[Hanoi] The Seed Bakery and Cafe

The Seed Bakery and Café

 

The Seed Bakery and Café – 48 Hang Bong Street, Hanoi.

Run by 2 Korean girls (my friends told me they are twin sisters but I don’t know for sure, so I won’t write it down here) who speaks fluent Vietnamese, this little corner brings you out of Hanoi and drops you off at a corner of Seoul for a while. The place is decorated nicely with warm yellow lights, wooden shelves, couches and tables. It is a small cozy corner, with no more than 5 – 6 tables, and 2-3 long couches upstairs. They also have a small balcony than can hold up to 2 small round tables and 4 chairs.

Their cakes and drinks are both fantastic. I have only tried two of their coffee drinks, one of them being Americano, and the other one is Honey Latte – a special drink offered only by The Seed. They were both in large size, and their large size is really large. The Honey Latte was really good. I have seen quite a few other special drinks that they offer, but still haven’t got a chance to be back to Hanoi and try them out.

Their cakes are probably one of the best I have ever tried. I have tried their Oreo Cheescake, Vanilla Roll and Matcha (Japanese green tea) roll, they were all very pleasant. The cheescake is soft and not too sweet, the rolls are light, with defined flavor (especially the Matcha roll).

Price ranges from 40,000 VND – 70,000VND for drinks, and 50,000 – 60,000VND for cakes. They also have bagels, savory food, and birthday cakes.

If you are interested, you can find their instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/theseedbakeryandcafe/

 

[Review] ASEAN Pride in Hanoi

ASEAN Pride is an annual music festival, hosted by the U.S Embassy in Hanoi and CAMA Vietnam, a music venue that I mentioned before in my post Hanoi Music Scene. This year, 2015, is the third year of the event, and here come my thoughts about it.

1. The event

Basically, ASEAN Pride is an event to celebrate Queers. It acknowledges the importance of gender equality, gay marriage, and other things among LGBT community such as safe sex. The event is a combination of fun and information, music and knowledge, and a chance for Queer people in Vietnam embrace and celebrate their community.

This is my second year going to ASEAN Pride. The ticket was free for ASEAN citizens last year and 400,000 VND at the door (320,000 in advanced) for others, but this year all of us had to pay 200,000 VND at the door or 100,000 in advanced. This has decreased the number of Vietnamese going to the event and obviously gave Westerners in Hanoi more chances to join the party. I myself feel like this should not be the case, since Vietnamese are the ones who need to be acknowledged about gender equality and social justice. But it’s not too big of a deal anyway.

There are several artists lined up for the show, some of them from Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, and some from the U.S. Music is of all kinds, lots of rock bands, some covers, some pop solo artists. Most popular and excited performance always must be from To Lam and the Mix. To Lam is an open-gay dancer and choreographer, widely known after choreographing for several famous singers in Vietnam. Music is often from 1pm – 11pm, with some DJ acts every now and then.

Personally, I feel like this year the U.S Embassy somehow lost interest in the festival all in all. The music was ok, but some performances were clumsy and not even well-prepared. Huong Giang, a transgender girl who used to be in top 3 of Vietnam Idol 2012, was invited to perform. She absolutely has talents, and is a brave Vietnamese transgender person who was not afraid of the media, but I couldn’t stand the performance. It was awkward, unprofessional, the background dancers were extremely awkward and confused on the stage, and she was not even able to sing well. Because I knew she was good, that performance pissed me off even more. But seems like people were too busy screaming and dancing to notice.

The festival, anyhow, has become the “biggest party of hanoi”, but I feel like among the Western community this is just a chance to meet people and get drunk. Not that many people even cared about what was going on. However, it was still a really good music festival with a good cause and lots of information, if you actually do care about gender equality.

2. The venue

ASEAN Pride always takes place at the American Club, 19-20 Hai Ba Trung Street. It’s a nice outdoor venue, big enough for food vendors, flea market, music stage, a playground and people still have enough space to walk around, dance or just sit and chat. Parking can be a pain though, but you will still be able to get in after all. Family-friendly as lots of people bring their kids along.

3. Food and Drinks.

Most of the biggest bars and restaurants in Hanoi try to feature their food and drinks in the event, since it’s obviously “the biggest party” of Hanoi. This year, we got food from Moose and Roo Bar and Grill, Son Tinh, CAMA ATK, and one more Indian place that I couldn’t really recall. They are all good food and drinks actually, though a little overpriced so I haven’t tried any of them. But it will save you the trouble of going out and trying to find something to eat at the middle of the show (and parking is a pain), and to be honest, $2 – $3 for a meal is nothing to most Westerners so people eat there anyway. Drinks are from $1.5 – $5.

