Authentic: A spoonful of Hanoi
Having flown to Abu Dhabi from Vietnam just over a month ago, I was excited to try out its Vietnamese restaurant, Hanoi, only to be mildly entertained. ...
Sep 28, 2013
Having flown to Abu Dhabi from Vietnam just over a month ago, I was excited to try out its Vietnamese restaurant, Hanoi, only to be mildly entertained. The food is good and reasonably priced, but not 100 percent authentic. Hanoi is more like a Vietnamese fast food restaurant than the real deal.
A little background on Vietnamese cuisine: Vietnamese cuisines feature a combination of five fundamental taste elements, reflecting the Asian principle of five elements; spicy as metal, sour as wood, bitter as fire, salty as water and sweet as earth. Each dish has a distinctive flavor that reflects one or more of these elements. With its balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine yet flavor-bursting taste, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.
Pho, pronounced as fur, is considered one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes. It is a noodle soup consisting of a rich and clear broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles, a delicate combination of herbs and either beef or chicken. The pho offered at Hanoi has a fine taste. The noodle’s texture, however, does not offer the soft tenderness of real Vietnamese noodles.
The restaurant’s ambience is decently quiet and the waitresses are friendly and welcoming. It offers a sneak peek into the culinary culture of Vietnam and provides alternatives to the cafeteria food at Sama Tower.
However, Hanoi does not convince all customers of it’s authenticity.
“To be honest, judging from a Vietnamese standard, the place should not be defined as Vietnamese cuisine,” said senior Connie Trang Trinh. “The signature Pho is not authentic but many people like it so up to you to try. Overall, [it has] good, cheap, clean Asian food but don't expect authenticity.”
Hanoi does not have a street address. Instead, search Hanoi Cafe on Google Maps. The restaurant is located on the corner of Sharqi Street and Third Street, and is a five-minute cab ride from Sama.
If you’re a seasoned Asian foodie, bring along less experienced friends and teach them about the different dishes, the varied flavors and the complexities of using chopsticks.
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