After dinner cocktail, the metropole hotel

We were both feeling pretty tired and stuffed after the meal but as it was the last night we headed to the very posh metropole hotel to the bar for a cocktail. Phill had a whiskey sour which he said was the best he has ever tasted! I had a prosecco. We only stayed for one, as lovely as it was but we were done in. The bar is great, a little pricey but its a really good venue, service, cocktail list and dj. This was going to be our last night where we go out to the Hanoi clubs.....we are getting old!!! No clubbing till the wee hours for us, a few years ago we would have been stumbling back to our hotel at 4am, oh well, very full and having enjoyed a bit of time in the metropole we headed back to the hotel, early start, check out and flight the next day :( we were both feeling a little blue, had we figured out a way of staying in the country or money was no object and we could have started our own business then we would still be there now!




The cocktails this eve were on Peter, Tracey, Kelly and joe. Many thanks guys, we hope you had a fab holiday, shame we didn't get to see you at our wedding. Many thanks for contributing to our last drinks in this swanky bar.

Location:Hanoi metropole Angelina bar

Last meal of Vietnam:(

Gem:After the water puppet theatre we jumped in a taxi and headed to a restaurant that phill had chosen. It was on the other end of town, the very posh end with the Gucci shops and posh hotels. This was the first time we encountered a naughty taxi driver. We had taken a fair few taxis on our trip and they had been lovely, polite and helpful men who had helped with the rucksacks and had not hung around to expect a tip. I didn't have a bad word to say about the taxis. However, the man tonight was an idiot, I think he took us around the houses and then he refused to give me my change. I got to the point when I couldn't be bothered to argue with him so I just got out of the taxi. I had hoped that it was a one off! However, the same thing happened when we got a taxi later, I handed over the money and waited for my change and he didn't do anything, it was only when I asked for the change that he acted like he had forgotten, of course!!! To be honest though, the taxis, on the whole are very good and trust worthy, it was only in Hanoi that we experienced problems.

Anyway, when we got to the restaurant we weren't that impressed with the menu options and it was really expensive. We don't like to be boring and we like to try lots of different foods ( as this blog shows) and restaurants but when phill and I find a little gem we kinda latch onto it, like Helter Skelter every week! So, we headed back to pots and pans restaurant near the old quarter. We felt a little boring as we were only in Hanoi for two nights and ate in the same place but we soon got over that when we walked into the restaurant and were recognised and shown upstairs to a lovely table and a candle lit and a bottle of chilled prosecco was served. Tonight we decided not to order off the set menu and just order what we fancied. The bottle of prosecco was on our lovely nan and grandad this evening, thank you it was yummy!



I think phill blogged that I had crab tarte the night before but I actually had crab spring rolls and it was tonight that I had the crab and fennel tarte with lobster bisque, it was scrummy.


Phill tucked into the largest taster plate ever, I had to even help him out! He had duck carpaccio, pork Rillet and chicken liver pâté.





Phill had Seared salmon and clams in light nuoc mam caramel, do chua pickle and lotus rice



I had Crispy skin Seabass, prawn and ginger boudin, house made black sesame noodles, wild mushrooms, chilli jam, tamarind and coconut sauce, crispy shallot and herb salad



We had Whisky pave, orange chocolate mousse, rum chocolate ganache to share and the manager kindly gave us a glass of dessert wine each, I don't normally like dessert wine but it was beautiful as it wasn't too sweet and really helped cleanse your mouth after the gooey chocolate.



Yet again a super meal in a gorgeous restaurant, we have trip advised them as five star, if you go to hanoi, go to pots and pans restaurant.

Location:Hanoi

Last night of honeymoon:(

Gem:We got back to the charming hotel with just enough time for a very quick shower and change and then into a taxi to the water puppet theatre. Now, we will be honest here.......
Even though phill and I are theatre trained and spent most of our younger days either on the stage or managing one, we wanted to see the puppet theatre because it is cultural and different and you would only get to see it in Vietnam, so it wasn't going to be something we didn't go and see. However, we had heard from a couple of people that it is so boring so we decided that we would give it as long as we could and make an early dart.

Actually, it wasn't the one and a half hours the lady said it was, it was just under and hour and I am pleased to say that we stayed until the end. It wasn't exactly the most entertaining thing I have ever seen but it was different and it focused a lot on the history and culture, people and tradition of Vietnam so that kept me interested.

It went through lots of different stages.




The dragon and Phoenix made love! I won't go too much into detail here but there was a symbolic reference for this that was quite funny...and we'll timed!




They talked about the fishing


The women using umbrellas and the men using panpipes as a way of wooing each other.


The tradition of using fans


How there is lots of traditions that come from the champa region.


The importance of the lotus flower.







Thank you to Jenny and Garret for paying for us to go to the water puppet theatre. It was an enjoyable and different evening. Thank you.