Hanoi Music Scene

Hanoi attracts tourists from all over the world partly because of its vibrant nightlife with lots of bars and clubs. However, there is another side of Hanoi, a Hanoi with talented artists and great music that not many travelers would ever find out by staying in the Old Quarters for a few days. So, if you are looking for a place to dance off the steam, get high and drunk, or if you are expecting a hook-up, check out my other post Hanoi nightlife, music and more. But if you are longing to explore Hanoi music scene and meet cool people who are either from here, or have been living in the city for a couple years, scroll down.

[Vietnam] The Coffee Culture

It sparked in my mind this morning while having coffee with my parents. We were in the middle of a story about something now I couldn’t recall, because from the moment I heard my mom said one thing, the idea of going home and writing this entry has been all over my mind.

“Coffee and chatting in the morning, and life is happy ” – my mom said.

Hanoi nightlife, music and more

Hanoi, as I said, is a lovely combination of old and new, tradition and modern, beauty and craziness. If you are in the mood to go out and enjoy Hanoi nightlife, consider checking out these places!

1. The Coach House (37 Dao Duy Tu)

A small, cozy music pub located in the Old Quarter, The Coach House is a good choice if you simply want to enjoy some music, start a conversation, make new friends and enjoying the busy street scene of Hanoi. It is owned by a Vietnamese and run by a British, so if you want to start a conversation right at the bar it’s totally doable. Price ranges from 30K VND to 50,60K depends on what you order. They often have live DJ, music night, and special discounts every night. However, it is pretty small and chances are on weekend you might find yourself standing outside the pub all night (though sometimes it’s actually a pretty nice thing to do)

2. Mao’s Red Lounge (7 Ta Hien Street) 

Located on the “bia hoi” street, Mao’s is another small – cozy – friendly pub. It has been a while since I came to Mao’s, so I couldn’t quite remember the price, but I don’t think it is much more expensive than other pubs and bars in Hanoi. The name says it all, it’s owned by Mao, it’s red, and it’s a lounge. A really nice place to hang out with friends and have a good time chatting. They have quite a bit of room and fit more people in than The Coach. The downside of it is the location – it is super hard to get through busy Ta Hien street to reach the pub, and if you have your bike with you it’s much worse. Though, I would say it’s worth a try.

3. Rockstore Hanoi (61 Ma May Street) 

This place is a great combination of music and drinks; I actually had my 20th birthday there. They feature different bands and DJs all around the city almost every night, so if you are in Hanoi on a Tuesday night and wanna get some weekend vibe, go visit Rockstore. It doesn’t have the cozy feeling though, feels to me like a busy club most of the time, so may be not the best place for a conversation. It closes at 12-ish as well, so it might be a good one to kick start your night, especially when the “main” bars in Hanoi don’t get crowded till 12-1 am.

4. Madake (81 Xuan Dieu Street)

Madake is one of my, and a lot of foreigners’, favorite. I personally think that their decoration is creative, last time I was there, there were lanterns hanging all around, which I think makes the place really beautiful. Madake has an upstairs bar with chairs and couches and tables, and sometimes when it rains they will have music up there. But most of the time, the music is downstairs in the dance room, which requires you to walk down an outside stair that leads to a beautiful garden. There is a lake right by the garden, which just makes the whole bar looks lot nicer. The music is great too, the bar hosts several big events including Djs, live bands, flea market, fundraising, and movie nights. The only thing with Madake is, if you wanna be outside, be prepared to be covered in mosquito bites. And if you come after 12 and the door is shut, knock on it, they’ll let you in. Vietnamese law doesn’t allow bars to open after 12.

(to be continued….)

[Traveling tips] When backpacking in Vietnam, remember….

When backpacking in Vietnam, remember:

1. The price you are told, most of the time, is not the price you should pay.

This applied to food street vendors, clothing stores, small restaurants with no menu or price list, and even hostels, in some cases.

As you might have noticed if you have been backpacking around SE Asia, bargaining is a culture. It is not people trying to fool you, it is a common practice. Though in some cases, tourists are tend to be asked to pay much higher price. But here is the point: you should bargain.

Think of yourself as a business person, trying to negotiate a contract. You want to make your partner (in this case, the person selling you stuffs) comfortable. Smile, don’t yell and scream, if you know any Vietnamese, this is a good time to use it. High chances are you will be successful in getting a lower price than normal if you can speak some Vietnamese, and be able to use the correct honorifics.

