Hanoi, Vietnam: Foodshop 45

Who would have thought that you could find good Indian food in the middle of Hanoi? I certainly didn't, and so was quite impressed by what was on offer at Foodshop 45. This restaurant is located along the peaceful Ho Tay (West Lake) and is one of the cleaner and more attractive options available on the stretch of eateries and drinking holes. It's also one of the Top 20 restaurants in Hanoi, according to my trusty Tripadvisor.com.


Choose to sit at proper tables and chairs on the first floor, or on tatami mats on the second. I did feel a little uncomfortable sitting cross-legged on the cushions (more so because the pants was tight!) and if given a choice would have preferred the usual tables.


The Plain and Garlic Naans were pretty good, albeit on a slightly more doughy side. What I liked more actually were the Vegetarian Samosas, which arrived crisp and piping hot. Surrounded by an appetising aroma, it was packed tight with delicious curried potatoes.


The Curries and Mutton Keema were decent, nothing much to fault on. The Beef Dum Briyani meanwhile was the highlight of the night for a number of us, as the soft and tender well-cooked beef chunks added much oomph and flavour to the fragrant rice.

Service
Very good. Menus are in English.

Price
It was a treat from one of the bosses. I think it shouldn't cost more than SGD10 per person. We ordered much more (particularly in quantity) than what you see above, with an assortment of curries to boot as well.

Place
59 Truc Bach Street, Ba Dinh District,
Hanoi, Vietnam.

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

Straits Kitchen @ Grand Hyatt Singapore

First and foremost, thank you to the dinner buddy Glenn for his birthday treat to me at Grand Hyatt's Straits Kitchen. It was certainly an apt choice of a venue because this would be the final installment to my mini Grand Hyatt series, having already featured the likes of Mezza9, Mezza9 Deli, Pete's Place and Oasis.


Straits Kitchen features an Asian-themed (more precisely, Singaporean-themed) buffet that has five different sections to it - locally-inspired appetisers, Malay cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Indian cuisine and local desserts. If you are wondering what could be so possibly attractive about this restaurant, I would think that there's two reasons to it: one, it's a showcase of three cuisines under one comfortable setting (perfect for tourists!), and two, it's one of the three Halal-certified hotel buffet venues (with the other two being Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts and Tiffany Cafe at Furama City Centre). Do note that reservations here are a must, as the restaurant operates on a "full-house" on most nights.


The design at Straits Kitchen is chic with an abundance of wood panelling and plush seats. I like the atmosphere of this place and you get the feeling that it somewhat encourages you to just eat, eat, and eat, to pamper yourself silly and to be able to lie there with all the comfort in the world. Service here is excellent too, with some of the most affable and polite waiters around.

Lighting here is quite dim and photography is not allowed actually, but we got permission from Ms Rina (thank you!) who earlier had found out about our Hyatt series and agreed to our request. I couldn't take many pictures anyway because it was getting crowded with people. Still, here's a little walk through the buffet stations that I managed to put together for you!

Local Appetisers


Chinese Rojak


Popiah - Asian Spring Roll


Indonesian Gado-Gado

Malay Cuisine


Satay


Sambal Prawns, Spicy Fish Fillet, Ayam Buah Keluak and Sayur Lodeh


Beef Rendang and Ayam Lemak


Ayam Percik - Spicy Barbecued Chicken

Chinese Cuisine


Roast Duck and Chicken


Chilli Crab


Carrot Cake


Ingredients for Prawn Noodles and Laksa

Indian Cuisine


Briyani Rice and Indian Curries


Butter Chicken (Middle) and Tandoori Dishes (Back)


Indian Fish Head Curry

Local Desserts


Kaya Cake, Grass Jelly and Longan with Almond Jelly


Local Kuehs and Sweets


Local Tarts and Cookies



Assortment of Fresh Fruits

Some of My Plates


I personally liked the tender Roast Duck and Chicken a lot, and they went very well with the fragrant chicken rice. Carrot Cake is something that I adore quite a bit but this rendition by Straits Kitchen was just a bit too sweet for me. The large slices of abalone in the Chap Chye (stir-fried mixed vegetables) were a delight to chew on.


The Laksa and Chicken Noodle Soup were less impressive, with the laksa being memorably milky. I like my laksa less "creamy" with more chilli for that extra spicy zest. The Steamed Fish was a bit tough on some parts, while the Chilli Crab took a little getting used to because I'm not very familiar with one that is cooked with lemongrass.

For the Chinese Cuisine station there's certainly more items on offer like Fried Rice (adequately moist and tasty), Fried Kway Teow (basic fare), Fried Vegetables (the carnivore in me says no), Fried Diced Chicken (tender) and several others.


