The Corner Food Eatery @ Hanoi Old Quarter in Vietnam

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. 

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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.

Click here for my Week-Long Itinerary to Hanoi - City of Lakes @ Vietnam

Fried Banana Rama 5 (Michelin Bib Gourmand) from Tops Food Hall @ centralwOrld in Bangkok [Thailand] #michelinbibgourmand

Maybe because I was born under the Monkey zodiac year, I am drawn to bananas and absolutely love them deep fried. Favorite style would be Chinese banana fritters and the second best would be Thai-style fried bananas, with its iconic sesame seeds on the batter. 

Although I was super full, I couldn't help but stop in front of this Fried Banana Rama 5 stall that's located within Tops Food Hall on the 7th floor of centralwOrld shopping mall in Bangkok. 

With a bright sign stating its Michelin award, I simply couldn't resist. And it also helped that the price of eight pieces for 50 baht would still be cheaper than the ones we get from night markets in Singapore! 

Bag housing the eight golden pieces of fried banana; batter appeared to be a bit thick although crispy-looking. I can forgive slightly thicker "skin" if it is crispy, and the only way to do is to bite into one.

First touch - why was it cold?! Even though texture was crispy, I can imagine how much nicer they would have been should they be taken out fresh and hot from the boiling oil! One thing I can't deny would be the sprinklings of sesame seeds, providing a nice aroma as the teeth cut through the skin.

Banana used wasn't the overripe kind and the sweetness was generally derived from the uniquely flavored batter that had traces of coconut milk; I wondered if condensed milk was added although a general recipe was to use just granulated sugar.

There's a strange phenomenon spotted.

Why were there oozes of red liquid on the batter? 

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Address

4, เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์ 4 4 , 4 Ratchadamri Rd,

Level 7, Tops Food Hall, 

centralwOrld, Pathum Wan, 

Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Fried Banana - 8 pieces for 50 baht

The Note Coffee - Post It Love: One of 50 Most Instagrammable Cafes in the World @ Hanoi Old Quarter in Vietnam

When I was researching a bit before my Hanoi trip, on eateries around Bonsella Hotel, I chanced upon the The Note Coffee cafe, which was featured on the list of  "The 50 Most Instagrammable Cafes In The World"; ranked 5th! 

Since it was just about 200 meters from our hotel, and there were some time to spare before the group met up, the Greatest Kon, Lock and I decided to check it out! From far, I bet one wouldn't assume much of this cafe. 

Step closer to be blown away by the millions of post it notes stuck to the walls, the doors, the windows etc! They were like all over the place, and could appear extremely messy in the eyes of a person with severe OCD. 

Just in case you are thinking it was just a gimmick and the operator would simply paste the post it notes for no reason; each of them had a handwritten message from customers all over the world. 

Down here, you can people watch while sipping your cup of hot coffee, and ponder about life in general. With our minds being so high strung (with work, with family, with social media), I wonder if we could really just slow down and see the world go by. 

Before any exploration, get yourself some food and drinks from the counter on the ground floor. I was still full and could only stomach some drinks! 

Let's proceed up! The staircases in Vietnam can be so unsafe; how would an elderly person be able to navigate up and down without a handrail by the side?! Thankfully, I am still able at this moment.

Walls covered with post it notes! Question: how did they paste the note all the way up there?! I doubt someone would purposely jump up on a staircase as that's so dangerous! Oh well, I was pretty brainless when it comes to safety when I was a teen.

The second floor that felt claustrophobic as it had a lower ceiling. My aim was to go all the way to the top so that I can have a window seat with views for some time-lapsed videos. 

Third floor. 

Again, how tall do you need to be in order to stick those post it notes on the ceiling! Being short, I guess I am happy just sticking the post it note nearer to the floor. 

Fourth floor which was slightly more spacious and had numerous windows looking out to the streets surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake. 

There was a higher level but it appeared to be reserved only for larger groups. As there were just three of us, I guess we had to make to do with level four. 

View from our level. You can see the shark jaws building from the picture on the topmost, whereas the bottom picture shows the legendary Hoan Kiem Lake. Click here to read more about the legend! 

Remember - the motto of The Note Coffee cafe is "Post It Love", which means post its are literally everywhere within the cafe. Do keep in mind I mentioned 'within' as anything outside would likely be considered as vandalism! At least it is in Singapore!  

Even this plant sticking out from the planter box wasn't spared. However, doubt the notes can survive the occasional wind and rain. 

Some were in the design of long trains from the ceiling. Disadvantage with that is that someone would eventually get irritated with the notes and remove the whole train! 

Although the colorful notes looked pretty when we were inside the cafe, the backing of the notes would be the ones you see from the outside. And it was white backing. Therefore, do step in and be overwhelmed by squares and squares of post it notes.

Would you care to read all the handwritten messages on the post it notes? I think it would be so romantic if a couple wrote and pasted a note and eventually found it ten, twenty years later! 

Now my turn to write; for the empty post it notes, you can usually find them in boxes placed on tables. If there isn't any, just get from one of the service staff members. I wonder if people would be so stingy as to grab a ton to bring home. I am stingy but not to that extent. Plus, I have horrible handwriting! 

In case you are wondering whether it is 3M post it notes, the ones provided at The Note Coffee were exclusive, and had from, to and date. I jotted something but can't remember what I wrote! Don't ask me where I pasted it.

Typical post it notes had just a sticky strip at the back whereas the ones at The Note Coffee had literally sticker backing! That's the reason why you don't see most of them fluttering. 

My drink; likely coffee. 

Don't stick your stickers at "high touch" surfaces. As you can see, they don't last well. Speaking of which, would these be an issue during COVID times, when many people were obsessed with virus that stays on surfaces? 

Whatever the case, it's time to leave.

Video time! 

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Address

64 P. Lương Văn Can, Hàng Trống, 

 Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam 

 Map

As above.

Click here for my Week-Long Itinerary to Hanoi - City of Lakes @ Vietnam