Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Deepavali Weekend

The weekend that just past was pretty much enjoyable. I had a yummy meal with my parents and little brother on Friday at Vivo City. Was in a very good mood because of the upcoming long weekend then. We ate at Dian Xiao Er (with the famous duck) and toasted ourselves to cups of tea at Toast Box. I reached home at 10+pm, much to the dismay of M, who was hoping that I would be back earlier to accompany him. (He has decided not to join me and my family on Friday nights for dinners as he was shocked by how much I talk non-stop to my mum!)

Saturday morning was ruined as the Singtel vendor came early at 8.50am to install our modem. I continued to doze around lazily while M enthusiastically entertained him (M has been yearning for internet access at our house for AGES). We had breakfast at Beo Crescent (our food hunting adventure) where M tried the famous (with no signboard) curry rice while I stuck to my safe choice of wanton noodles. I thought the curry rice was so-so but M enjoyed it very much. I was planning to complete some household chores in the afternoon but felt so lazy. Luckily, mum and dad called in the afternoon to give me a ride home and I perked up immediately. It was great to see them and I was spending the night at home too (thanks to M!). I chatted non-stop with my mum the whole afternoon.. buzzing around her like a bee.. much to her amusement. Dinner was at East Coast as I wanted to find Werner's Oven (a German bakery shop) but failed. We ended up at this coffee toast shop for a simple fare of noodle soup and bread.

Sunday was breakfast at West Coast with my parents, followed by lunch with M. The poor boy waited for me to come home to dine with him till 12pm, much to my shock! We had a quick meal downstairs as it was raining. When I reached home, it was housework time! We had wanted to go out for a good meal at night before M rushes back for his beloved Liverpool match but there was not much time left. So we had to make our way back to Beo Crescent for teochew porridge. It was decent but not fantastic. M enjoyed it though.. strangely. I was dead beat when I reached home and fell asleep pretty fast.

Monday was shopping day for us! We had tim sum breakfast at a coffee shop nearby, before making our way to M's niece's birthday party. She's really adorable and loves Winnie the Pooh. I had fun watching her play and smile throughout the afternoon. :) Kids are so adorable! Then we made our way to Plaza Singapore for a shopping expedition, at my request. I didn't get anything there but it's fun to see how much shopping malls have changed in the last 2 years. We ventured out to The Cathay for dinner and ate at Nihon Mura. It was ok.. experience was fun but food was so-so.

Just thought it would be fun to jot down what I did for my first long weekend in Singapore. Sounds pretty boring, doesn't it? But somehow these are little things that I yearned to do when I was in Hanoi. And I find them not the least bit boring. :)

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Home Sweet Home

I am finally... home.

After months of yearning and pining, I embarked on my journey back to Singapore last month and have finally settled down. Life suddenly became busy.. and once again, I felt that I was using every minute of my day. M and I moved into the apartment that we bought before we left for Hanoi, and needless to say, there were lots of cleaning, wiping, moping and washing to do. We also had to scout around for pieces of furniture in our previously-barely furnished home. I finally understood how most couples felt when they did this. While it's tiring, the fun, anticipation and excitement kind of superceded all sentiments. Creative juices started running wild as each of us suggested items items that we felt would suit the "theme" of our house. Luckily, M and I had rather similar tastes so a consensus was easy to reach.

Of course, it was not without hassle. We had to face the disappointment of numerous last minute deliveries due to an oversight from the vendor, long waiting hours while the delivery men took their time (despite having scheduled an appointment) as well as hunger pangs as we couldn't step out to buy food before they came!

Finally, after an eventful two weeks, my apartment is now completely furnished and I love every corner of it. :)

I have also started work three weeks ago and amazingly, I assimilated into the work culture rather fast. I am lucky to have very understanding bosses who are genuinely nice and colleagues (a couple are my old friends) who extended a warm welcome to me when I returned. They were patient while I took time to understand how the company works again! Many things have happened while I was away.. and now the challenge is to re-learn the systems and rules, as well as familiarise myself to the environment and get my rusty brains thinking!

