Once a sleepy backwater, Hanoi’s Tay Ho district has rapidly metamorphosed into a buzzing neighbourhood. Here’s our insider’s roundup of the best restaurants and cafes in the area.
01: Maison de Blanc
Just
behind the hustle and bustle of the popular expat stretch of Xuan Dieu Street
lies the hidden entrance to Maison de Blanc. This Korean-owned bakery-cum-cafe
is set in a whitewashed three-storey villa with a shaded courtyard. The bright
and cosy outfit specialises in freshly baked pastries with an Asian twist,
perfect for afternoon tea. Here, a dazzling array of sweet creations line the
counter. On a cold, drizzly day, a slice of the lemon breton tart or vanilla
chiffon with a warm cup of tea will bring a smile to anyone’s face. For those
after Japanese-inspired sweet treats, a slice of black sesame chiffon or green
tea sake tiramisu should do the trick. The selection of sandwiches is perfect
for brunch too. The bulgogi potato ciabatta sandwich served with Korean-style
sauces is a particular treat.
5 Tay Ho St, Tay Ho
District. Tel: +84 4 3710 0921
02: Bancong Deli
If
tucking into home-cured bacon and locally roasted coffee on a lazy Sunday
morning is your thing, then look no further than Bancong Deli, a snug little
spot for leisurely weekend brunches. With a chic shopfront, this bistro is the
owner’s edible homage to New Zealand’s casual deli food. From the traditional
fry-up and sausage rolls to the chicken cordon bleu and curried chickpea salad,
Bancong Deli ticks all popular breakfast and brunch boxes. The owner, Guy de
Lautour, a New Zealand-born engineer, likes to keep it real. This is evident in
the down-to-earth food served, or what he refers to as “just the types of food
our mothers cook at home”. “Our food is affordable Western comfort food because
there are many young expatriate teachers living on a shoestring budget,” says
de Lautour. The best part, however, is that all the bistro’s bacon and ham is
cured and smoked on site, on its rooftop.
18 Quang Khanh St,
Quang An, Tay Ho District. Tel: +84 (0)96 985 0034. www.bancong.vn
03: May Taste
Judge
it by its unfussy facade and you could easily mistake May Taste for just
another ordinary cafe. However, what it lacks in decor, it more than makes up
for in food. May Taste is the brainchild of Nguyen Huong, a 30-something woman
who was born into a family of restaurateurs in Uoc Le Village, an area known
for making Vietnamese ham. The unpretentious and homey food at May Taste is
mostly inspired by her traditional family recipes, handed down through
generations. The sauces are all homemade and the vegetables are sourced
directly from a nearby organic farm.
Besides
Vietnamese fare, the menu also includes Western-style and vegetarian dishes.
One signature item worth trying is the traditional Hanoian speciality cha ca,
which is given a modern spin with grilled Norwegian salmon, and comes with a
lovely tangy dipping sauce presented in a wine glass. The dish packs dill,
roasted turmeric, galangal root and a dash of fish sauce into every sensational
bite. Another star dish is the roasted chicken smothered in a savoury homemade
sauce made from red wine and coconut cream. May Taste is a good place to stop
by for a taste of quality restaurant-style Vietnamese food at affordable
prices.
18C Dang Thai Mai St,
Quang An, Tay Ho District. Tel: +84 4 3718 8273
04: Maison de Tet
Decor
Set
in a charming yellow-hued villa facing the West Lake, Maison de Tet Decor is a
wonderfully relaxed neighbourhood joint and a favourite pit-stop for cyclists.
At the helm is Pete Wilkes, an Australian social entrepreneur who works closely
with underprivileged young people and tribal people. The cafe is tastefully
decorated with reclaimed furniture, ethnic artefacts, zen-like sculptures,
bundles of incense, and hand-woven local tribal fabric draping the dark
charcoal walls. The place is reminiscent of an artist friend’s warm and
inviting home. The pleasant woody incense, calm lounge music and idyllic
lakeside views are complementary with the laid-back vibe.
Maison
de Tet Decor takes three things seriously: craft coffee, organic drinks and
healthy food options. Think gluten-free cakes, organic brown rice, veggie
burger and fresh juices. Available too is black organic tea produced by Dzao
tea farmers in the northern mountains of Ha Giang and homemade jars of raw
honey produced by a family in Ha Giang. The vegetables are grown and handpicked
from the owner’s organic farm outside of Hanoi. The coffee comes from a
top-notch local roaster, and there are eight micro batch craft blends named
after elements of nature. After a day spent cycling around the West Lake, this
is a haven for those who want to rest their sore muscles.
