was a Thursday afternoon and it didn’t look that crowded on the outside so we thought it would be a good time to walk around and have […]