Nothing beats being at home, with your family and friends. Trust me.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Vijit Thai Restaurant

Today is the last Saturday that I will spend in Hanoi. I do feel a little wistful when I think about it but I still look forward very much to going home. I went to M's office this morning to bid farewell to his colleagues, who have been very kind and helpful to us during our stay here. I took the chance to take a few pictures with them as keepsake. I will definitely miss some of them, esp Ph whom I can talk a lot more to.

Lunch was at Vijit Thai with L and her husband. We had a good long chat over lunch and ordered quite a number of dishes, including fried fish cake, tom yum soup, green curry with chicken, red curry with pork, green papaya salad, seafood salad with lemongrass and stir fried bean sprouts. I couldn't believe the amount of food that 2 guys and 2 gals could finish. Usually, M and I would order 2 dishes maximum when we dine out (and trust me, it's filling) but with friends, it was a totally different experience.

Thai fried fish cake

Thai green papaya salad

Seafood salad with lemongrass

Thai green curry with chicken

Thai red curry with pork

Tom Yam Soup

Stir fried bean sprouts with tofu

The meal was very satisfying and yummy, especially with the great company. After lunch, we went to Highlands Coffee to have a chat over a cup of coffee. It's really fun chatting with L as we can talk about anything under the sun. I really hope to see her again soon in Singapore.

This is the last post that I will put up on restaurants in Hanoi. There are still many fabulous restaurants that I did not post or have yet to explore, which is a pity as I enjoyed the food here very much. Perhaps one day, I will come back to Hanoi to continue my food trail. In the meantime, the quest for good food will continue back in good old Singapore. :)

Vijit Thai Restaurant
42K Yen Phu
Hanoi

Homemade Banana Flower cum Lotus Root Salad

I love Vietnamese salads. The permutations here are amazing.. lotus root salad, banana flower salad, cucumber salad, white cabbage salad, kangkong salad, pomelo salad, green papaya salad, green mango salad, etc. Sometimes I will order a portion of salad when I eat at the Vietnamese restaurants but most of the time, I will just ask my helper, H, to whip up a delicious serving for me. According to H, the correct proportion to a good salad mix is 2 spoonfuls of vinegar to 1 spoonful of sugar, with some garlic and lots of mint, coriander and basil leaves.

Knowing that I am a big fan of her cooking especially her salads, the sweet gal has been whipping up my favourite dishes the past few days as I will be leaving soon. At my request, she made my favourite banana flower cum lotus root salad last night for dinner. Seriously, I can finish the entire plate without hesitation. It's that good. Of course I was kind enough to share it with M, though the amount that I took for my own consumption was grossly disproportionate.



Being able to enjoy authentic Vietnamese food at the comfort of one's home is a luxury that I will miss back home. And I will miss H too!

Benkay Japanese Restaurant

On Friday, I met up with my gal friends for lunch at Benkay Japanese Restaurant, located within Nikko Hotel. It was meant to be a birthday celebration for L but turned out to be a farewell lunch for me as well.


The food at Benkay is very good as it is known to be one of the best and most authentic Japanese restaurants in town. However, the prices are steeper too. Coincidentally, all of us took the Tempura Set Lunch special offered that day. Great minds think alike. :)

We were served a small appetizer before our main course came.


The set consisted of rice, pickles, vegetables, an assortment of tempura and the super silky soft chawanmushi. I was a little disappointed with the tempura though. The batter used seemed to be lacking something as it was not as crisp nor fluffy as one would expect of tempura.


The dessert was a small portion of fruits. We didn't ask for coffee as we were quite full then.


I would still recommend Japanese food lovers to give Benkay a try as my previous experiences were very good. Perhaps the cook was in a rush to prepare 4 sets of tempura today.. which was why the tempura was not as well done. :)

P.S. Thanks to S and C who gave me a treat.. I will miss u gals!

Benkay Japanese Restaurant
Nikko Hotel, Level 2

Friday, September 5, 2008

A Night at West Lake

2 September is Vietnam's National Day, which is a public holiday. Since our helper was not around, we decided to have our dinner at the nearby Al Fresco's before taking a walk to Intercontinental Hotel, known for being the hotel with the best lake view in Hanoi.

The Intercontinental Hotel is located right behind Sheraton Hotel and designed in a stylish, resort manner. The attractive, grand entrance makes it worthy of its "6 star" status.