Villa 156 Tu Hoa St,
Nghi Tam, Tay Ho District. Tel: +84 (0)96 661 1383.
www.tet-lifestyle-collection.com
05: Kok Coffee
Roasting House
Just
a few doors down from Maison de Tet Decor is Kok Coffee Roasting House, the
city’s only roastery dedicated to offering gourmet, artisanal, pure roasted
coffee. It comprises a small brew lab operating out of a private villa.
Founded
in 2012 by a Taiwanese husband-and-wife team, Andrew Shih and Ashley Yang, Kok
is aimed at giving coffee enthusiasts a better alternative to the generic and
artificially flavoured stuff typically served at local cafes. “It’s our aim to
bring to Vietnam this pure roasted coffee which is very common in Taiwan and
worldwide,” says Yang. The economic crisis in 2007 forced them to quit their
jobs and step into the world of artisanal coffee.
Kok’s
roasting facilities have since grown from a 500g sample roasting machine to a
20kg roasting machine that can produce 20 tonnes per month. It sources the best
beans directly from fair trade growers in the northern provinces of Son La and
Dien Bien Phu, as well as from around the world, and specialises in roasting
single origin and mixed blend coffees. It offers more than 20 types of coffee,
all freshly roasted and made to order with a lifespan of fewer than three days.
150 Tu Hoa St, Tay Ho
District. Tel: +84 (0)91 436 86
06: Ke Quan
Like
its name suggests, Ke Quan or “restaurant on a dock” is an effortlessly cool,
boho, dockside venue, which doubles as an art gallery. Exhibitions change every
month, from themes such as photography and painting to tattoo art. Headed by
three partners (Bui Thi Dong Thanh, Ha Huu Tam and Cesar Aubry) with culinary
and design experiences, Ke Quan serves modern Vietnamese fare. A highlight is
the set lunch, inspired by the Vietnamese principle of balance in which every
meal must have an element of fire, water, earth, metal and wood. It
incorporates beef with ginger and pepper, vegetarian spring rolls, steamed
vegetables and a seasonal soup of mustard greens, all presented on a bamboo
tray.
Another
dish worth trying is the bun cha. By using more vegetables and pork cuts with
less fat (like pork shoulder loin), the eatery takes a lighter and healthier
approach to its bun cha, which is a refreshing change from the traditional
version. Look out too for fried tofu with black sesame, and broccoli,
cauliflower, mushrooms and carrots served with a spicy Southern styled dipping
sauce called kho quet. In an area brimming with street food stalls and Western
restaurants, Ke Quan carves out a niche with its affordable Vietnamese fare
presented in a unique setting.
81B Xuan Dieu St, Tay
Ho District. Tel: +84 (0)91 357 8588
07: Don’s Bistro
Don’s
Bistro is the first fine-dining restaurant, and one of the best in Tay Ho. A
growing number of dining spots across the neighbourhood and beyond hasn’t
outshined this stalwart. In business for seven years, it is somewhat of a West
Lake dining institution. Don’s was established at a time when the area around
West Lake was dotted with corrugated iron shacks, fish farms and a handful of
noodle stands.
Spread
over four floors, overlooking the lake, Don’s features a wine cellar, a cigar
den and a rooftop oyster bar with live music every night. The decor – Ming
dynasty-inspired wooden chairs with luxurious satin pillows, turquoise drapes
and lotus-themed paintings by a local artist – is carefully designed to match
the lakeside location.
Montreal-born
chef and restaurateur Donald Berger brought decades of international cooking
experience to this restaurant, which has won various awards and accolades. His
extensive menu is testament to his globe-trotting experience: Each dish takes
inspiration from a previous country of residence. His 17 years of living in
Hanoi has translated into delightful creations such as Canadian spring rolls
and duck pho. The Canadian spring rolls – a beautifully presented dish of crab
and avocado with a topping of Masago caviar – are a sight to behold and a
delight for the tastebuds. The duck pho, meanwhile, is a pleasant surprise.
Inspired by the French dish, canarde al’orange duck, the duck pho is perfectly
cooked, well-seasoned and meltingly tender. It is packed with herbal flavours
and a rich taste.
To
round off your meal, nothing can beat the creme brulee baked in passionfruit
shells and the tiramisu with a shot of Illy coffee and a dash of Marou
Chocolate powder (Marou is the first artisan chocolate maker from Vietnam).
16 Lane 27 Xuan Dieu
St, Tay Ho District. Tel: +84 4 3719 2828. www.dons-bistro.com
Writer: Nga Hoang
Photography: Liem Tran
Source: The Peak Magazine