Location:Hanoi

Day two in Hanoi

Our second day in Hanoi was really rather cultural, we sauntered through the narrow streets of the old quarter, otherwise known as the 36 streets because an interconnecting network of streets each specialising in selling a different type of product became the hub for trade in Hanoi. We went around the Hoan Kiem lake again and took some pics, I also got asked by a group do Chinese school kids if they could take my photo!! I politely declined as they couldn't tell me why they would want a pic of my ugly mug.
We then walked to the national woman's museum which was really interesting and showed how strong and independent and important a role Vietnamese women have played throughout the countries history.
We then walked over no the Cathedral where there was a a huge gathering of kids all playing and chatting whilst on a break from School. (This is where Gem then took me to Hanoi House)






On the way back to the hotel we stop at the Thang Long theatre to book our tickets for the Water puppet theatre, and then can't resist stopping at a Bia Hoi for the cheapest tastiest beer I have ever had. A Bia Hoi is basically a kind of beer house where they get a delivery of 100% rice beer every morning and when it's gone it's gone! There are no preservatives at all so the beer goes flat and off within 24 hours. It tastes really clean and fresh and is so refreshing its perfect to cool off from the hot humidity.



These are some of the pics we took today from around the lake and the museum. Weddings are big business and this time of year is wedding season so everywhere we went there were couples having their photos taken, it's a bit weird because each wedding couple have their photos taken before the wedding day, and they all seem to wear the same outfits and have photos taken in the same key locations around the city.


Just a couple of bombs, no biggy

Location:Hanoi

Just chillin on a balcony

Phill:
We have just been strolling around Hanoi and as we were walking around the cathedral Gem suddenly turns off down this little alleyway, and starts walking up some stairs into what appears to be someone's house! I'm a bit concerned as I follow her up thinking the heat has got the better of her and she has gone a bit loopy, but then she opens a gated door and walks into Hanoi House! A gorgeous arty little cafe which is all French quirky interior and faded Viet brickwork, so I just thought I would type this up while we are sat on the balcony watching the world go by sipping blended yoghurt drinks and nibbling Basil peanuts..... Nice one Gem x
nd also want to say thanks to Sam from Yoga for her street food gift we know its not technically street food, but peanuts are a food, and we can see the street...besides its beer and that counts as one of your 5 a day in our house!

Location:Hanoi House

Bus ride to Hanoi

Phill:
The bus ride back from Haiphong bay to Hanoi was bloody awful! There is no way to flower it up or put a nice spin on it, the driver was a lunatic, the air con was terrible and the suspension was non existent so every bump and pothole in the not-so-perfect Vietnamese Tarmac was amplified into a bouncy roller coaster that lasted for 3 and a half hours!
I tried to write some blog but it was impossible so Gem took over and managed to catch up as we had been a bit slack over the previous few days, too busy living the life of Riley dontcha know. We stopped off at the marble palace place again, BORING! Or as they say in Vietnam 'same same'
We checked into the Charming hotel at around 5 and were really pleasantly surprised to find balloons and a free bottle of wine awaiting us along with the now obligatory flower petals on the bed.... Please note that if we are invited to your home to stay the night we will now insist on flower petals in the shape of a heart!


We did our usual and cracked open the free booze immediately before getting online and finding out what there was to do in Hanoi and where was good to go and eat (here just insert Tripadvisor).
We went out for a good wander around to try and get our bearings we have now become expert crossers of the road!
Hanoi is lovely, the Hoan Kiem lake is home to a massive ancient turtle and is fairly impressive to walk around



We wandered through the old quarter and made our way back to the hotel to get ready for our night out, we were heading to a restaurant called Pots'n'Pans which is another initiative that helps to train young trainee staff and chefs.
This was one of the nicest meals we have had, hands down no doubt! We ordered from a set menu which came with an amuse bouche of a gorgeous courgette soup with pancetta

And then to start I had Twice cooked pork belly with sautéed baby vegetables, aromatic sticky caramel, zucchini herb cake and dried squid strings

And Gem had the “Cua be” crab tarte with fennel, shallot and spices, bisque cream and herb oil

For main we both had the Beef 2 ways (Roast Australian beef fillet and braised short rib in cassia scented jus), potato fondant, carrot and ginger puree with baby onion rings



This was my dessert Bay leaf and fresh Soy milk pannacotta with mulled wine cherries and sweet basil cream

And Gem tucked into Five spice frangipane tarte and black sesame ice cream



Blooming gorgeous and to make it even tastier as we were down stairs we were chatting to the manageress and enquiring as to where we can get the little terracotta cups and saucers that the amuse bouche came in, she only went and gave us one of the custom made bespoke cups and saucers!
Sweet! But all the lovely food and too much travel left us feeling shattered so we headed back to the hotel and got some ZZZZZZZ's


A huge thank you to graham, Alison and Gordon as the gorgeous meal and wine were paid for by them this evening, it was fab so many thanks.