What to do in Hanoi if you have only one day

Travel in a developing city has always suggested a potential blend of

mystery, adventure and romance, three words not automatically associated
with Hanoi in the context of commercialisation. Yet theres also another
unseen and hidden Hanoi that will require you to be more adventurous
than just following a group of tourists or flipping through the Lonely Planet
book of Vietnam.

As a person who tends to linger over the past, my one day guide is not
about what to do or to see in Hanoi. It is about how to get off the
beaten path to hidden gems whose owners have a sense of what the
authenticity means.

1. 7am: Pho bo Lam

Instead of elbowing your way to the crowds in Pho Bat Dan or Pho Ly Quoc
Su, head to No.48 Hang Vai Street: just about one kilometer from the
centre of Old Quarter but refreshingly low on tourists. This place offers an
unusual and nontraditional take on the ubiquitous Vietnamese noodle.
Nowhere else in the city can you find pho topped with shreds of heel
muscle a special beef cut which brings you a distinct mix of flavours: soft,
sweet and rich. Also dont forget to order some sticks of fried dough (quay)
to soak up the gentle crystal-clear broth.

Prices start at 60,000VND. Just say pho loi and your steaming bow will
be ready in the blink of an eye.

2. 8am: Reng Reng Cafe (No.17 Alley 12B, Ly Nam De Street)

When it comes to Hanoi, one of the things to do is to drink coffee. It

used to be a serious business here. However, the last decade has brought
commercialisation in a way that the locals have started to cast doubts over
the quality, unsure if what they drink is traditional coffee any more(or
some cheap addictive and chemical). Luckily, Nguyen Duy Bieu, who used
to sell his coffee on a bicycle every day in Old Quarter, is fuelling a bright
coffee scene and injecting joy (also tastiness) into his coffee shop. Reng
Reng, the bicycle horn sound was named after that.
 Bieu is an unusual guy; his shop therefore remains a place for the strange
and libertine, where snapping photos of the staff is often as taboo as
smoking and loud talk. Here you are encouraged to cycle and bring your
own cup to get a discount of 5,000VND.

Using the plain-roasted technique, Reng Reng pulls perfect shots of

espresso and cappuccino. Get a taste of Ba Na flavour, my most favourite
one and ask yourself why it isnt known as the best coffee in Hanoi. The
price ranges from 20,000VND to 35,000VND and its a five-minute walk
from Pho bo Lam restaurant.

3. 9:30am Hoa Lo Prison Museum

Ive seen foreigners referring to Vietnam as a war and heard tourists

admitting that they know nothing about the country more than its wars.
Unfortunately, national museums like Vietnam Museum of Revolution are
too propagandistic and National Museum of Vietnamese History too
superficial. For me, Hoa Lo Museum is a good fit for my history
appreciation fix.

A visit is an essential primer to understanding the cruelty and ghastliness

of the prison during the French and American war as well as its impact on
the country. Even being far from the authentic version after years of
restoration, its not just a prison in the traditional sense; rather, strolling
among art factual human models and cells gives visitors a genuine sense of
harsh reality and sadness.

It is a small museum but its messages definitely stay with you. The
admission prices at 30,000VND.

4. 11am: Highway (No.5 Hang Tre Street)

An economical-progress atmosphere may evoke American fast food chains,

Japanese-style sushi, Italian-look pizza but Highway, a Swiss-owned
restaurant favoured by both locals and foreigners does serve made-to-order
food created with real culinary skills.

The first floors interiors are a nod to the Western-style dcor while the
upstairs offers more quintessential Vietnamese dining experience by sitting
on the long floor-level benches. The menu is specialised in local ingredients
 prepared with grace and sophistication, from minced freshwater clams
served with rice crackers (80,000VND) to catfish spring rolls
(70,000VND). What cant be missed here is the restaurants unique Son
Tinh liquor brand inspired by Vietnamese rice wine. Try the apricot wine
and feel the gentle touch of sweet and fruitiness.

A lunch for two without wine is about 400,000VND.

5. 1pm: Thuong Tra Quan (Room 301, No.2 Tong Dan Street)

If youre among those who easily get frustrated with Hanois motorbike-
choked streets, have your Uber drop you off at No.2 Tong Dan, a Zen-like
tea spot being as artfully presented as it is nourishing for the soul. Located
on the third floor of an old communal building, Thuong Tra Quan (means
a spot to enjoy tea) is the kind of classic tea shop that helps old cities
gracefully. Its easy to stay in serenity mode with a sip of traditional and
elegant Vietnamese tea and some mung bean cakes.

