Le Tonkin, Hanoi

The girls went to Halong Bay, while my roommate and I stayed behind.

It was Yayo's birthday and she requested the 'attorney', my lovely roommate,

 to find a good restaurant where we can all have dinner. 

When Susie went to Hanoi in 2008, her client brought her to this

French inspired villa, right in the center of town,

 that serves authentic (here I go again) Vietnamese cuisine.

Le Tonkin, pronounced as le tong king.

The maitre d' asked us if we wanted to dine in the garden or indoors.

The perimenoapusal ladies, with hot flushes??? ... syempre indoors.

Upon entering the villa, Oh my, I saw stairs again.

We didn't go up the stairs though. The main dining room was on the right side

of the hall. Here's Atty Susie at the long dining table reserved for eight.

Btw, we were the only guests that night.

Hmmmm... impressive decor in one corner .

... another one, which was at the other corner.

Their menu, in a 'bilao' ?.. or a Vietnamese hat.

table setting

Pho... we were given one big bowl each of this chicken pho.

Soup was delicious, but it wasn't warm enough and had too much soggy noodles.

But I did like this soup, I almost finished it,

even if there were no basil and bean sprouts to go with it.

From hereon, there were two servings/plates each.

Notice the 'kropeck'? Just four pieces, meaning we only have one piece each.

Fresh Spring Rolls ...  looks good  but I did not taste this.

Again, one piece each.

There it is again, the crunchy tasteless squid fritter,

served with sweet and sour sauce. One calamari each.

Fried Spring Rolls... I forgot if I ate this one. One piece each again.

The rice ... very fragrant and had coconut milk in it.  I loved this.

Mixed Vegies, Chop suey... more Chinese than Vietnamese.

This was the shrimp dish, with four pieces of Shrimps in it,

 underneath the onions and carrots,

The fish was served last and had to be mixed with noodles and a special sauce.

. I don't think the girls tried this. I didn't.

We had this wrapped and took it back to the hotel, but it spoiled the next morning.

 

This was the dessert, a slice of watermelon. Didn't eat this either.

They could have at least given us two slices!

The bill was 152 US dollars., about 6200 pesos,

that's 775 each. Too much!

I shouldn't complain! It was the birthday girl's treat for the travel buddies.

Thanks Yayo!

*** 

No wonder I did not see any fat Vietnamese women/men in Church.

If this is what I will eat daily, I would probably be as slender as they are!

*******

Now, shall I go back to this place? NO.

*** 

It's not just the food. It's the motorcycle - laden streets, the smelly alleys,

the sidewalk eateries, the rude sales lady at the art gallery who raised her voice at

the attorney and me (or was she just emphatic?)

[but I really wanted those paintings, so I haggled and got what I wanted!]

... and the tricky deceitful non-English

speaking taxi drivers!!!

*** 

Shall I go back to Hanoi?

I am never going back to Hanoi.

/ betsisanders 2012