Hanoi Hanoi

So — this place appears to be a hit or miss depending on what you order on the menu. Needless to say — my choice this evening meant the experience was categorized as the latter.
Venue is big, surprisingly big. You almost need to geo search your friends if you are meeting them inside (well Almost). That said, good for larger groups. The food then. For a starter, I went for the papaya salad. This turned out to be a good choice, large as well (which made me happy as I was starving!). It was topped with dried meat, however unrecognizable what kind of meet it may have been. Thumbs up!
Then for the main. Had a steamed sea-​bass that came with white rice. It was… fishy. And spicy. I like spicy, so that was all good. But I missed that little ‘umph’. Felt as the dish was cooked without love and attention. Thankfully, it was boneless. Kudos for that.
Staff sweet. Ambience so-​so — personally I prefer a bit more intimate places. If I would ever go back, I would most likely try a safe card. Such as phở and some fresh spring rolls.

I’d been passing buy here for months meaning to check it out. There are a few Vietnamese restaurants in town, this is the newest and most high-​end looking one in my opinion.
I got stuffed crab claws for starter which were just ok, I didn’t get much of a crab taste from them. For mains I got a beef in brandy sauce that came on a gas hob. Actually most of us at the table got our food on a portable gas hob, so they must have quite a stock of them. My main was lovely, I thought the flavors were great and the serving was big! There was also the novelty of having my own little hob to cook on. To finish I had a Vietnamese coffee, which was lovely as always.
The prices here are very reasonable and staff super friendly.

Ahoy, Hanoi². You had an extensive menu (had to have been over 40 mains alone). You had a great waitress. You had really comfy chairs and a great dining area! The only thing I wasn’t completely happy with was the food!
To start, I got the summer rolls. Pretty good, but they didn’t have the typical basil and flavours in them, and the side sauce was really, really sweet. They were fresh and crisp though and overall I liked them!
For my main, I got a dish that is basically cooked in front of you over open flame — yes, it was awesome. It was a chicken noodle dish with some veg. There was a lot of chicken, which was so juicy and tasty. The noodles were perfectly cooked too. The veggies were lacking — potatoes in my Vietnamese food is not preferred — and it was basically that and peppers. Where’s the other herbs and fresh veg? The sauce was also too sweet for my liking, but there was a lot of it. Don’t worry, I don’t like to waste food so all was consumed. So much for NY resolutions!
The best part was the coconut smoothie. Holy moly, it was addictive. If I could only have hat for dessert for the rest of my life, I could deal!
I would go back to Hanoi but would get something different! I really liked the restaurant itself, and I think everyone else I was with enjoyed their dishes very much. The phở may be next on my list as it looked very traditional!

In true Unilocal fashion, I had made a note of Hanoi Hanoi, when I saw a few good reviews passing by last week.
At the top of Capel street, the restaurant is a little bit out of the way from anywhere. You just have to kind of know it’s there (yay for Unilocal)
It’s close to Cineworld, and a perfect spot to go for a meal before or after your movie if you have some time to spare.
We came in during lunch time, and the restaurant was quite empty, which didn’t do much for atmosphere, but I’d say in the evenings it gets busier and the décor is just lovely!
The lunch menu was huge, and I had a hard time choosing what I wanted. In the end I settled for a papaya salad (5 €) and a small fish soup (5 €) –both dishes were so generous that I could barely finish. Taste wise… not the best asian dishes I ever had, but very enjoyable nonetheless.
My friend had the beef phở, a massive bowl of noodle soup for € 7,50. Talk about value for money!
They serve their homemade hot sauce on the side as well, so you can make your food as spicy as you like.

This was my first time here and first time with Vietnamese food. Talking about the Vietnamese cuisine, I admit that it is not my favourite food and I would rather choose for Chinese or Japanese. Despite this, I was curious to try something different, and I went at Hanoi Hanoi restaurant. The exterior is rather unremarkable: I walked to end Capel Street, I pass by the restaurant and I could’t find it. It had to be there so I walked back and I saw it. They should make it more interesting as it is the inside: when you step inside the décor is just WoW: beautiful lanterns and expensive furnishings. The place is well kept, spacious and brighter. I like their interior design.
We were a group of 7 and booked in advance, even though the restaurant was not full.
I ordered filled fried crabs for starter and prawns in brandy noodle as main course. The first was really tasty and I recommend. I wished there were few more and not just two ;-). What I didn’t get was why they served 6 starters when one of the dishes wasn’t ready. One of us has to wait a lot before eating his order. When his order arrived, the others had finished theirs. He has to watch other to eat. As tips: they should have brought all the starter together or inform the guest that he has to wait making that order.
Waitress was very friendly and accommodating, but she didn’t know what was written on the menu. In fact we asked few questions about the menu and seemed she didn’t know what to answer, blaming also the menu :-)
Main course was very generous, it could have been enough for 2 :-). I didn’t know this when I made my order otherwise I could have oder something smaller. t was cool because the way it was served: they bring you a camping stove with the pan still cooking the dish. I appreciated that the waitress helped me, switching off the flame for me… she understood that I wasn’t familiar with the dish.
I decide to try their homemade yogurt with jackfruit for finish, it wasn’t a good idea. It wast what I expected: it was liquid and weird… it didn’t help my digestion. Then I don’t like waisting food so I finished. I should have end the dinner with the main course. Overall, I enjoyed my evening and I would recommend for a try.