The hotel also boasts of a new, well-equipped gym with a scenic view, as the gym was located at a higher floor. I heard that the annual membership was USD 2,000 though. Definitely not for "commoners" like us. :p


M said that the lake view in the evening is superb and one will easily forget that you are in Hanoi. As we were there at night, I found the scenery quite pleasant but not breath taking as he mentioned. Perhaps it was the wrong timing...

I found the hotel rooms by the lake quite appealing though it might resemble staying at the "kelong". Those would be my top choices if I were staying there, except that it was a little far from the lobby.


I went to the restroom to take a look as well, to see how the "6 star" hotel restroom was. It was nice so I took a snap shot since there was no one around.


On our way home, we walked past Sheraton and I couldn't help but take a picture. The hotel looks different at night with all the lights on. Much prettier, I would say.


It was nice, pleasant walk despite the relentless honks from cars and motorbikes and traffic congestion along the main road. After all, this was one of our last few nights in Hanoi. I must savour every moment... :)

P.S. Both hotels are owned by the same owner.

Journey to the Gym

My typical morning in Hanoi begins with a hearty breakfast and some news watch before I go to the gym. It's one of my favourite daily activity though I am not a gym freak at all! So here, I present.. my journey to the gym...

As I step out of my house, I turn right...


I see another narrow lane, typical in Hanoi, which leads to the main road...


This is a "community centre" near my house, where gym facilities are provided for members...


Finally I reach this slope which brings me to the main road (I took the picture at the top of the slope)...


On my right is Tay Ho, or West Lake of Hanoi...


I walk past a popular pizza eatery, Al Fresco's, located along Xuan Dieu Road...


Looking right ahead, this is the bustling street scene that faces me every day...


Here are lake facing serviced apartments at exorbitant rental rates...


Presenting the West Lake again...


The locals fish in the lake quite often and sometimes they bring big catches home!


Taxis are commonly found parked outside hotels or eateries, awaiting for business...


A popular but expensive hotel along West Lake - Dragon Hotel...


Street peddlers selling fruits or foodstuffs along the road.. a common sight...


Busy busy road...


And the Sheraton signboard tells me that my gym is nearing!


Directly opposite Sheraton is a newly opened Brazilian coffee joint..


Presenting the Sheraton Hotel!


A little stream outside Sheraton.. where you can see Sofitel Plaza...


A walkway is being built around the West Lake... where Sheraton is located...


Nearing the gym...


The small beautiful garden...


Tadah! The kiddy pool...


And the adult version...


Here I am!


I didn't take any pictures inside the gym as there were a few members inside.. and I thought it was quite rude to snap while they were sweating away... It's a small gym and nowhere comparable in size to Planet Fitness or California Fitness in Singapore.. But the environment is pleasant.. with adequate machines and friendly, enthusiastic staff who make an effort to get to know you by name and extend you a helping hand... I remember there was once I was sick for a month and when I went back to the gym, the staff kept asking whether I felt better.. I was really touched by this gesture.

That's the main reason why I go to the gym almost every day. It makes me feel like home. :)

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Going Home

Finally, after 2 years of stay in Hanoi, we are going home.

We received the news from M's company last week and I was thrilled. After two years (slightly more for M) of residing abroad, we both felt that it was time to be back. It's strange but it's only when I came here that I realised how much my family and friends in Singapore meant to me. And for now, I am just glad to be going home.

I have gained a lot in Hanoi though. Despite my relentless complaints about the slow pace of life, boredom and lack of electricity, I have learnt to appreciate the smallest things. When the summer heat comes intensely strong, I am thankful that I have the luxury of a house to stay in while young ladies peddle in the sun selling fruits or groceries. When I need to travel around Hanoi, I get to use the car provided by M's company, instead of having to wait for buses which are often crowded and without air-con. When severe inflation struck Vietnam, I only need to tighten my belt a little while others pick up food scraps from dumps. It has been humbling.

I have also learnt that life goes on, no matter what happens. When there's no electricity, I see my local neighbours gathering outside their houses to chat and laugh about it. When there's a construction project that goes on day and night behind your house, my neighbours sleep with cotton buds and ignore the noise. When the main road outside my house is being fixed, causing a major traffic confusion as it's a 2-way road, the drivers just manage their way across, without the need for traffic police. Life goes on.