Start low. If someone asks you to pay 100,000 VND; start at 30,000VND. Of course it’s just a suggestion; the price varies depending on the item you’re bargaining, but more than half down is a good start.

If you’re in a restaurant, or buying stuffs from a food vender, ASK FIRST. NEVER ask the price after you have finished all your food. Be prepared to walk away (and have people follow you to get you a lower price)

2. Know what you need, and a big backpack is not fun.

I guess it’s true for backpacking everywhere, not just Vietnam. The only difference is how big your bag is allowed when you’re in Vietnam, and what should be in it. I have backpacked in the U.S, in Singapore and Malaysia, and with the beauty of public transportation in those countries, carrying a big backpack and a smaller handbag around might not kill you. But in Vietnam, your trip is gonna be miserable.

First of all, because it’s hot. And humid. Which means you will sweat a lot. And it’s not fun to be sweating while walking with a super big backpack, isn’t it?

Second of all, pickpocketing is common, and it happens to us as well. My Vietnamese friend lost her Iphone twice in 2 years. So if you have a backpack, wear it upfront would be a good choice. Don’t wear your handbag on one shoulder and walk around at night; if you can, just don’t wear a handbag. If you are only gonna be in Vietnam for a few days, it should not be that much of a problem, right?

And third, some essential things you should always have in your backpack are:

– Cash. Not every place accept credit card, and definitely not street vendors. Have cash ready, and preferably small money. I know it’s hard to carry around lots of cash, but you’ll be thankful for being able to buy a 8,000 VND banh bao (rice bun) at midnight in 10 minutes rather than standing there waiting for the seller to find change for you 500,000VND, or worse, have to follow him/her around to other street vendors or restaurants to ask for “smaller money”.

– Hat, and a big one would be good. The sun is no kidding, I know how much you love the sun, but in Vietnam, wear a hat.

– Sunscreen. For the same reason above.

– Granola bars, Power bars, etc. Food that give you energy and you’re absolutely sure you can eat them. Vietnamese food is wonderful, but everyone has different taste, and let me tell you there is no such thing as Granola in Vietnam.

– Something to take for food poisoning. I can’t say what kind of medicine specifically, I know different people treat food poisoning differently. But be prepared, because a “common pill” that you can easily get in your country doesn’t mean it is also common in Vietnam.

– A notebook and pen. It will be cool to have something with you to note down things you like or don’t about Vietnam, get a phone number of a taxi or “xe om” (motorbike) driver, or someone you meet on the road and really like. It also helps with asking for direction; Vietnamese people might not understand the map, but we can draw you a quick map on our own.

– A photocopied version of your passport. And hide your passport somewhere safe.

– Suprisingly, you DON’T really need to have water with you. Water is heavy, and you can easily buy a big water bottle in any convenient store or street vendor. And you can’t take water directly off the tap in Vietnam anyway, so there seems no point in bringing a bottle that you can’t refill, right.

Of course every person is different. Above is just my recommendations, based on what I think is most necessary to survive in Vietnam!

3. You don’t have to tip. But you’re certainly welcomed to!

That’s just to say, if you are in a restaurant and feel obliged to tip, don’t be. You’re not “not paying” the waiter or waitress, they are paid by hours.

4. Don’t expect the waiter/waitress/restaurant managers or owners to be nice to you.

If they are nice to you, they are nice people in general. You can’t expect that though. So don’t get angry and be all like “You won’t get tips from me if you’re not nice to me”. They won’t get tips anyway. But well, while in Vietnam, act like Vietnamese. And another thing is, they probably don’t speak English very well, so the fact that they serve you the food you order, not other weird thing, is great already.

5. Don’t expect people to all speak English.

It’s just not our language.

Just some heads up, I will be back with some other tips soon! Cheers 🙂

Welcome to Hanoi

You might have been to several places before arriving here in Hanoi, but believe me, Hanoi is special. It is one of a kind, it is something you never gonna find somewhere else in this whole world. And I hope you will love it, just as much as I do.

Hanoi is pretty weird in some senses. You not gonna have to follow any rule on the street, you run it your own ways! It might be annoyed at first, but you will feel proud once you are able to handle it.

