Foggy Mornings, Fiery Nights - A Day of Food & Adventure in Hanoi

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Welcome to day two of our adventure in Hanoi! It was a chilly morning, and on top of that, we had the AC blasting on full speed in the dorm. I managed to wake up early and freshen up, and once I was done, I woke up @yugadi (She Loves Her Beauty Sleep A Little More Than Me, Haha)

Our first stop for the day was Tranquil Books & Cafe for breakfast. It was slightly foggy and drizzling as we made our way to the parking lot to pick up a scooter. I had already done my research in advance and knew how gorgeous this place was. Once we reached the location, we had to go through a small, narrow alley, and then suddenly, the cafe revealed itself. And let me tell you pictures don't do justice to this place! The first thing that caught my eye was a huge bookshelf stretching all the way to the ceiling, packed with books in different languages. It was a cozy little spot, warm and peaceful, with a lovely piano adding to the charm.

The cafe mainly serves light food and a decent range of beverages, which was perfect for us. I ordered their Iced Sunny Kombucha and a smoked goose sandwich. The kombucha had this refreshing citrusy zing, slightly tangy but balanced out with a natural sweetness. It was light, fizzy, and perfect for the weather. The smoked goose sandwich, on the other hand, was phenomenal. The bread was crisp on the outside yet soft inside, and the smoked goose had this rich, slightly gamey flavor, perfectly complemented by a creamy, tangy spread and fresh greens.

Yugadi had the hot citrus punch, a comforting blend of zesty lemon and honey, warming her up instantly. She paired it with a shakshuka, which was hands down one of the best we’ve had. The eggs were poached perfectly in a rich, mildly spiced tomato sauce, and it came with crusty bread to soak it all up. Everything we had was absolutely lip smacking, and to top it off, the whole meal cost just 305,000 VND ($11.95) which was an absolute steal for such a wholesome breakfast!

After breakfast, we decided to visit Grand World, which was about 20 km from the cafe. The scooter ride took us roughly 45 minutes. Now, here’s the thing, I didn’t have an international driving license, which is technically mandatory in Vietnam. I had tried to get one before the trip, but the process was complicated, requiring me to apply from the address on my passport, which wasn’t an option at that moment. So, I decided to wing it. From what I’d heard, as long as you follow traffic rules, the cops usually don’t stop you unless you give them a reason to.

Grand World turned out to be a massive tourist attraction, but honestly, it wasn’t really my vibe. However, I did take a ton of pictures of Yugadi because the place was beautifully done, especially Venice Town. The replica of Venice had gondola rides, complete with narrow canals and colorful European-style buildings. We didn’t take the gondola ride, but it was still fun to see. Then there was K-Town, designed to look like a vibrant Korean street, with lots of neon lights, K-pop-themed stores, and restaurants serving Korean food. We spent about an hour or two just wandering around, taking in the sights, and then decided to head back to the Old Quarter for lunch which was another 45 minute scooter ride back.

For lunch, we hit up Banh Mi 25, an iconic spot for Banh Mi’s in Hanoi. I had discovered this place on my last trip to Hanoi in 2023 and was blown away. I must have visited 4-5 times back then, and even on this trip, I came here at least 3-4 times, sometimes just to grab a takeaway. This place just knows how to make an incredible Banh Mi! For lunch, we had the barbecue pork and smoked sausage banh mi, and the vegan meatloaf and avocado banh mi. The baguettes were ridiculously crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, just how they should be. The barbecue pork had a smoky, slightly sweet glaze, perfectly balanced with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and a slather of creamy pâté. The smoked sausage one had this deep, garlicky flavor, and it paired beautifully with the tangy crunch of pickled carrots and daikon. The vegan meatloaf banh mi was surprisingly good too (Well For Me At Least, She Didn’t Like It 🥹) soft yet packed with umami flavours, and the avocado added a creamy, buttery texture. But the real star? The avocado shake. This was thick, luscious, and tasted like a dessert in itself. Creamy, slightly sweet, with just the right balance of richness, it was heaven in a cup.

After that satisfying meal, we were exhausted from all the walking, so we headed back to the hostel for a short nap. Post nap, we made our way to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre for the 4:10 pm show. We managed to snag two front row tickets, each costing 200,000 VND per person. The show lasted an hour, and honestly, it was one of the most unique experiences in Hanoi.

Water puppetry is an ancient Vietnamese art form, and watching it live was incredible. The stage was basically a water tank, and the puppeteers, hidden behind a screen, controlled the wooden puppets using long rods. The show was accompanied by live traditional music, featuring instruments like the đàn bầu (monochord) and bamboo flutes. The puppets depicted different folk tales, rural life, and legends, with scenes of rice farming, buffalo herding, and even a dramatic battle with a fire-breathing dragons ! It was fascinating to watch these puppets move so seamlessly over the water, and even though we didn’t understand the Vietnamese narration, the visuals and music made it engaging (Weirdly I Dozed Off For About 15 Minutes 😂)

After the show, we headed to Note Coffee, a quirky little café covered entirely in sticky notes from visitors worldwide. I had been here before and wanted to take Yugadi for the experience. It’s a fun place, though more of a tourist attraction than a serious coffee spot. The food isn’t great, but you go for the vibe. We grabbed a drink, found a cozy corner on the top floor, and admired the stunning view of Hoan Kiem Lake. We spent about 30-40 minutes there, reading some of the notes people had left behind and we left a note behind as well before moving on.

Next up, we booked tickets for the Hanoi Tour Bus, a hop on hop off ride that takes you around the city. Our tickets were for the next bus, about 30 minutes later. This was a fun way to explore Hanoi without walking and also get a brief history of the city. The tour lasted an hour, taking us past major landmarks, with an audio guide providing information in different languages. Each seat had a headphone jack where you could plug in the provided headphones and select your preferred language. The whole experience cost 150,000 VND per person.

Now, here’s where the day got really interesting! For dinner, we went back to the same eatery we visited on Day 1. I ordered fried squid with garlic, and Yugadi got a big bowl of pho. The squid was crunchy, fragrant, and packed with flavor, while the pho was hearty, filled with aromatic broth, veggies , and fresh herbs. But as we were enjoying our meal, something unexpected happened. Two men with a huge boombox walked up to an eatery across from us and blasted loud music. Then, they started performing crazy street stunts in the middle of the packed street 😂🤌🏼 fire breathing, sword swallowing, hammering nails into their nosesit was insane! Disgusting? Absolutely. Cool? HELL YES. It was the ultimate Hanoi roadside experience, and we couldn’t have asked for a better end to the night.

You can catch all of this in the video on this post! Stay tuned for the next one, where I’ll talk about our amazing day trip to Ninh Binh, which I booked through Airbnb experiences. See you in the next post, folks!

Just Incase You Haven’t Read Or Seen The Adventurous Video Of Day 1,
You Can Catch That By Clicking On The Below Image ✨

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