Saturday Nov 29 2025 DAY 4 TOUR - Hanoi Vietnam
Previous posts can be found on the right side under BLOG ARCHIVE.
STEPS 13,000
WEATHER perfect
TOUR DAY 4 late afternoon food tour
ITALICS TOUR DESCRIPTION
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy some free time to discover Hanoi at your own pace.
Departure in the late afternoon 3 PM from your hotel to embark on a street food tour in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, where your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture, including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular dishes. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up the Old Quarter, tempt your taste buds with famed Hanoi dishes at local eateries. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how the tasty dishes are prepared. Continuing into the heart of the Old Quarter, you will wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has hardly changed since the colonial era. At the end of the tour, you will be free to continue your exploration of the area. Your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi if you are willing to go back to your hotel.
Overnight in Hanoi. (Breakfast-Dinner)
Morning on our own. our breakfast spot.
.
.
We headed out after breakfast and to our delight, the streets around the lake were closed off. As per yesterday's sign they do this every weekend.
.
Ngoc Son Temple which is a significant cultural and historical landmark. The temple is located on a small island in the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake, connected to the shore by the iconic red Huc Bridge. 
It is dedicated to several figures, including the national hero General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century.
Empty streets, no scooters, I can walk on the road! We were stopped several times by students, with a teacher, asking if we would practice English with them, this was fun.
Destination - Note Cafe ✅
A tourist attraction created by the simple idea to put post it notes all over the petite cafe in the heart of the city.
Colourful sticky notes covered the walls, tables, chairs, and everything in between, creating a scene that makes you feel like you’re in Alice in Wonderland, or something of the sort. The Note Coffee is not only known for it’s unique and unplanned decor, it also serves some of the best coffee in Hanoi. I strongly recommend the Coconut Iced Latte, mmm mmmmmm. Salt coffee was pretty good too, along with the tiramisu.
.
King Le Thai To's Temple in Hanoi is actually a monument and garden area, not a traditional temple, located near Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake) and features a prominent statue of King Le Thai To, honoring the founder of the Le Dynasty, a peaceful spot for reflection amidst the city's bustle, showcasing Vietnam's rich history.
.
Beer time!
It's the same everywhere!
Walking around the lake.
Lunch at the same place as we had beer, we didn't realize it was the same place!
.
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is a five-star historic luxury hotel, opened in 1901 as Grand Métropole Hotel in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It is today one of the most important buildings of Vietnam in the French colonial style. The hotel today has 358 rooms.
The hotel itself boasts a rich heritage that is enriched with tradition, having been in continuous operation since its founding as the “Grand Métropole Hotel” at the start of the 20th century. In 1899, a French entrepreneur named Gustave-Émile Dumoutier petitioned Hanoi’s local government (then a colonial possession of France) to develop a magnificent hotel on the corner of Henri-Rivière boulevard. Working alongside his business partner, André Ducamp, Dumoutier spent the next several months gradually constructing a beautiful vacation retreat that reflected the best in local French Colonial design. When it finally opened in 1901, their building was the most spectacular hotel in all of Hanoi. The business quickly emerged as one of the most popular local gathering spots, even becoming the first place to show movies in the city. The Grand Métropole Hotel subsequently hosted a myriad of prominent visitors, including famous actors such as Charlie Chaplin. In fact, Chaplin celebrated many special moments at the hotel, including his honeymoon with actress Paulette Goddard in 1936. Other frequent guests include revered world dignitaries and famed celebrities. W. Somerset Maugham wrote The Gentleman in the hotel’s parlor, while Graham Greene wrote The Quiet American inside, as well. The historic Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh even used the hotel as a covert meeting spot amid his struggle against the Japanese in World War II, and then the French during the First Indochina War.
The location was later renamed as “Thong Nhat Hotel,” in honor of the brief period of peace that Vietnam enjoyed during the 1950s. (“Thon Nhat” essentially translates as “Reunification Hotel.”) The building then went on to become the official guesthouse for guests of the Vietnamese government. Unfortunately for the Thong Nhat Hotel, it was caught in the crosshairs of the Vietnam War along with the rest of Hanoi. The United States Air Force frequently bombed Hanoi throughout the conflict, prompting the leadership of the Thong Nhat Hotel to construct a thick bomb shelter in the vicinity of today’s Bamboo Bar. In fact, legendary songstress Joan Baez composed her song "Where Are You Now, My Son?” during an air raid one night while staying as a guest in 1972. The Thong Nhat Hotel continued to welcome guests over the next several decades, even as the building gradually fell into a state of decay. In 1987, the Vietnamese government worked to restore this local landmark with the assistance of the Pullman Hotels chain. Together, the two entities worked hard to revitalize the historic structure, eventually reopening the building as the “Pullman Metropole Hotel” some five years later. AccorHotels then acquired the hotel, and invested heavily into its own series of renovations.
Wondering why we were hearing sirens everywhere, we found ourselves on Toy St.