It is the place where you can drink beer on the street with 5,000 VND, when you can be a negotiator with every thing you wanna buy and you gonna know how happy it is to bargain on the street. Hanoi is where you will randomly find several beautiful places, full of tradition, and the next day find some other places which is not less modern than any places in Europe. Trust me, it’s the magic and the charm of this place.

A little bit too much for an overview, right? I will stop here, and go into more details in other posts. Again, welcome y’all to Hanoi.

Here are some places for food and drink you can try on your first day:

1. Bún bò Nam Bo – 67 Hang Dieu
2. Bit tet Hoe Nhai
3. Banh goi 52 Ly Quoc Su
4. Banh xeo –  Doi Can
5. Cha ca Anh Vu, Giang Vo
6. Mien luon tron –  Phu Doan.

Drinks:

1. The note coffee – Luong Van Can, just opposite the lake.

2. The Hanoi Social club – 6 Hoi Vu

3. Puku Cafe – 16 Tong Duy Tan

4. Cafe Giang – 39 Nguyen Huu Huan

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Coffee in Hanoi

Sooo here I am with a quick post of drinks in Hanoi, and this one is about coffee.

Coffee is my biggest passion, and I can’t wake up fully with a cup of coffee. I love going around and discover coffee places in Hanoi, but not until recently that I started to take pictures of them for this blog. So this post will be continuously updated!

Hanoi Social Club

Address: No 6 Hoi Vu – Hoan Kiem – Hanoi

Time: 8a.m – 10p.m

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=173104216076800

This is one of my favorite coffee shops in Hanoi. It is nice, cozy and vintage. Coffee is really good, you can try a traditional “cafe nâu” ( coffee with condensed milk), or “cafe đen” ( black coffee, really strong), or “cafe trứng” ( coffee with egg). They also have good soda, and I have never tried the food but people said their food is good too. But this place is more expensive than most coffee shops in Hanoi, from 30k (tea). Water and soft drinks are about 20k.

The Note Coffee

Address: 64 Lương Văn Can, Hoàng Mai, Hanoi

Time: 06:30-23:00

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNoteCoffee‎

As I have mentioned before, it is a small, lovely coffee shop with friendly and young staffs. Order a coffee and “hide” in their balcony when you can get a full view of the lake, or sit on the third floor with wooden chairs and table, and books to read while enjoying your drinks. They have nice Caramel Cappuccino, and lovely macaroon. The special thing about this place is that you can write on their colorful notes and pin it anywhere you want.

The Note Coffee

Eggnog in the Note

Puku Cafe

Address: 16 Tống Duy Tân, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=206362236185223

This one is pretty famous among foreigners in Hanoi, so you may hear about it already. It is a nice place, good coffee with quite good price ( 35k for coffee with milk and 30k for black one) and also good food. The price is of course higher than street food places, but with the quality I would say it is a good deal. Puku opens 24 hours, so if you just don’t feel like going home, you can sleep there ( soft sofa available). The place is also good if you need to work with your computer or read a book, and upstairs they have Puku football club ( a large room with drinks and screen where you can watch football games). Right now, I and some others are running a Free Vietnamese learning group in Puku every Wednesday from 8pm, and they sometimes have “Hanoi Slam” – a story – telling contest. So a lot of activities for you to choose!

The only thing I don’t like about Puku is their lights, mostly yellow so quite dark and sometimes make me tired when I study there.

A corner of Puku (second floor)

Twitter Beans Coffee

Address:

1. 1st floor, Việt Á Tower,  Duy Tân – Cầu Giấy – Hà Nội
2.  45B Lý Thường Kiệt – Hoàn Kiếm – Hà Nội

3.  Vp3 – 17T5 Hoàng Đạo Thúy – Thanh Xuân – Hà Nội

4. 1st floor, BIDV Tower, 35 Hàng Vôi, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

It is a Western style coffee shop where you can find a lot of Western drinks, from Espresso, Cappuccino, Mocha, Affogato to Smoothies and Mojito. The price is from 30k to 70k, but the place is nice and good for working with computers or chatting with friends. Staffs are friendly and coffee is pretty good.

Mocha Viennese

The KAfe

My new favorite place on Hai Ba Trung street. It is a quite nice place to work or hang out, and most important, not too expensive. Have a wide range of food and drink, and food there is really good. I have tried the Beef Burger and pudding, both were super yummy with reasonable price. But it can be a little bit noisy, because lots of teenagers and Vietnamese families choose to gather there. The staffs are young and quite friendly to foreign customers, not that much to Vietnamese but still fine.

Beef burger (1ook VND)

Cappuccino (45k) and pudding  (35k)