Tonight, for dinner, I went to the traditional Vietnamese restaurant here at the Sofitel Metropole by Lake Hoan Kiem in central Hanoi. I decided to live on the edge and ordered a 7 course meal of traditional dishes. I have no idea what I ate. The names were all in Vietnamese.
What I do know: this was the tastiest, most delicious meal I've ever eaten in my life. And the tastes were unlike anything I've experienced before: extremely light, very subtle but clearly defined, and fresh. A couple of the dishes were spicy, but not really hot spicy. I don't know how to describe them. Just divine! I could eat this stuff forever! It's so healthful and so tasty! No wonder these people are all thin and happy! Their diet comes from the gods!
Then, there was the restaurant space itself. I wished I had my camera with me. It is gorgeous: French Colonial. Spectacular lighting fixtures including the containers for the candles. The ornate ceiling design. The beautiful vases of large exotic flowers. The dining room opens to the outside terrace where large flaming pots lit the space. The attire of the wait staff was spectacular Vietnamese floor-length dress.
My meal alone cost 990,000 dong. With tax, it was over a million. What a bizarre currency.
This is a unique place.
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