it was father’s day, and on a special day like this we usually get something like a fat juicy steak. however, this penang boy mr. khairul with a kampung taste wanted something asian. something simple yet delicious. something that reminds him of home.
we looked for something simple like kuey teow soup or noodle soup – and found a nice vietnamese restaurant called ‘hanoi’. by the end of our visit there, it has become one of the best place to get soupy dishes in dubai – vietnam style!
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the first thing I noticed when I walked into ‘hanoi’ were the trees! fake trees of course, but a lovely addition nonetheless. it blends well with the color scheme of orange and green. simply loved it!
walls are adorned with random pictures of vietnamese makcik in vietnam setting that brings out that asian feel. simple, random, but it works! the bench-seats are comfy and gives that homey, relaxing feel too. overall a family-friendly cozy place to enjoy delicious soupy dish!
the ‘open’ bar – juice bar, that is.
simply love the color scheme! ceria!
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the menu is quite extensive within the soup domain – written in vietnamese, with translation. everything looks good, really. there are mainly 4 types of noodle available :
- pho – rice noodle
- mien – glass noodle
- bun – rice vermicelli noodle
- mi – egg noodle
the celebrated guy – the father – bapak – mr. khairul’s choice : pho dac biet : ‘hanoi special pho’ (pho = rice noodles aka kuey teow) with meatballs. delicious. really. just like the plain kuey teow soup you get at RnR tapah. instantly a favorite with him, and me too!
stuff for the soupy dish that i won't even consider adding because I just like my soup to be plain. so tolak ke khairul hihi
my 'mi vit tiem' - braised five-spice duck noodle.
my noodle with the duck is super delicious. imagine eating this big bowl of hot delight in a cool winter’s night? perfect! makan panas-panas time sejuk-sejuk winter sure da bom!
unlike mr. khairul’s soup dish with ‘pho’ or rice noodles, mine was with ‘mi’ – egg noodles. I really prefer the rice noodles because it’s my favorite noodle of all but this ‘braised five-spice duck’ dish is delicious enough to eat with any type of noodle.
the duck is tender, and because it’s in a soup dish, it’s not as dry as the other duck dishes I’ve ever tasted before. hoisin sauce is available on the table so it was just a delicious dish to enjoy. huge portion of noodle, a lot of duck to munch and the soup is tasty.
altogether a highly-recommended dish. the next time I order this dish, I’m requesting them to change it to rice noodle!
my eldest boy khaleef absolutely LOVE anything soupy so he totally enjoyed his kuey teow soup, a dish ordered from the list in the kids’ menu. I’m glad to note that the portion is huge even for a kids’ meal. delicious, enough for two. A plus!
seriously, this is the first time I’m using metal chopsticks. pardon me for getting a little over-excited. there’s a certain feel of authenticity when you enjoy chinese/japanese/vietnamese food using chopsticks. somehow it tastes better! haha.
this is ‘goi cuon’ or ‘fresh summer rolls’
the worst-tasting popiah i've ever eaten!!!
but wait – before you decide to take my word for it, consider that a) I don't really like popiah basah, or unfried spring roll like this; b) i don't like prawn, and c) i hate the taste of cilantro, and d) I don’t like disproportionate food (eg: more filling than the percentage of pastry in a pie bla bla) – tapi gatal nak makan just to try. amik ko. sohun pun ade dlm tu.
but mr. khairul likes it. fresh. unik. so you guys might like it too. just not my cuppa tea.
thanks for being a great bapak to my boys. funny, yet responsible. playful, yet strict. the boys look up to you to make them the man they’re going to be. a good role model, peacemaker and a coach. love always!
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‘hanoi’ is situated at JLT (jumeirah lake towers) cluster C. you’ll see the italian café ‘o pasta’ and walk down. you’ll see a pizza place, so walk further. soon you’ll see an unassuming place called ‘hanoi’. sit back and enjoy sipping your hot soup with yummy noodle.
save this spot for me when winter comes! to my fellow malaysians, kalau nak merasa kuey teow soup ala-ala RnR tapah, moh la ke ‘hanoi’!
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