Although the ambience is pagoda-like, you can wear short pants or skirts.
And the airy and remarkably fresh balcony is certainly ideal for reading if
youre thinking of bringing books during the holiday in Hanoi.

6. 2:30pm Ozu Boutique (No.3 Ly Dao Thanh Street)

Even if you dont plan to spend $1.5 on an artistic postcard, $25 on a

vintage pair of glasses, or $50 on a bronze teapot, the works on display at
Ozu warrants a stop for a classic beauty. Nguyen Qui Duc, the Vietnamese-
American journalist and radio commentator who came back to Vietnam in
2006, makes the most of tiny ornate objects you can imagine, ranging from
antique tea pots, wooden cooking spoons to a cluster of handcrafted
dummies or a rare mosaic of art prints. Most objects were collected
through travels around the world over the years. While not obvious
souvenirs, Ducs collection may invoke fantasies about fitting your house
with beautiful objects.

I will not recommend shopping around Old Quarter which seems solely the
domination of Chinese-imported and kitschy souvenirs.

7. 3pm Fine Arts Museum

 To learn more about the countrys art, pop into Fine Arts Museum where
artworks are arranged chronologically. It starts with paintings, sculptures
and stone engravings of dynasty art and moves toward contemporary fine
arts gallery which is almost always thought-provoking to me. Equally
fascinating is the collection of lacquer and silk paintings that illustrate
evolving artistic trends across the decades.
Rather than being stoked with propaganda stuff, it plunges visitors into a
more compelling tale of Vietnamese daily life. Admission, 30,000VND.

8. 5pm West Lake

The late-afternoon light is best for gilded 180 degree views of the lake and
city. With a rented bicycle (at the price of 100,000 VND at Hanoi Bicycle
Collective), you can pedal the lakeside paths, but be sure to watch out the
motorbike riders regularly popping up in the opposite direction. It takes
about 17 kilometres to cycle around the lake, stop by traditional pagodas
and temples and watch the locals fishing and couples enjoying the sunset
after school.

In a city seemingly built to catch the nuance of the sunset, finding the right
early evening spot is serious hunt. Take a cab to Oriberry Coffee at No.25
Xuan Dieu Street for high quality coffee and cakes on the balcony upstairs
where you can see the light receding across the city. This should one of
the best things to do in Hanoi.

9. 7pm: A Dao Restaurant (No.22A Hai Ba Trung Street)

With its earsplitting female vocals and crashing percussion instruments,

Vietnamese chamber music is not for everyone. But for a glimpse of one of
the northern Vietnams most famous and enduring art forms, without the
commitment of hours-long performance at a theater, drop in to A Dao
Restaurant to watch for a bit in a more informal setting every Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday along with a variety of choices for traditional
Vietnamese meals.

Named after the music type, the intimate is devoted to the local-focused
options and serves Vietnamese food inspired traditional recipes. That
includes green mango with shrimp and pork salad (80,000VND) and a
creative blend of grilled pork belly with kimchi. (55,000VND).
 In a small alley, an artistic space comprises this restaurant, a classic and
noir film dominated cinema, a hostel and a library. While the restaurant
looks traditional, its not stodgy. Inside the dimly lit space, the wall
features different geisha-look woman paintings and a wide range of
colourful artworks.

10.9pm: Tadioto (No.24B Tong Dan Street)

A welcoming atmosphere, and artfully mixed dcor, at Tadioto provide the

perfect last stop for a nightcap. The small bar, which is both trendy and
nostalgic, features a gorgeous interior dcor - a blend of brisk wall and
wooden furnishings and a casual set of outdoor tables for whom like to
enjoy the breeze at night.

Nguyen Qui Duc (also the owner of Ozu), who usually expresses his taste
and wine passion on his Facebook account, wont disappoint you with a
drinking list, including nice cocktails and a moderate selection of
reasonably priced wine.

11. 12am: Long Bien Market

For a glimpse at how one of the biggest Hanois fruit and vegetable
wholesale markers looks like, a walk is guaranteed to elicit vibrant and
colourful scenes.

It reaches its peak time from 12am to 6am, with everyone running, moving
and buying en masse before sunrise. Taking photos is usually frowned
upon. So for more satisfying market experience, head to Long Bien Bridge
where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the chaos and the local life which
is hard to find if you only stick to your list of things-to-do in Old
Quarter.

Dung Phan