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 Journal

Tomb for the rich and high ranking people in the Cotu society

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Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – outdoor exhibits from YeinJee's Asian Journal

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 Journal

Sharing some photos below, taken inside the museum building…

Chinese stuff in Vietnamese culture

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Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – indoor exhibits from YeinJee's Asian Journal

The photo above was taken at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi. You know you won’t have a good chance to see this in real life when you can find this in a museum lol.

Would be cool if I could just catch this once in real action… will have to wait until I visit Vietnam again, perhaps years later. Chances are getting even slimmer in future though, as the feat will gradually fade away altogether.

Hanoi’s cargo-load bicycle from YeinJee's Asian Journal

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 Journal

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 Journal

The water puppet shows are predominantly in Vietnamese (language) and showcase the folklores and legends in Vietnam. Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi is probably the most famous place to watch the show.

I was lucky to get a seat during my Hanoi tour in July 2008, as there was only a few seats left when I purchased the ticket. It’s advisable for future visitors to get the tickets early in the day before going to the show in the afternoon/evening.

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Water puppet show, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Journal

The Old Quarter is also called the 36 Streets… probably the number of streets when the French started to rebuild the area in the 19th century.

These days there are probably more than 40 streets in Old Quarter; most of the streets are quite short and could be easily navigated on foot… but I was a bit lazy to walk as the summer heat was killing me. I decided to try the cyclo ride instead, which cost me about US$4 for an hour of touring around the area…

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Cyclo tour in Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Journal

St Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Ngoc Son Temple was built to commemorate a few Chinese and Vietnamese legends, including famous Vietnamese General Trần Hưng Đạo who twice led the Vietnamese troops to fence off the mighty Yuan invaders in the 13th century.

Sharing a few photos of the temple below, taken during my Hanoi trip in July 2008. It’s a small temple, but pretty nostalgic with a serene environment…

Ngoc Son Temple as viewed from across the Hoan Kiem Lake

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Ngoc Son Temple, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Journal

The time was not completely wasted though; passed by some of these landmarks in Hoan Kiem District that I probably won’t discover if I hadn’t lost my direction…

Busy roundabout… with cars, motorbikes, tricycles and pedestrians on the road

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Hanoi, Vietnam – random photos (1) from YeinJee's Asian Journal

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Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Took a cab from Noi Bai Airport to my hotel in Hoan Kiem District… the traffic was quite disorganised by modern standard; rules were almost non-existent, as if whoever had the loudest horns ruled the streets.

Plenty of cars, plenty of motorbikes and plenty of bicycles… Hanoi was definitely a happening city in traffic sense. A bit too chaotic for me to begin with, but I think I got used to it at the end of the trip.

Sharing a few photos taken during the taxi ride; pictures might speak a thousand words, but these pics couldn’t really reflect the noise and buzz of Hanoi…

Moments of tranquillity… rice fields are plentiful in city outskirt

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First glimpse of Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Journal