This was my first time here and first time with Vietnamese cuisine. To be honest, it is not my favourite kind of food and I would rather choose for Chinese or Japanese. Despite this, it is worth to give it a try and having then something to use for comparison and life experience.
We were a group of 7 and booked in advance, even though the restaurant was not full.
I ordered spicy chicken wings for starter and beef in brandy noodle. The first was really tasty and I recommend, although they served my dish with delay, while the rest of my group had already their food. So I started eating while some of my fellows had finished their starters.
Waitress was very friendly and accommodating, but we asked few questions about the menu and seemed she didn’t know what to answer, blaming also the menu :-)
Main course was very generous, it could have been enough for 2 :-) it was cool because the way it was served: they bring you a camping stove with the pan still cooking the dish.
Vietnamese tea for finish was good too to help with digestion and cold outside the street.
Place is well kept, spacious and brighter. I like their style with furniture. I would recommend for a try.

Well, what a surprise!
Hanoi Hanoi isn’t much of a looker from the outside but once you step in, you’ll realize you’ve made the right choice. Lovely interior and the tables were set with both chopsticks and cutlery so you don’t have to struggle with your chopsticks before you eventually declare defeat and have to ask for a fork. Nice.
Reading through the extensive menu took some time and I kept changing my mind several times as everything sounded delicious. I finally went with the papaya salad with came with spicy dressing and the beef phở as my main. I never had phở before so I can’t compare it to anything else, but damn it was delicious and so filling without leaving me stuffed.
All the dishes that were served looked amazing and the portions are incredibly good value for money. Almost enough for two.
I hadn’t had Vietnamese food before but I will certainly come back here for more.

Aw I’m a big fan of this place. There are so many things to like about it.
— Firstly you will be pretty wow-​ed by the décor when you step inside — the exterior is rather unremarkable, but the interior! It’s like the coming together of Vietnamese high society with Roman grandeur, giant frescos on the walls, marble, gilt and expensive furnishings. (also great toilets — a massive tick in my book)
— Then there’s the staff — this place seems to be run by females — a matriarch chef and a truly lovely waitress and maitre-​d, genuinely smiley and helpful — all with a common trait of being exceptionally invested and proud of what they’ve put together here.
— The food is lovely. It’s not haut-​cuisine, but it’s hearty portions presented in a sometimes delicate sometimes over-​the-​top way. Both of the dishes I enjoyed were great — the starter salad of the beef & mango salad being my favourite — zingy, fresh, and huge.
*Bonus point, they have karaōke downstairs! Will be coming back here quick smart.

One thing that always strikes me about East London, is the countless Vietnamese restaurants that line the streets, offering bowls of steaming hot Phở and crunchy Banh Mhi baguettes. As is the trend with most cuisine, a number of years later, it looks like we are catching up. Perhaps Dublin’s north is akin to London’s East, as that is where most are located
On a dreary Wednesday evening, I decide to take a trip to Hanoi Hanoi, one of the most talked about of the pack.
The first thing that strikes me is the odd atmosphere, born of the peculiar Asian/​Country music that is playing loudly on the sound system. As the restaurant is near empty, one can assume that the staff were indulging their personal tastes and the music quickly changes to a more palatable hum when we are seated. The dining room is large, over two levels. I would imagine it to be an excellent spot for groups, but for now, we have the place to ourselves.
The menu is comprehensive and can seem a little daunting, but we decide to stick to the classic dishes and order some summer rolls and some steamed rice rolls. The latter are described as being stuffed with minced pork, mushrooms and caramelized onions but, upon arrival, resemble a flat, gelatinous blob of goo and are difficult to eat without falling apart. The summer rolls are similar in texture but much better prepared.
I am a huge fan of oversized bowls of noodle soup, in all their guises; ramen, phở, bun, super noodles with Campbells chicken soup. So I really couldn’t look beyond this section of the menu. We ordered one phở and one bun bo hue, the latter being slightly spicier and containing fresh chili paste. Both are fragrant, fresh and full of flavor. The Bun is spicy but not too hot. Despite what you might think of a bowl of broth, these are most definitely meals in themselves. I struggle to finish mine but must say I enjoyed every mouthful before throwing in the towel. No room for desert, we order the bill which comes to around € 35 with a couple of beers.
Apart from the excellent phở/​bun, almost everything else about the experience was mediocre. For that reason, I have given it three stars but perhaps on another day, it would have been more. As a first foray into the Vietnamese scene in Dublin it was most certainly encouraging.

