Lost & Found

Lost
Have not been in the mood to blog these days. Facing a personal problem which is beyond my control. Sometimes, such things happen, don't they? You face a problem which you brood, fret, think and ponder yet you can't do anything about it. Absolutely frustrating. I have been advised to let go and not think about it. But the stubborn streak in me is too strong, especially when the problem clashes with my personal beliefs. Perhaps I will be happier if I forget about the whole issue but at this moment, I am still struggling. Lost. Terribly lost.

Found

On a happier note, I have found a few old friends via Facebook and kept in touch with them. There are pleasant surprises here and there that perk me up. While I am not addicted to it, I definitely try to log in more frequently now to hear from my "kakis".

Well, got to find other bright spots in life, isn't it?

Quan Com Pho

After hearing much raving reviews from his colleagues, M and I decided to try a local Vietnamese restaurant in Hanoi called "Quan Com Pho". Apparently, it serves tasty local fare at decent prices.

I waited for a long time but the man (a staff) wouldn't budge...

The interior was a bit dark but cosy...

We were both not very hungry so decided to order a few small dishes to share. I ordered a vegetable soup, thinking that it would be a clear broth but to my surprise, it was the creamy western style! It was quite good but I don't have a penchant for milky soup.

The creamy vegetable soup

The spring rolls were good and authentic. The fresh spring roll which I had was a bit pricey for the small size (VND 10,000 or SGD 1.00 per piece). M's fried version was equally nice and cheaper (VND 4,000 or SGD 0.40 per piece).

In-house Special Fried Spring Roll (top left) and Fresh Prawn Roll (bottom left)

The next two dishes were chef's recommendations, being roasted bean curd and grilled rice rolls cum pork. I didn't really like the bean curd dish as it was fried and a little salty. However, the grilled rice rolls were nice and filling. The pork slices were a little "oily" as the Vietnamese like to grill pork slices with fat layers but I guess eating them once in a while was ok.

Roasted Beancurd with Basil Leaves and Chilli

Grilled Rice Rolls with Pork Slices

The bill came up to SGD 11 (including drinks and a plate of boiled vegetables) which was quite reasonable. The popular dishes in restaurant seemed to be the "zi char" dishes e.g. grilled squid, fried fish and stir-fried vegetables which we didn't order. It was a pity as these dishes really looked appetizing on other tables (I kept peering around). Well, maybe next time.

P.S. Sorry about the dark pictures but the restaurant was not that well-lit.

Quan Com Pho
29 Le Van Huu
Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opens daily from 10.30 - 14.00 and 16.30 - 21.00