In April of last year, we were lucky enough to get 10 days in Vietnam. We didn’t do things by half and packed a lot in. 10 days, 5 flights, 6 cities, an overnight bus and a boat! Whilst we were there, aside from seeing some amazing sites and meeting some incredible people, it was the food (and maybe a couple of their drinks) that really stood out for us both.
Whilst we were in Hanoi (as we had got some great deals on hotels and so forth) we decided to spend a little on a food tour and booked with Daniel Hoyer from the Well Eaten Path – it was well worth it and we got to try some amazingly tasty street food as well as get some insight into life in Vietnam from a long term expat. What really came through in the food was just how fresh it was, how incredibly tasty it was, and how little we had to pay for it.
Hanoi Naturally embodies those three elements right here on our doorstep in Dubai. It’s located in Cluster C under the Gold Crest Executive Building in Jumeirah Lakes Towers and does the best version of the national dish Phô Bô we have been able to find here in the UAE.
The Summer rolls are pretty much identical to the ones we had on the streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh but for me its the Phô Bô that really does it. I’m not sure what’s inside those beef balls as it’s not solid all way through, but whatever it is, it tastes amazing. During the summer months you can sit inside where the air conditioning does its best to cool you. There isn’t a huge amount of seating but on the occasions we’ve been, it’s never been full.
But during the winter months, they put their tables outside. With the passing foot traffic, the road running behind and the general hubbub of people going about their business, a little imagination transports us back to the street side in Hanoi city itself.