There’s one problem though, as some other restaurants are riding on its fame with similar name and menu to take advantage of naive foreign travellers, and I was one of the fallen prey of the conspiracy during my Hanoi trip in July 2008…

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Cha Ca grilled fish, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Blog

Their menu was quite different from what I had at other Hanoi restaurants; their food was kinda like a fusion of traditional Vietnamese cuisine with some new cooking ideas.

Sticky rice rolls with roast meat… quite a gem

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Quan Com Pho restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Blog

Hue is a historic city in central Vietnam and was the imperial capital of Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945). Vietnamese food in general can be divided into three categories… the northern food, southern food and central food (which is often referred as Hue food).

One of the distinctive difference between Hue food and other Vietnamese food is the popularity of roundish vermicelli (bún) instead of the flat rice noodle (phở) in other Vietnamese region. Hue food also tends to be a bit spicier, but still mild in relative to Malaysian or Indian food.

There is a popular Hue dish called the bún bò Huế (Hue beef soup noodle), but I am not quite sure if the noodle soup I had at the restaurant was what I hope it was…

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Hue Food Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Blog

The restaurant was quite cozy, and the food decent. Not my favourite Hanoi restaurant, but if you can only have one meal in the city… this is probably the place you want to be because of the great varieties.

Spring rolls, roast pork, rice wrappers and herbs

Quan An Ngon Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Blog

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Cay Cau Restaurant, De Syloia Hotel, Hanoi from YeinJee's Asian Blog

Didn’t manage to drip the coffee myself when I was in Hanoi in July 2008; the cafe I visited served the well-prepared drink instead (pic).

My sister who tried some coffee in Hanoi prior to my visit told me that Vietnamese coffee was stronger than common espresso… can’t agree on that, at least not with the one I had. A decent glass of coffee though… smooth, thick and rich.

Vietnamese ice-milk coffee in Hanoi from YeinJee's Asian Blog

There are a few variations of pho depending on the regions in Vietnam. The pho in Hanoi is called phở Hà Nội or phở bắc (northern pho), which is normally served with green onions; while the other regions are using different herbs instead.

A new found friend brought me to one of the locals’ favourite to try the pho when I was in Hanoi in July 2008. The place is Pho Thin, located at 13 Lo Duc St.

The restaurant was packed on the Saturday morning. The customers were sitting shoulder to shoulder while some others lining up for their seats. It’s not difficult to understand the crowdiness after tasting the pho, because it was really good.

The rice noodles were smooth and chewy, and the broth was rich in flavour despite looking mild and clear… and their chillies were nice too. Simplicity to its best.

Pho Thin Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Blog

It was at a restaurant called Kangaroo Café, which also runs some short tours around Vietnam. I was there to book a trip to Halong Bay initially, but couldn’t find the right schedule. However, after spending two hours walking under the sun, I kinda need a break… and the air-con and cold beer seemed a bit too hard to resist.

Hence, my first meal in Vietnam… a peppered chicken chop, some chips, salad, and a Bia Hanoi (Hanoi beer). Decent food and reasonably priced.

Kangaroo Cafe, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Blog