Restaurants

A cosy, understated little place, Hanoi Café has its white walls decorated with black and white photographs of Vietnam. According to the menu, the food offers the visual excitement of the Japanese, the quick cooking techniques of the Chinese, the spiciness of the Thai and the complex seasonings of the French. Starters lived up to the promise. Nom ga xe phay (shredded chicken salad) was a tangy, hot, sweet and sour mix of cabbage, carrots, and nuts; mint and coriander gave it the nuances typical of Vietnamese cookery. A side dish of cha nem thit (triangular-shaped deep-fried imperial spring rolls) was similarly scrumptious, and so hot that we hastily downed our Vietnamese iced coffees (made with condensed milk and strong black coffee) after only a few bites. The main dish, com vit quay (roast duck with steamed rice), was disappointing. Drenched in something resembling hoi sin sauce, the red lacquered skin had lost its crispness and no longer resembled anything from Vietnamese cuisine.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008