I have been going to this cute cafe for the last 7 years but not regularly. Last week with my friend's son, I went back to Anh Cafe and enjoyed the experience and very much.
Right opposite Thien Quang Lake, this is a great place for people-watching. The big trees in front provide shade for the customers and a nice breeze from the lake blows across, which is a blessing in the heat of the Hanoi summer. The coffee isn't the best in town but it passes the test on a morning when I am a bit slow to get going. I take my coffee with a slightly bigger pour of condensed milk and ice. Of course, in summer, hot coffee is out of the question - though sometimes my street food tour customers still prefer that.
Perhaps the best featyre of this cafe is the owner, a skinny old man who wanders up and own the line of customers sweeping up the discarded sunflower seed husks and collecting the money. His cafe is really a part of old Hanoi, I guess and that's reason enough to come back again and again. Cafe Anh 70 Nguyen Du - Hanoi
Hanoi coffee culture is a bit different compared to the rest of Vietnam with low chairs and tables and sometimes just plastic chairs acting as both chairs and tables. I like this style very much and after 10 years in Hanoi sitting this low, I feel very comfortable.
Beside my favorite Cafe Nang, I sometimes go to Cafe Lam for a cup of coffee or juice for a change. Cafe Lam is located on Nguyen Huu Huan street and consists of two traditional old houses joined together. This cafe is very popular among all age groups in Hanoi and the number of customers leaves no doubt about the quality of their coffee and juices. The staff, who are amonst the most friendly in the city, serve the hot coffee with the cup sitting in a bowl of hot water; very cute. Their coffee is perhaps a bit stronger than average but not bitter at all. One of the features of this cafe is the photos and paintings lining the walls, making the experience of having coffee here quite a cultural one as well.
Their prices are pretty standard for Hanoi and, like the coffee culture in many of the cafes here, the best part is that you can sit on the pavement out front (away from the smokers!) to observe the passing side-show. Cafe Lam Nguyen Huu Huan Hanoi
PS: I have gone off this coffee shop as of yesterday because when I took one of my foreign street food tour client there, I discovered they have a policy to charge foreigners more. I will not be going back!!!
Winter in Hanoi is super challenging for a southern beach boy like me. Today, there are more signs of warm spring, though it's very wet and quite cold still inside the house. Hanoi's humidity makes the 'feels like' temperature several degrees lower or higher, depending on the season. The cold gets into my bones. The heat I don't mind. Winter tourists upon arrival don't seem to notice but within a few days they are seeking out the jumper shops.
The other problem is the lack of heating. Hanoians tend to tolerate it because the deep winter is not that long. They wear their coats and wooly hats inside while they're watching television! This year I've bought a cheap Chinese heater which is actually only useful when it is blowing directly on me and will probably put our electricity bill through the roof. I've also bought these water bottles that plug into the electricity and heat up in a few minutes. So I am prepared much better than my past ten years in Hanoi.
Another way to keep warm in winter in Hanoi is to eat smart. On the streets, trying hot sweet potato or cassava, steamed buns and even boiled corn from a mobile street vendor while crowding around their heated cart give a few minutes of warmth. Rice porridge and hot pots are my other favourites at this time of year.
Winter time is also a time that I put on weight even though I am very busy with work, because winter food in Hanoi is mostly pretty heavy and deep fried. This sometimes means I have to buy winter clothes for my expanding waistline. Hanoians actually love that they can get out of T-shirts and shorts in winter and they go quite crazy buying and wearing heavy clothes. I don't go crazy but I did buy a jumper the other day in the Old Quarter. The worst part was taking my many layers of shirts off to try it on!
I'm sure it won't be long now before people are complaining about the heat.
Street plant vendors are very common now in Hanoi in addition to the more noticeable flower sellers. After getting cheated a few times, I now know to check the plants very carefully before finalising any purchase from these vendors. Just remembering how I got cheated makes me feel silly but I do admire their endeavour, even though it's clearly not right.
At that time, as is my habit, I was sitting in front of Cafe Nang listening to the different conversations going on around me. I saw the plant vendor ride her bike past on the back of which was a very beautiful small bonsai covered with many gorgeous red flowers. After a round of bargaining, I thought I got a good deal. In fact, most of the customers in the cafe admired my bargaining skills and the flowers on the plant. Of course, two days later the flowers were dead. My friend checked them and we realized that the flowers had actually been pinned on, every single one of them. Hate that.
Another time, I got off my bike just opposite Cafe Nang, and noticed another seller with beautiful fire cracker flowers. I bought two plants and got them home safely. I went down to the Red River flats near my house to buy two new pots to plant them in. Great job, I thought to myself as I sat admiring them with a cool drink. Unfortunately, the next day the same friend pointed out that I'd been scammed again. This time the flowers had started to go moldy and I realised they'd been stuck in using elephant glue and I was so disappointed.
Most Vietnamese women in northern Vietnam know how to make dua ca (pickles) well and my mother does, too. I have tried a few times when I was in Nha Trang but just couldn't make it right. Today, I walked pass Hang Muoi street and saw an old woman making it and my mouth started watering.
When I saw the woman hanging Dua vegetables on the side of an electric stand yesterday, I thought it'd be a great shot and I took a photo. Today, when I walked past again, she was sitting there making her specialty, going through the many different processes: the dried Dua veggies are laid in the hot sun for a few hours to wilt, after which they are well mixed with warm water and salt. They should taste a bit salty (no sugar is added). Lengths of spring onion are added and the Dua is ready to eat in 2 to 5 days. If you like the pickles a bit bitter then they can be eaten in a day. If you want to stirfry them, they are best after about four days of pickling.
In Hanoi, many typical Vietnamese restaurants serve stir fried Dua veggies with garlic, a little bit of tomato or sometimes with beef. In my opinion, it's better without beef as it has enough favor; the bit of sourness from the veggies, sweetness from the tomatoes, a little salt from fish sauce or soya sauce. It's a perfect match for beer and to eat with steamed white rice. It's actually a nice option for vegetarians, too...if you can get it without the beef, that is.
I have been going to this cute cafe for the last 7 years but not regularly. Last week with my friend's son, I went back to Anh Cafe and enjoyed the experience and very much.
Right opposite Thien Quang Lake, this is a great place for people-watching. The big trees in front provide shade for the customers and a nice breeze from the lake blows across, which is a blessing in the heat of the Hanoi summer. The coffee isn't the best in town but it passes the test on a morning when I am a bit slow to get going. I take my coffee with a slightly bigger pour of condensed milk and ice. Of course, in summer, hot coffee is out of the question - though sometimes my street food tour customers still prefer that.
Perhaps the best featyre of this cafe is the owner, a skinny old man who wanders up and own the line of customers sweeping up the discarded sunflower seed husks and collecting the money. His cafe is really a part of old Hanoi, I guess and that's reason enough to come back again and again.
