The Vietnamese Delight – Hanoi

Located in one of the corners of Phoenix Mall, Whitefield, Bangalore; Hanoi serves authentic Vietnamese food. The outlet is of decent size and the interior are inspired from Vietnamese folklore. The influence of French design is easily recognizable in the decor. We went here for a Chef’s Table which gave us direct access to how Vietnamese food is made and enjoyed. Chef Nirav had already prepared a menu to be served and was on his way to inspire us. Hanoi imported all its vegetables from Ooty which give their dishes the everlasting fresh taste and doesnt add any artificial flavour or color to its food..

We tried the Tapioca Crisps with Soy Sauce, Peanut Sauce and Sesame sauce, loved the Soy and Peanut sauce. You can eat this snack all day long as they are ultra-light on the stomach. For drinks we tried the Nuoc Hot E – a rare combination of coconut water and orange juice with basil seeds, but very mild in flavor. The Kaffir Lime Leaf Cooler was made with Kaffir Lime Leaves, lemon grass with Orange Juice, delightful!

We tried the Sour Soup with Lady’s-finger, amazing! Filled with fresh veggies like sprouted beans, carrots, lady’s finger and many more. The use of Lady’s Finger gave a thick consistency to the soup. The Raw Mango Salad was tangy as well as sweet and topped with Peanuts, and was made from bean sprouts, cucumber, raw mango, tamarind, carrot and so on. Delicious!

Next we moved to the Spicy Crispy Chestnut made from deep fried Chestnuts. The Chestnut were insipid and the seasoning and spicy factor was minimal. The dish could have been much better. The Tofu with sweet and Sour sauce was also not that flavorful. Next came the Betel Leaf Wraps with Potato, I had low expectations from the dish but instead it was one of the best experiments done with Betal Leaves and mashed potato’s. The flavor of the betal leaf had sipped deep in the Potato’s and those flavors would simply burst in your mouth.

The Vietnamese Congee was another simple yet fresh dish. The broken rice porridge was made with fresh vegetables. The star of the night was ofcourse the Vegetable Hot Pot, the dish was served with noodles. OMG! Cant say no to that! The Hot Pot was fresh and well as delicious. A must try!

For desserts we had the Crème Caramel, Vietnamese Homemade Ice cream and Vietnamese Tropical Fruit Sweet. The Caramel Custard was soft and was topped with caramel sauce. The ice-creams included Lemon Grass, Basil Pineapple, Green Tea, Cinnamon Apple and Betel Leaves. It was difficult to find your favorite as each one of these was simply fantastic. The Tropical Fruit Sweet was Hanoi’s version of Tub Tim Krob with exotic fruits.

The experience at Hanoi was definitely one of the best and there is no way I would forget the enticing Vietnamese food. The value for money and quality of the food items served at Hanoi really stands out.

The Scorecard:-
Food/Taste – 8/10
Service – 8/10
Value for Money – 9/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Quantity/Quality – 9/10

Overall Rating – 4.2/5

A Vietnamese Delight in Bangalore!

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