I guess I am thankful that I had this opportunity to experience life in a city of a developing country, and the chance to know many good friends here. Of course, there are always the occasional unpleasant experiences. But for now, I will keep them deep down in my heart, enjoy my last few days in Hanoi and bring back the happier moments back with me to my home.

House of Nem

Last Monday, S, L and I went for lunch at a local Vietnamese eatery. Amazingly, this cafe was previously owned by a Singaporean, which explained the variety of dishes there. Besides the "nem" (nem refers to rice rolls in Vietnamese and they can be fried or eaten fresh) specialty, other items offered include sushi rolls, tim sum and hot pot. I must say this is a pretty all-in-one eatery.

The cafe was quite crowded and noisy when we arrived so we headed to the second floor to grab a table. We were overwhelmed by the choices available but I decided to stick to the conventional Hanoi fresh spring rolls. Trust me, you can never go wrong with this. S ordered a beancurd skin roll (which turned out to be a pretty small serving) while L had a crab meat deep fried roll (which was HUGE).

I liked my fresh spring rolls a lot. This is probably my favourite dish in Hanoi. S didn't quite like it though as the "bun" (the green bean vermicelli used as filling in the roll) taste was too strong.

L's crab meat roll was ok but I don't fancy fried food.

The beancurd skin roll was average as it was something that we could eat quite easily in Singapore.

The bill came up to around VND 166,000 (SGD 14) for three persons, which was quite cheap. The noisy environment probably hastened our departure as we immediately headed to Highlands Cafe at Hanoi Towers for a cup of tea and chat. It's always nice talking to the two ladies. I will miss these gatherings with them when I am back in Singapore. :)

House of Nem
43 Mac Hac De
Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Monday, September 1, 2008

Food Paradise Hong Kong Day 4 - Grand "Burp" Finale

Our final morning in Hong Kong! This was the depressing thought that came to my mind when I woke up on the 4th day. Yes, after 3 days of non-stop eating, sightseeing and shopping, I still felt that it wasn't enough. I guess it's a good thing after all as it meant that I really enjoyed my holiday. :p

Brushing aside my negative thoughts, I decided to perk myself up with a good breakfast of congee at "Nathan Congee and Noodles Restaurant". I found this place while reading one of the weblogs on good food in Hong Kong. Since congee was not on our "tried and tasted" list in the past few days, we decided that today was THE day.

We took a nice walk from our hotel to Saigon Street at Jordan but this was where we encountered a problem. We couldn't find this eatery despite walking along the street several times and despite seeking help from passerbys who didn't know too! Was this some defunct eatery or what? Finally, we managed to ask the right person - the approachable newspaper lady who immediately gave us the correct directions. So.. Saigon Street was a long street that was segregated by several other streets.. and we were lost at one of the "segments". Anyway, after a 5 mins' walk (yes, we were embarrassingly that near), we reached Nathan Congee and Noodles Restaurant!

The eatery was quite empty when we arrived as it was around 8.30am so the business crowd had left. I ordered a fish ball congee with lettuce (鲮鱼球生菜粥) and M had a century egg porridge with pork (皮蛋瘦肉粥), with a side order of you char kway (油条). I quite liked my porridge, though the fish balls were a little bland.

Nathan Congee and Noodles Restaurant
Address: 11 Saigon Street, Jordan
Tel: 2384 7355
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 12pm
MTR: Jordan

As we walked back to our hotel, we took the last chance to enjoy the bustling city view. The scene really reminded me of Shenton Way in Singapore, with people rushing around, getting to work, and shops barely opened. Our hotel provided a free shuttle to Kowloon Airport Shuttle Station so we took that option. I was quite impressed at the Kowloon Station as that was when I realised that city check-in was available in Hong Kong for all airlines! Wow...

We took the airport shuttle to Chek Lap Kok International Airport where we did some last minute shopping for goodies.

Then we headed to Maxim's for our last tim sum treat in Hong Kong. We didn't order much, just egg tart (with bird's nest), char siew bao and siew mai. We took our time to savour the food and tea.. and it didn't disappoint. I would have preferred a normal egg tart though. :p

Our 4 days 3 nights trip in Hong Kong ended with lots of food, shopping and fun. I would definitely love to go back again.. food is a big draw for me.. but for now, I shall be contented with my usual fare of food choices back home. :)