La Restaurant in HaNoi

I will venture to claim that while in Viet Nam, I cannot think of any meal I had that was not good. Some were exquisite, others were not so exquisite, but on the whole, it's really hard to find anything that isn't tasty.

Another interesting fact is that during both trips to Viet Nam, the majority of restaurants we went to were random. In fact, I recommend that you do the same. Just walk around, and when hunger strikes, stop and you're bound to find yourself not too far from an eatery.

We are now on Ly Quoc Su Street, in Ha Noi's old quarter, and there's construction going on around the sidewalk. It's hot as usual, and restaurants give you an opportunity to cool off and re-energize. We went into "La Restaurant" because it looked pretty from the outside. And it was just as pretty on the inside. It has an amber like atmosphere which came from the color of the walls, on which were hung all sorts of interesting art pieces. From the entrance, one can spot a well stocked bar over which they have hung the ubiquitous "Merry Christmas". It's quiet. A server appears almost immediately, and shows us to one of the empty tables. I love the settings!! 

Colorful, square plates, covered with crimson linen napkins, and the thoughtful combination of a fork and chopsticks reveals that we can expect a fusion menu. Small, ebony black vases hold fresh roses!

We are looking at stuffed crepes, and they were ethereal. The photos will give you an idea, but it's impossible to describe the lightness of the crepe. In one of them, it is reminiscent of fluffy beaten egg whites, and the other is somewhat pasty, rice pasty, but extremely light. They stuff them with a combination of meats or fish with subtle spicing (I'm sure ngoc mam figures in there somewhere, as it does in most VN dishes), and though I am chewing very slowly, the crepe is disappearing too fast. 

By Viet Namese standards, the prices are a bit higher than normal. We actually snacked on appetizers for the cost of dinner. An excellent dinner with drinks for two should run about VDN300,000 (divide by 16,000). The menu is not very long, however, it seems that they have emphasized quality over quantity. Did I mention that they serve real butter? 

I have learned since I came back that the man responsible for that amazing atmosphere of "calm and soothing" and excellence in food is called Wayne Sjothun. The absence of screaming TV or very loud music is welcome. You can retreat to La Restaurant and let them pamper you for all it's worth. 

La Restaurant & Bar
Address: 25 Ly Quoc Su Street
Tel: (84-4) 9288933
Hours: 8am - 11pm (kitchen closes)
Prices: VND40,000 - 150,000
General comment: Gourmet dining in a relaxed atmosphere.

Let's Eat - Thuy Dong Restaurant

According to my guidebook, Nha Trang is considered "party central". American soldiers came here for R&R during the war and must have loved the beach. Chuck had already been here on a photo shoot, and insisted that we go back and look at the water, put our feet in it, and enjoy some fresh air without the heavy humidity and heat we had felt all along the trip. Walking around has always enabled me to discover buried treasures.


This is Tran Phu Street


The main drag by the waterfront is Tran Phu Street where one is likely to find lots of guesthouses and hotels. On the corner of Le Thanh Ton and Tran Phu was a spacious restaurant, with no doors on three sides. Far from luxurious, its appeal came from the wonderful breezes and great music choices. We had spotted pizza on the menu and decided that we were finally going to give this a try!

This is also Tran Phu Street facing the water

It's tough to get bad food in Vietnam. I must have said this to you before. This charming restaurant, is sort of half-outdoorsy and half not, in that there are no closures, but there's a roof above. And it sits right across the street from the wonderful XQ Arts & Crafts Center, which I wrote about here.


To the right of the restaurant, I could see an ad for rooms at less than $10 a night! A few other people were seated, but the ones that always catch my eye, and a disapproving one at that, are the couples where an older man, usually a Westerner, is flirting and lunching with a native female who could pass for his grandchild. Sorry, folks, I’m just a bit hard on this reality, even though I have seen it countless times during my trips to Asia.

 there's always someone at work anywhere you go

About 30 minutes after we've been seated, we are informed that pizza will not be available until 4pm, which means another 2 hours. The menu is extensive enough that we can make another choice, and it’s rather easy. Pasta with seafood it shall be for Chuck, and I’m going for the seafood salad. And while we wait, let’s have that diet Pepsi that is a rarity in some areas. Entrees start at VDN35,000 (which is about $2.25 or so).


Have a look at the photos and realize that both of us licked our plates clean!!

 my amazing seafood salad

 Seafood pasta with tofu

 
My salad had enormous pieces of conch, rice noodles, tomatoes, cauliflower, frisée lettuce, and red cabbage, all tossed and wonderfully seasoned with the unmistakable lemongrass and other citrus flavors. The seafood pasta had cubes of tofu, shrimp, and green scallion pieces and went down apparently without a hitch.


As we were eating, the owner, a woman, was directing a worker with some wiring, and every few minutes, a street vendor would catch our eye and explain her offerings, all neatly stuffed in see-through pockets of her showcase. Persistence is an art here.

 they are equipped with just about anything you can think of

Across the street was a huge sign that talked about women in art, and I asked everyone on the staff about the sign and if it meant that a museum lied behind there or if there was a special festival held about these women artists. I was bewildered that no one had a clue. After gulping down our iced coffee, we went across the street to investigate.



In Vietnam, one does not ask for diet Pepsi, but rather Pepsi or Coke "lite" or with no sugar. It is not surprising that the word "diet" is incongruous with life in Vietnam. Nobody is fat. However, if you are keen on finding these, stock up on them once you find them, as they are not everywhere.


To the right is one of those absolutely charming beach houses you find as you amble around. Those Santa Fe colors are stunning, aren't they?