There was this eatery literally a stone's throw from Bonsella Hotel that commanded a high rating of 4.8 from over 300 reviewers. I knew about it from my pre-trip research and while this was my first visit; it was actually the second visit by the Greatest Kon and Lock who decided to have supper there a few nights before!
Good enough for them to recommend us to check it out! Frankly, the façade was outlandish and stood out with pictures and more pictures of the dishes featured on their menu. In normal times, I would have deemed this too touristy and avoid it at all cost.
Kumquat Juice - said to be 100% fresh, I can't remember which drink was mine (should be the photograph on top) although both didn't seem to have kumquat, which would have looked more like an orange. Anyway, what I had was refreshing and not overly sweet.
Kudzu Starch with Lemon - an unfamiliar drink that caught our attention. Turned out to be arrowroot; starchy tasting, it was actually quite an interesting flavor that's like drinking a watery soursop juice with lemon. Check out the website here for the benefits and side effects of taking kudzu!
Stir Fried Beef Noodles - I really don't know what to make of this bowl of noodles as it was served with a generous sprinkling of peanuts and fried shallots! Not that I am complaining since I have always enjoyed both of them.
Loving the thin noodles and they were delicious; flavor was like having a fusion of bun thit nuong with Korean cold noodles, that ended with a touch of sweetness coming from slices of pears in the dish. Thankfully, the beef wasn't super tough and both peanuts and shallots added a layer of delectable aroma.
Pho with Stir Fried Beef - finally, pho without soup! Does this dish reminded you of something similar in Singapore?! I would say it bears resemblance to our local horfun; albeit with a lot of Chinese vegetables.
At 60,000 dong (about S$3.30), this came with a ton of beef and the beef was thick and tasty! Overall not too bad but as far as noodles were concerned, I prefer the wok hei from our local horfun.
Stewed Beef with Bread - in the cool Hanoi climate, I guess this would be something that would look appetizing even from the photo on the menu!
Warm toasted bread for the soup! I absolutely enjoyed the beef which was tender with layer of beef fat! Main problem was the stew; it was herby yet too bland. To eat with plain bread, you need a stew that's a lot more savory.
=====
In summary, I would love to try the Stir Fried Beef Noodles and you can't deny that the Kudzu Starch with Lemon was memorable. It was good enough for the four of us to buy the kudzu starch in Hanoi, and bring back to Singapore!
Address
1 Ng. Báo Khánh, Hàng Trống,
Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
Map
As above.
Menu
As above.
No comments:
Post a Comment