A week after my trip to Hanoi, I still can't really figure out what to make of the place =p Whenever friends or colleagues asked me whether it is a nice place, I still can't really answer them straight-up.
I suppose it's because nice is such a subjective term (or if not subjective, perhaps too general? Or is it one and the same?=p)
Hanoi is a city that's...different.
My perception of a city has always been a bustling cosmopolitan centre with lots of (often times fashionable) people, lots of high-rise buildings, swanky places etc. I guess this is very much influenced by Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul and Bangkok...all the Asian cities that I have visited so far.
But Hanoi is different. No doubt about the bustling part and lots of people part, but the others...Sometimes it feels like the place is an overgrown town, or a city that has yet to catch up developing in line with the population, I don't know. Basically it was different, an interesting study in contrasts.
And the amount of motocyclists/ cyclists is mind-boggling! In a place where most purchases are still made via cash, motorcycle and bicycles are the common mode of transportation. Cars are pretty much considered a luxury there and those that can affort one are actually the priviliged (well, how many people do you know of that can buy a car with CASH eh?=p). That said, crossing the road takes great faith and resolve =p. The sea of motorcycles may overwhelm you, but as my friend said ( and I noticed too), it's the cars/ cabs/ buses that you have to really look out for, as the motorcyclists/ cyclists will always find a way of swerving around you =p I think they have an unspoken language between them, and for that I am grateful, for I survived the Vietnamese traffic ;)
Having said that, that is not too say I don't like Hanoi. There are several things I loved about Hanoi :)
The Food :)
It just totally sits with me :) There was never a time when I felt hesitant during meal time, and never an unsatisfactory dish. Everything was new, and yet still familiar at the same time because most dishes reminded me of Chinese food, with noodles, rice and pork being the main staple. I wasn't adventurous enough to try out "thit cho" (dog meat) and "thit meo" (cat meat but not sure if I got the spelling right=p), and I doubt if I will ever be THAT adventurous haha, but other than that, everything else sat well with me (and my tummy of course) :). My foodie picks :
Foodie Pick #1 :
Spring Rolls (fried or fresh) - This is such a common dish in Vietnam that I think I had it pretty much everyday=p The main difference between the Vietnamese Spring Rollls and our local Popiah is the use of Rice Paper as the wrap. Paired with fresh ingredients and a bowl of fish sauce (nuoc mam) for dipping, it's great for snacks or as one of the lauk (dish) during mealtimes. Contents of the Spring Rolls may vary though, during my trip I tried fillings like pork, prawns,vege, vermicelli etc, but regardless, all YUMMY =D
Example of fresh Spring Roll. This one had prawn, tomatoes, steamed vermicelli etc. Absolutely delicious when dipped in the accompanying nuoc mam :)
Foodie Pick #2 :
Banh Cuon - This is similar to Chee Cheong Fun. It has pork fillings in soft Wantan-like wraps, lots of fried garlic on top and poured with the Banh Cuon gravy. When you eat it you get your own individual bowl of diluted fish sauce (so that it's not too salty). Then you just take your individual Banh Cuon wraps, dip it in the fish sauce (which comes with small meatballs) and eat it :) My friend and I had 3 of the Banh Cuon at one go, it was really good heheh :) The experience was also pretty special for me in the sense that the Banh Cuon dish was my first time eating at a Vietnamese roadside stall. This might sound like normal (Malaysia has its fair share of roadside stalls after all), but Vietnamese roadside stalls are slightly cozier than ours ;) (see pic for reference :))
Foodie Pick #3:
Man Tou - I'm not exactly sure what is it called in Vietnamese but the Man Tou (bun) that I had for one of my breakfast was seriously the best man tou I had ever had :) Most of the Man Tou I tasted before needs to have some sort of spread as it might taste bland on its own, but this one was, to quote Gardenia, so good you can eat it on its own =p
The Ca Phe (Coffee)
Another thing that I loved is of course, the celebrated Vietnamese drip coffee. A self-confessed Starbucks junkie, this was definitely something that I had to try ;) Is it any good? Yes it is!! =D Although it was still a bit thick for me (even the kopi susu version), there is no denying the rich aroma of it. Roadside cafes can be found everywhere, and the most famous brand of coffee is Trung Nguyen. My friend told me that one can actually buy the coffee drip set together with the coffee powder in the supermarket, but I only managed to get the Trung Nguyen instant coffee this time around, Maybe next time eh? ;)
The coffee powder is pressed in the little container on top, and then it will slowly drip to the cup below, hence the name Drip Coffee
The Bags
Hanoi definitely can't beat Bangkok as a shopping haven (clothes-wise), but if intricate, beautiful handmade bags are what you looking for, I'm sure you will find something (or more) that will catch your eye :) Handbags/ purses/ pouches etc made of silk with embroidery are commonly found, and makes a nice (and affordable) memento. Just how much varieties of bags are we talking about here? Take a look and see below :
The Ha Long Bay Cruise
Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site which is 3 hours' drive away from Hanoi. A popular way of visiting Ha Long Bay would be on an overnight cruise, and you can take your pick from the gamut of cruises available, from the basic to the luxurious. We went on the regular 2 days, 1 night cruise which included kayaking, swimming, chugging around the bay and visiting the limestone Cave of Surprises (if you have been to Mulu, you know what to expect ;) ). Ha Long Bay consists of 1,969 limestone islets as far as the eye can see, and the calm waters makes the cruise a relaxing experience. My favourite memory of Ha Long is throwing open the cabin door in the morning to be greeted with a scene not unlike this one:
This picture was taken slightly later in the morning after breakfast =p