So after I discovered yet another Vietnamese place that opened up on Capel St I had to go try it out. The place looks much better than the other Vietnamese places that are in Dubljn. The bathrooms are super nice and clean albeit a bit of a trek away, and the service is good. Just a few wrinkles to smooth out but most new places have those sure. Prices are a bit (just a LITTLE) more expensive than aobaba but then again aobaba is little mom and pop shop with erm no service really. But in comparison to aobaba I have to say aobaba still has them beat. I ordered the egg rolls and spicy Bun bo hue and both are still much better and (slightly) cheaper at aobaba. Would I come here again? Unmm probably not unless aobaba is so packed to the rafters which they seem to be esp during lunch. Sorry Hanoi! But no hoisin and sriracha on the tables is a big no no!!!

My wife is Vietnamese and an excellent cook so we decided to get a take-​away sample of their dishes as she’s been less than impressed with some places we’ve tried but Hanoi-​Hanoi passes the test on all fronts — it’s NEARLY as good as her own home cooking (she’s VERY exacting as regards taste/​texture,!!)
The staff were very friendly and helpful and the menu and décor was excellent.
It’s also handy for a take-​out as you can drive down Bolton st into Green st and around to park near Capel st and drive out again without getting stuck in traffic — a big plus when you’ve got hot food waiting to be consumed !
All in all a very pleasant experience like the real HaNoi itself !

Vietnamese food must be the next big ethnic cuisine in Dublin with the revamp of Phở Viet and new openings of Phở Ta and Hanoi² in the 12 months.
None has seemed to take off properly but Hanoi² makes a good stab at it. The interior is done up nicely enough but there’s still a hint of tackiness to it, might be attributed to the white fluorescent bulbs they use. Seriously people, always go with warm lighting (unless it’s a hospital!)
Food was generous, fresh and mighty tasty but nothing spectacular that stands out. Stick to the usual such as summer rolls, bun cha, phở, banh xeo to be safe! I tried their Vietnamese pâté and sausage… if I could use meh emojis on Unilocal,I would use 5 of those here.
Will definitely return but won’t rank it above the other Viet places in town!

What a place, a fabulous establishment at the top of Capel Street.
Once you step inside your immersed in a traditional Vietnamese restaurant with the engaging and friendly staff adding to the experience.
The food, I can’t tell you how excellent it was, authentic and easy to pick out each flavour. Fresh and spicy with most.
The prawn dish I got had three huge prawns on the dish, as meaty as lobster and not far far off the size! Haha… Sorta!
But what sold this place to me is the owner, he was working floor, taking orders, dishing them out and engaging with each table in the place.
But myself and my mate were lucky to catch a moment down there between himself and a young waiter that was been trained in.
Most dishes are brought to the table and either constructed and finished at the table, a very entertaining part of the evening…
It was great to see him passing on the knowledge and the skill of presentation, the whole room stood still for a moment, every table silent and focused on this history lesson being taught in front of us…
Get down there and be part of the History, because this place is gonna be remembered.

So we dropped in today and I must say I was impressed.
The interior of this place is awesome really stunning stuff, the staff were super helpful in bringing us a baby chair and checking on us, very very reguarly.
The main host/​floor manager/​waiter (?) was what I remember from vietnam. He makes for an authentic Vietnam style dining experience.
We had summer rolls (pork and prawn) and beef wraps to start all of which were super, fresh, tasty and refreshing,
I had a bowl of phở (beef noodles) and the boss had grilled duck, all of which was cooked to perfection. My beef was ordered medium and came with hints of pink which I must say– rocked my world!
To finish we shared a desert with some tapioca, coconut and jelly stuff, not a standard desert but definatly very enjoyable.
The reason it doesnt get a 5 (which sucks) is down to a few tiny details.
1-​the table was waited to the point where we had very little peace
2-​when I handed the floor host/​waiter guy a fifty instead of returning the change on a plate he basicly said «the rest for tip?» Which I intended to leave, if not a little more anyway…
3-​keep the staff away from the tv…
All in all– I love asian food– this place is deadly and definatly well worth the visit, Im pretty sure with the way the place runs the next time we visit we will be leaving 5stars.
Go and enjoy.