Việt Nam News

As soon as social distancing measures were relaxed in the city early this month, my friends and I immediately took the chance to get together, visiting Âu Lạc Club by Sword Lake.

When Hà Nội announced dine-in restaurants could open again last Monday, everyone rushed out to have their much-longed-for bowl of phở. While phở recipes are widely available online, traditional restaurants with secret recipes still have a strong allure.

This week, Svetlana Nguyễn's personal story made headlines online. "Ukrainian lady who spent 20 years helping her husband recover from strokes" was the article that went viral. Svetlana Nguyễn opened a small cafe serving Russian food in their home on Ngọc Khánh Street in 2004 and they named it Cafe CCCP (Russian abbreviation of the USSR).

As restaurants are closed due to COVID-19, it can be difficult organising a meal. For your family or your own daily needs, in terms of food, you can have anything delivered.

There are few things that can bring people from across the UK together these days, but I think it’s safe to say we all have our fond memories of nights out or in accompanied with spicy, rich curries and good company.

Hà Nội ordered all restaurants, cafes, food stalls and hairdresser's salons to shut from noon on May 25. While everyone stays at home, you still need food and here are some picks our reporters have tried, tested and recommended.

There are a few must-do things for any trip to Sa Pa, no matter how many times you have been, including a calm walk, a sizzling hotpot for dinner and a hot Dao forest leaf bath or foot massage. 

With the return of COVID-19 community infections up and down the country, health authorities have once again stepped up messaging to encourage everyone in society to keep each other safe by wearing masks and other measures. 

Painter, scientist, sculptor and inventor. Leonardo da Vinci was a giant of the Italian Renaissance. Now the great polymath’s legacy is being kept alive in a recent addition to Hà Nội’s culinary scene.

Along with bánh canh, a thick rice-noodle soup, hủ tiếu (thin rice-noodle soup) is a popular dish in southern Viet Nam, and it also happens to be my favourite.

During my first visit to the newly opened Capella Hanoi's restaurant for brunch one recent Sunday, I was overwhelmed by the lavish theatrical design that transports people back to the 1920s and the “heyday” of opera and performance.

How wonderful it is to enjoy a meal from the top of a building overlooking Long Biên Bridge and the Old Quarter. Ngô Minh enjoys the view and the food.

Ma Xó prides itself on its priceless sunset lake view as its main selling point. Best known as a brunch spot, and is packed with people most of the time, Ma Xó's unique cozy ambience reminds me of hanging out at a friend's house.

Lê Art Café Wine Bistro offers great outdoor seating and an extensive menu featuring several flavourful dishes that could tickle anyone’s taste buds.

Located on Giảng Võ Street, Steam Box is a paradise of steamed food, from vegetable, meat, and seafood dishes to dim sum.

An Lạc Vegetarian Restaurant is a genuine oasis for hungry vegan tummies, serving options from rice to noodles together with plant-based drinks.

Etesia is a kitchen counter dining restaurant serving contemporary European cuisine with chefs at work in their fully open kitchen. Countertop dining has been heating up the restaurant scene in big metropolitan cities. It’s the place to see — the kitchen, the chefs and the action — and to be seen. Their executive Chef Benjamin Morelle had experience serving as Sous Chef at a 1-star Michelin restaurant in Paris.

The Lunar New Year (Tết) is time to gather family or friends and enjoy classic Vietnamese dishes made by moms in their hometowns. This year, however, the tradition changed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so I decided to stay in the city with my children and have a special year-end meal at Bình Quới Village, about five km from the city centre.