Eats: Hanoi is well known for its street fare, but if you’re looking for something a bit more upmarket, you can’t go wrong with the recently opened Verticale, helmed by Frenchman Didier Courlou, a well known chef in Vietnam and author of several cookbooks. His cuisine is a mix of French and Vietnamese, and a month after my meal, I’m still dreaming about his artichokes with Ha Long curry sauce. Restaurant Bobby Chinn is great for a romantic evening, thanks to the ambiance created by the sexy red draperies, romantic roses skewed on strings suspended from the ceiling and a selection of hip, contemporary Vietnamese art hanging on the walls. If you’re indulging in some shopping in the Old Quarter, take some time out for tea and light pastries at the Paris Deli (6 Phan Chu Trinh)
Arts: Hanoi is well known for its water-puppet-theater shows, but there are also a few good museums to visit, too. If you’re into paintings, the Fine Arts Museum (Bao Tang My Thuat Viet Nam) has an impressive collection spanning the entire 20th century, though it’s surprisingly light on works from 1920s-1930s, which are sought after at auction. It makes up for this with an extensive collection of “comrade works” from the 1940s and later, named for their depiction of the “heroic peasant struggle” and the rise of communist ideology. The layout is a bit confusing, and it’s easy to miss some rooms, but be sure to catch the compelling laminated notes. My favorite museum, though, is the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which offers a fascinating display on the culture of the country’s 54 ethnic groups. There’s a lot to see and read here, making for an interesting insight into the way of life for Vietnam’s various tribes.
Sights: Many recommend the traditional walk around the Hoan Kiem Lake (also known as the Lake of the Restored Sword), but frankly the road around it is so noisy and polluted it’s fast losing its charm. Instead, head for the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu), a tranquil parklike space and a well-preserved example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Shop: Besides having the typical souvenirs meant only to gather dust on a shelf, Hanoi is actually a great place to pick up something useful for the house. I couldn’t resist the gorgeous silk from Dome Interiors (10 Yen The Street) and bought bed linen, cushion covers and table runners, paying a fraction of what I would have had to pay in Singapore. La Casa (12 Nha Tho) has all sorts of unusual contemporary homewares that will be the talk of your dinner parties back home (the colorful fabric napkin rings I picked up certainly were). Mosaique (6 Ly Quoc Su) has some interesting silk lamps in unusual shapes, but they can be a bit pricey. May (7 Nha Tho) has some stunning mother-of-pearl cutlery sets. You will have to pay for quality, and everything is priced in U.S. dollars, but their contemporary take on traditional, ethnic materials such as horn and mother of pearl is worth having a look at.