Toy Street is a small, cheap toy shop in the Old Quarter of Hanoi that is perfect for kids. They can find all sorts of interesting and cheap toys here. Parents indulge their children by renting these remote controlled mini emergency vehicles and annoying walkers.
A puppet theatre.
We went back to relax before our evening meeting and food tour with our group for the next while.
Tour description said food tour around 3 PM, but a notice was posted saying meet at 5. Tiem or Tim, our guide, then did a bit of an overview of Hanoi and money etc.
We were supposed to be 20, but we were 18, a couple were missing. It seems she had been declined entry to Vietnam due to a damaged passport and was sent back to Hong Kong. He was "jetlagged" and didn't answer Tim's phone call for the food tour. It turns out he was sitting the bar drinking, this was an ongoing occurrence. I nicknamed him Maholo (thank you in Hawaiian, as Aloha Man seemed obvious, since he lived in the same Hawaiian shirt for several days).
It turned out that his partner was refused entry to Vietnam due to a water damaged passport and was sent back to Hong Kong to await a new one.
We booked our own flights. Most of the group took the Wingbuddy flights so they had various stopovers, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Korea or Japan. We took advantage of the Tokyo stopover for a few days.
Group consisted of more single people than usual.
Canadians 15
Single woman (K)a little hyper but nice
Single guy (P) - 85 yo from Calgary known as the Wanderer as he went missing twice.
Single middle-aged guy from Calgary (J)
Couple of retired teachers from Burlington - the Chatty Cathies D and C
Ottawa late 60s bilingual couple (P and R) she was the self-appointed social director
London ON couple (S and H) became bosom buddies with above couple
Vancouver blowhard 60s Maholo Man
Vancouver mid 40s single woman MIA (K) damaged passport
Couple Toronto R (orig HK) and L
Us
Americans 5
Single California (J)
Single Texas (L)
3 - Iranian couple and brother California
We headed out around 6 PM on foot for the food tour. We were advised to be like "sticky rice" crossing the streets together.
Next up banh mi ✅. In Vietnamese cuisine, bánh mì, bánh mỳ or banh mi, is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and a soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with meat and savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called bánh mì thịt. Plain bánh mì is also eaten as a staple food.
Bún chả ✅ is a signature Northern Vietnamese dish from Hanoi featuring smoky, grilled pork (patties and/or belly) served with fresh rice vermicelli noodles, an assortment of herbs, pickled vegetables, and a flavorful, tangy dipping sauce (nước chấm). Diners combine these components by dipping noodles, pork, and herbs into the sauce for a fresh, savory, sweet, and smoky experience.
History has it that when Vietnam faced a milk shortage in the mid-1940s, a local named Giang experimented with buttery yolks and sugar to replace the milk in coffee. His prototype became a best-seller in the hotel he worked in, and soon, Giang left his job and became an entrepreneur – setting up a cafe selling his secret coffee drink.
To make the iconic Hanoi egg coffee ✅(Cà Phê Trứng), a rich, creamy specialty often compared to liquid tiramisu, you'll need strong Vietnamese coffee and a sweet, whipped egg yolk mixture.
Ingredients (1 Serving)
For the coffee:
2-3 tablespoons ground Vietnamese robusta coffee (or strong espresso/dark roast)
1/2 cup (approx. 4 oz/120ml) hot water
For the egg cream:
1-2 fresh egg yolks
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon sugar (optional, for extra stability/sweetness)
A dash of vanilla extract (optional)
Cocoa powder or ground cinnamon for garnish (optional)
Equipment
Vietnamese coffee filter (phin filter) or espresso machine
Small mixing bowl
Whisk (handheld or electric mixer is highly recommended)
Serving cup
Shallow bowl for a hot water bath (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Brew the coffee:
If using a phin filter, place the ground coffee into the filter over your cup. Pour a small amount of hot water to bloom the grounds for 30 seconds, then fill the chamber with the remaining hot water and let it drip completely into the cup.
Alternatively, brew a strong shot (around 2-4 oz) of espresso or use a French press to make concentrated coffee.
Prepare the egg mixture:
In a separate, clean, deep bowl, combine the egg yolk(s), condensed milk, and optional sugar/vanilla extract.
Whisk the mixture vigorously. An electric hand mixer works best, taking about 3-5 minutes to achieve a thick, pale, and frothy consistency resembling a meringue or custard. Hand whisking may take up to 10 minutes.
Assemble the drink:
Pour the hot, brewed coffee into your serving cup.
Gently spoon the whipped egg cream mixture on top, creating a distinct, thick layer. You can use the back of a spoon to help create the layer.
Serve:
For an authentic touch and to keep the drink warm, place the coffee cup in a small bowl of hot water.
Garnish with a light dusting of cocoa powder or cinnamon.
The traditional way to enjoy it is by gently stirring just enough to mix the foam with the coffee, or by using a spoon to scoop both layers at once.
We walked back to the hotel.
No comments:
Post a Comment
This blog does not allow anonymous comments.