kenteoh

Sure, here you go. First off, unfortunately, I can't really recommend any good pho places as I've noticed that in the past few years, all of my favorite pho places have slowly but surely gone downhill. I strongly suspect that it could be due to the rapid inflation, leading many proprietors to skimp on the beef bones and amp up the MSG in their stocks. Even as a resident here, I honestly don't know where to go for good pho anymore. Ao Ta Restaurant at 137 Mai Hắc Đế, Hai Bà Trưng District does pretty decent country style cooking. The standard has dropped a bit since they first opened, but it's still one of the better places around. Sy Phu at 9 Nguyễn Khắc Cần, Hoàn Kiếm District does a good hotpot, although it's closer to the Chinese style than the typical Vietnamese lau. OTOH, the surroundings are comfortable and ingredients are fresh, unlike some of the roadside lau stalls. Good bun cha can be had at Bun Cha Dac Kim, 67 Duong Thanh, Hoàn Kiếm District. This is better than the famous one on Hang Manh street with the same name. For Pho Cuon, which is rice noodle rolls with stir fried beef, go to Huong Mai @ 25 Ngũ Xã Street, Ba Đình District. There are tons of other pho cuon places in the surrounding area, but this one seems to be the most consistently crowded. Do try the herbal chicken (Ga Tan) at the tiny stall at the inter-section between Luong Van Can Street and Hang Bo Street in the Old Quarter. Seating is cramped and uncomfortable, but the food is worth it. Since it might be a bit hard to spot the first time, here's a link to an article (in Vietnamese) with pictures of the location. If for some reason you are looking for vegetarian options, you can try Adidaz at 173 Nghi Tàm Street, Tây Hồ District or Trúc Lâm Trai at 39 Lê Ngọc Hân Street, Hai Bà Trưng District. While arguably not as good as Chinese or perhaps Japanese vegetarian cuisine, the two options above are pretty decent. Since you're not going to Hue, here are a few recommendations for Hue food in Hanoi. Bánh Xinh serves Hue style rice cakes and other snacks. It is located at Alley 72, Trần Hưng Đạo Street, Hai Bà Trưng District. It's not as good as the real thing in Hue, but is probably your best bet in Hanoi. Go during lunch time or slightly later, they start running out of certain items after that. After lunch, go next door for the Che (sweet soup dessert with crushed ice), which is one of the best in Hanoi, but also definitely the most expensive. Another Hue style eatery in Hanoi is Bun Thit Nuong at 3A To Hien Thanh, Hai Bà Trưng District. They sell bun thit nuong (cold rice vermicelli with grilled pork) and banh xeo, which are fried savory pancakes with pork and shrimp fillings. You can find the same dishes in Saigon, but the ones here are done in the Hue style. I can't vouch for its authenticity, since I didn't try them in Hue, but they taste pretty good to me. For Sapa, the food I had at Cha Pa Garden Hotel at 23b Cau May Street was the best I had there. They do simple Western food but with mostly local ingredients. I was there a few years ago and recall that the local salmon was good and the wild honey they served with pancakes at breakfast was fantastic, was so disappointed I didn't manage to snag a bottle, as they only had limited supplies. That's all I can think of so far. Will post again if I think of any more.

Hi Chris, there doesn't seem to be much Chinese tea in Hanoi, but you can find alot of Vietnamese tea all over Hanoi, although the quality varies. You can drink and buy pretty good quality Vietnamese teas at OCHÂO Tea House on 25 Xuan Dieu, Tây Hồ District.

Usually a mix of local Malaysian food like fried rice and noodles, beef rendang, satay etc. and western style food. More pricey ones will usually have a wider variety, and usually include some Japanese style food like sushi/sashimi as well. Have to say that, from my experience, food quality at such buffets is generally not too great.

Thanks for the suggestions Shiewie. Will steer clear of Jogoya then.

I am organising a department lunch and am pondering where to go. Has to be pork free as Muslim colleagues will be going. Was told that buffet is the way to go, but may try to convince the boss to consider going for a tasting menu. Focus is on the quality of food rather than quantity. Money is probably not an issue. So far, I was thinking either Lafite or Lemon Garden at Shangri La, Kampachi at Equatorial or Jogoya at Starhill. Any ideas people?

Thanks Tepee!

Hi PCL, Thanks. I will check them out.

Hi Ken, Are we talking about buying the raw meat or restaurant -prepared meals? ← Hi Julian, Was talking about raw meat. Can't afford restaurant prepared meals on my meagre salary.

Hi, does anyone know where to get good grass fed beef in Malaysia? All I see are grain fed Australian and US beef. Any ideas?

Does anyone know of any really good chocolatiers in Sydney that sell good chocolate bars etc.. from all over the world (mostly from Europe) rather than selling chocolate that they make themselves?? Thanks

Wow, thanks for replies people! I will give it another go soon, taking into account all your useful advice. :)

Made creme brulee for the first time (unsuccessfully ) and just have a few questions which I hope the kind and knowledgable people here can help me with. Just wondering, what is the purpose of putting the custards on a pan filled with water while baking it? Is it to sort of steam them? Also, what is the aluminum foil for? My custard turned out fine and wobbly, but was turned into a hot mush after being broiled too long. The nice crisp caramelized sugar shell failed to materialize as well. Is there a fool-proof way to caramelize the sugar using a broiler? I'm a student so I can't afford to buy a blowtorch for the sole purpose of making creme brulee, unfortunately.

sausage and cheese crust pizza? that's old news. a li'l off-topic but check out this abomination from pizza hut malaysia: Cream Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza seriously disgusting. believe me, i actually tried it. never again.

Gul_Dekar.... FIND OUT WHERE THIS MYTHICAL PLACE IS PLEASE??? I've lived here most of my life, and have known of no such creature... if your information proves to be correct, I shall be eternal grateful and will sing your praises on eGullet forever more.... Hi PCL, I'm Gul's brother. Here are the details of the mamak-style shop (found on CitySearch): Bismi 848 Sydney Rd, Brunswick (03) 9386-8611 It opens until pretty late (by Melbourne standards), around 12 or 1am. They serve roti, murtabak, various curries and you can even get teh-o-ais-limau if you tell them how to make it. ;) The food is not exactly the same as what you get in Malaysia as it is opened by Singaporean mamaks, but for any homesick Malaysian, it is a godsend. Lots of Malaysian and Singaporean students can be seen hanging around till late there. BTW, just as a sidenote, in case you didn't know, there is a pretty good and authentic Malaysian restaurant called Red Wok or something on Toorak Road in South Yarra opposite the Watergrill seafood restaurant. AFAIK it is the only place which serves butter prawns in Melbourne! And don't forget to try the ladies-fingers with sambal belachan, good stuff! The owners are Hongkies but the chefs are from Ipoh. Hope that helps. :)

Durian season is upon us again!!! :D My dad just brought back a whole sack of wonderful uncloned kampung durians from a private orchard. Personally, I am not much of a fan of D24, D22 etc. due to their uniform taste. I prefer durian kampung or durian hutans, which are much more exciting IMHO!