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My favorite joints in Hanoi, Vietnam for coffee, food, and photography.
COFFEE
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- VUI STUDIO: High ceilings, stone walls, art and photo book library, and very spacious. My favorite place in Hanoi for inspiration.
- Tranquil Coffee Shop: two locations in Hanoi. Both are good. The one in the old quarter: better for reading books, and relaxing on a Sunday. Other location across the street from the Yellow Catholic Church: bigger space, cool treehouse glass cube, better photo and art books, and better to do work.
- VPRESSO: good espresso and cappuccino. Also close to the church in old quarter, good area to shoot street photography.
FOOD
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- MUM: Antoine (former SF Bay Area, Vietnamese-French-American entrepreneur) is the owner. Great beef hot pot soup, and you feel like family. My favorite Vietnamese food in Hanoi.
- Uu Dam Chay: only vegetarian restaurant I like. Beautiful Japanese zen aesthetics, lots of wood, insanely high ceilings. Top floor is a garden/greenhouse. Everything on the menu is good. Come here for the aesthetics, relaxed vibe, and when you need lighter food.
- Hot N Tasty: Vietnamese-Korean styled all you can eat BBQ. Best value, comes with unlimited meat, and free Thai style hot pot at the end. Before eating here, get a massage at Omamari: best massage in Hanoi. Go there for visually impaired massage masters. Cindy and I got a membership there. About $10 USD a massage for an hour. Tip included.
- Lotte Tower: insanely huge skyscraper in Hanoi. Go to the Dimsum restaurant for a good value and a great view of the city. Also, go to the rooftop bar for the best view of Hanoi.
- Chops: several locations in Hanoi, go for the best burger and beer in Hanoi.
- Namaste: the best Indian food in Hanoi. Gobi (owner) is our dad, Cindy and I have been here at least 15 times. Our goodbye dinner was here. Get anything lamb/mutton here.
- Bar-rique: best affordable French food in Hanoi. Go on the second floor patio. Order the duck, steak frites, the froie gras, or the fish.
PHOTOGRAPHY
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My friend Chu Viet Ha is the best street photographer in Hanoi. Look at his photos for inspiration.
My favorite places to shoot street photography:
- Hoan Kiem Lake: walk around the lake in central Hanoi, for a lovely view of the water, and good street photography. Also look for the guys at night who workout in the street gym.
- Dong Xuan Market: great indoor street photography and outdoor marketplace. Fresh veggies, meat, and good photography action.
- Old Quarter: The entire place is good to shoot street photography. Just get lost, and shoot around.
- Pizza 4P’s: go to the one next to the big church. Japanese styled pizza. Beautiful stone aesthetics. I eat no carb, but this is the only pizza I will eat. Get the soy garlic beef, burrata pizza, and ginger pork pizza.
Why I love Hanoi
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Hanoi is very fun, the people are very friendly. The French style of the old quarter is aesthetically pleasing– I like the old pastel yellow walls, the Provence green, and the variety of affordable restaurants here.
Also I’ve lived here for 8 months. Watch my YouTube “Eric Kim Hanoi Vlog” videos for more recommendations.
Hanoi: one of the most underrated cities to travel in the world.