Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Yummy 'har gow' with a heady aroma of sesame oil! Is anyone asking, "If Vietnam wasn't your holiday destination, where could it be?" After spending less than 24 hours in the capital city of Vietnam, I was back at Noi Bai International Airport to catch my next flight. Before departure, I had a quiet breakfast at Song Hong Business Lounge.

A variety of instant noodle, including Vietnamese 'pho'! UPDATE (30/06/2019): As the old international terminal has now become the domestic terminal, this review isn't representative of the current Vietnam Airlines Lounge at the new terminal. The clinical Terminal 2 for international departures wasn't at all lively in the morning. Save for the colours from paraphernalia sold at some kiosks, there wasn't much to see. Thankfully, there's an unobstructed view of the tarmac from the lounge for those who love aircraft spotting. There weren't that many people either that day, so I was able to sit back while waiting for the flight to take me home.  

Semi-buffet breakfast with friendly staff! UPDATE (12/04/2017):  The hotel has been rebranded to Ritz Boutique Hotel and has since moved to 23 Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem. Jasmine Garden Hotel (3*) is strategically situated within a short walking distance from Hoan Kiem Lake. "The friendliest hotel in Hanoi" can be seen as the tagline in the hotel website. I'm not too sure if that's really true, but I truly appreciated the hospitality that wasn't at all clinical, unlike that in some hotels done for the sake of formality. The breakfast is semi-buffet style, where main course has to be ordered from one of the staff.

Dining with a beautiful view of Hoan Kiem Lake in the evening! Located on the topmost floor of Elegance Diamond Hotel that is situated in the maze of the old quarter of the capital city of Vietnam, The Gourmet Corner Restaurant has been known to pamper its customers with a medley of Vietnamese and Western food, as well as the panoramic view of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Serving Vietnamese food, from northern to southern! After a long day of visiting most of the attractions and landmarks in the old quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, we were determined to find a particular vegetarian restaurant in the region. Alas, the effort turned out to be futile. However, keeping our chins up, we made a detour, walking further down to discover another famous restaurant that serves a huge array of authentic Vietnamese food.

An interesting array of Vietnamese appetiser dishes! The weather in Hanoi, Vietnam was pleasant that time with an average daily temperature of around 25 °C. However, the haze was really getting on my nerves, ruining my mood to a great extent as I really wanted to go around mostly by foot. Not far from the Temple of Literature, one of the major attractions in the city, is a restaurant run by KOTO (Know One, Teach One), an Australian-Vietnamese charity for underprivileged youth.

Ever tried deep-fried minced pork cake with rice field snails? Welcome to the first review of a restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam! I've finally managed to add yet another country tag to this blog. It was my very first time travelling to the country, not really knowing what to expect. On the very first day, I had dinner at a well-known restaurant, which is also known as The Old Quarter Corner Restaurant in English.