If one were to be asked, "Where can you find the best art in Hanoi"?, I don't think I would name any of the "Hangs" in which one might find the many art galleries filled with contemporary or traditional Vietnamese paintings that are increasingly attracting Western and Asian tourists bringing with them the promise of deep pockets.The most beautiful art in my mind that you could find in Hanoi is first in its architecture, and then second in the small details surrounding that architecture- the way they let ivy grow and hang from their balconies, an old banyan tree in the courtyard, a deep alizarin-coloured gate, a yellow-ochre door. In this aspect of Vietnamese life, the people there are naturally artistic, tasteful...and they don't copy the neighbour's decor.
More thoughts on the arts scene there in the other blog. Here, I am just glad to say that we dined in very fine art at the Green Tangerine Restaurant at Hang Be last month.
The Green Tangerine French restaurant is a well-known spot for both locals and tourists. It's part of the trio of "must-go" restaurants in Hanoi, together with Bobby Chinn's and The Emperor. Our time in Hanoi was short, and there were not enough nights to try out all the restaurants. We would have missed going to the Green Tangerine if one of our dinner companions had not fortuitously worn a pair of shorts and the whole company got politely turned away at The Emperor restaurant (we did go back there the next night, for the supposedly "fine" Vietnamese cuisine).
The restaurant is housed in a lovingly restored building dated 1928 in the Old Quarters. Restored in a way that is not overly self-conscious, it still blends with, but stands out from the adjacent buildings. The magnolia and rich green exterior has a slightly aged look, in part due to the plant creepers and trees growing in the compound. There is a small courtyard which looks to be perfect for an afternoon tea session.
Inside, I was delighted with the decor. It is exactly that blend of traditional and modern furnishings that makes any living space so interesting. The choice is towards wooden furniture with clean simple modern lines. But there were little interesting artifacts peppered all over the restaurant that tell so much of the history, and the both Western and Oriental influences that have shaped the city. They have real antique books on the shelves and mantlepieces, a touch in any place that sure impresses me.
The food was likewise presented in a beautiful artistic way, as with most French cuisine. But it is hard to look at it for too long, because the food is really quite quite amazing, and after I made everyone wait for five minutes to do my photo shoots of the food, we were all chomping it down with relish. There was a wide variety of European cuisine - from traditional French to Spanish to Italian, but each dish that we tried had a slight Oriental twist to it, but so imperceptible that you would fall short of calling it fusion. There was a thoughtful menu for vegetarians, and a good selection of fish dishes. The beef and lamb dishes must be their best offerings. I had beef cheeks with beets and roasted potatoes. It was by far the best thing I have ever tried in a French place. We had quite a large company of 7 old and new friends dining that night. All of us were wow-ed by the creative and generous menu.
Well, I won't really write too much more about the food, since I have decided at the beginning that this is not going to be a food review blog. Made the exception here only because it was such a good dining experience. The food is really quite excellent too.
More thoughts on the arts scene there in the other blog. Here, I am just glad to say that we dined in very fine art at the Green Tangerine Restaurant at Hang Be last month.
The Green Tangerine French restaurant is a well-known spot for both locals and tourists. It's part of the trio of "must-go" restaurants in Hanoi, together with Bobby Chinn's and The Emperor. Our time in Hanoi was short, and there were not enough nights to try out all the restaurants. We would have missed going to the Green Tangerine if one of our dinner companions had not fortuitously worn a pair of shorts and the whole company got politely turned away at The Emperor restaurant (we did go back there the next night, for the supposedly "fine" Vietnamese cuisine).
The restaurant is housed in a lovingly restored building dated 1928 in the Old Quarters. Restored in a way that is not overly self-conscious, it still blends with, but stands out from the adjacent buildings. The magnolia and rich green exterior has a slightly aged look, in part due to the plant creepers and trees growing in the compound. There is a small courtyard which looks to be perfect for an afternoon tea session.
Inside, I was delighted with the decor. It is exactly that blend of traditional and modern furnishings that makes any living space so interesting. The choice is towards wooden furniture with clean simple modern lines. But there were little interesting artifacts peppered all over the restaurant that tell so much of the history, and the both Western and Oriental influences that have shaped the city. They have real antique books on the shelves and mantlepieces, a touch in any place that sure impresses me.
The food was likewise presented in a beautiful artistic way, as with most French cuisine. But it is hard to look at it for too long, because the food is really quite quite amazing, and after I made everyone wait for five minutes to do my photo shoots of the food, we were all chomping it down with relish. There was a wide variety of European cuisine - from traditional French to Spanish to Italian, but each dish that we tried had a slight Oriental twist to it, but so imperceptible that you would fall short of calling it fusion. There was a thoughtful menu for vegetarians, and a good selection of fish dishes. The beef and lamb dishes must be their best offerings. I had beef cheeks with beets and roasted potatoes. It was by far the best thing I have ever tried in a French place. We had quite a large company of 7 old and new friends dining that night. All of us were wow-ed by the creative and generous menu.
Well, I won't really write too much more about the food, since I have decided at the beginning that this is not going to be a food review blog. Made the exception here only because it was such a good dining experience. The food is really quite excellent too. Please do go try it if you have not been there. Maybe we could have afternoon tea together in the courtyard and imagine how it was like to be living there as an artist or a French Tai-tai in 1928. :)