Perhaps the dishes here are meant to cater to foreign tastebuds, and so you would probably get a little bit more of sweet than spicy (even so, I overheard a tourist commenting to the waiter that many of the dishes are too spicy for her). This is why even the Satay was a little too sweet for my liking. The Ayam Percik meanwhile was quite good, crisp with a spicy marinate, but the Sambal Prawns and Spicy Fish Fillet were again not as spicy as they should be.


I thought the Indian cuisine fared pretty well, especially the Tandoori meats, be it fish, prawn or chicken. The Naan (both plain and garlic are served here) was delicious too, and you could eat it with any of the gravy or curries. The Fish Head Curry was alright but the fish could have been more tender.


We picked up a few desserts as well, but by then were too full (and lazy) to be taking pictures of everything on the table. Other than the Ice Kachang (shaved ice with jellies and flavoured syrup) and Egg Tarts (a little too flaky on the crust, but lovely egg pudding inside), there's also very simple delights like Muah Chee, which is glutinous rice with grated peanuts. I liked this a lot and certainly ate more of this than I should.


The highlight surely, and as a true testament to the extent of my pure indulgence in sweet desserts (unbeatable I tell you), is the delicious, deep-fried-to-a-golden-brown Goreng Pisang that is paired with cold and creamy Coconut Ice-Cream. The waiter scooping the ice-creams was looking at me puzzled and asked, "Are you sure? Ice-cream with that?" and I could only nod excitedly and say, "You should try it yourself. Hot, juicy and crispy with cold, sweet and smooth". The verdict: excellent. It's like doing a hot crumble with ice-cream, but only more sinful. Who cares, I'm a happy boy.


Overall, I found it was a pleasant experience at Straits Kitchen, but food taste and quality wise I suppose I would stick to Grand Hyatt's other restaurants. You may say we can only get the best Singaporean food at the hawker centres (and to a large extent, that is true) but if you want comfort and variety in one place then Straits Kitchen may still be a good option for you :)

Service
Excellent.

Price
$41++ (lunch) and $45++ (dinner) for both weekdays and weekends.

Place
Grand Hyatt Singapore, Level One.

Additional Comment
The kitchen for Straits Kitchen is certified Halal, and the restaurant is very stringent about this. However, Straits Kitchen as a whole is not certified Halal because it serves alchoholic drinks (like wine) at the request of customers.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Spices of India

When I read about Spices of India's $12.90++ lunch buffet deal, I knew I had to give it a try someday. Located within the premises of Hotel Rendezvous at the Dhoby Ghaut end of Orchard Road, Spices of India shows you how you can mix comfortable ambience with decent food at affordable prices.


The buffet variety is extensive enough for its price, and has a balance of vegetables, meats, and some sweets. I hear that they do make small changes to the buffet menu from time to time, but the following was what I had when I visited Spices of India last Thursday. Overall I would give it a rating in between a 3.5 and 3.75 on 5, and much of it is on its price competitiveness. I have yet to try the buffet lunch at Zaika though, I've been meaning to for a long while but I haven't been able to find the time. Perhaps some of you would like to try it out and then tell me how it is? :)

Garlic Naan


The garlic naan wasn't as strongly flavoured with garlic as others may like it, but I thought this gentle infusion was good enough for me. Would have been better if it was slightly less burnt, otherwise it was fine.

Tandoori Chicken


I love my tandoori chicken and this one from Spices of India was pretty alright as well. It's not served at the buffet bar and would be served to you at the start of the meal as an "appetiser". Of course if you want more, you could always ask for it, as I did.

Potato Samosas


This was served alongside the tandoori chicken, and what I would call the "real" appetiser. Quite tasty with potatoes and peas in them. The other appetiser served at the buffet bar is Mushroom Soup, which is different from Western-styled mushroom soups because of the different herbs and spices used.

Fish Vindaloo


The vindaloo is a sweet and sour type of curry that I found more sweet than anything else. It's not spicy so this is one of the few items that children can enjoy.

Mutton Masala


The mutton masala was one of the best dishes here, and for a couple of reasons. The thick masala gravy could be used as a delicious dip for your naan, while the mutton pieces were cooked to such soft tenderness that you don't need a jaw exercise at all. Goes well with the fragrant briyani rice.

Paneer Mattar


This was a tofu-based dish, but I didn't like it that much because the tofu was quite hard and dry. I realised this is because they deep-fry the tofu first, which is actually necessary because you wouldn't want your customers making a mess of this dish if the tofu was too soft.

Aloo Ghobi


My friends said this was alright, just cauliflower and potatoes really.

I was quite surprised I did not take any pictures of the Chicken Adraki, which was just chicken curry really but at least it tasted very good. There was also the Dhal Maharani (I learnt it's a type of Indian gravy with lentils and chickpeas in it) that I did not try. Desserts meanwhile included the sweet Gulab Jamun and fresh cut fruits. Finally, wash it all down nicely with aromatic coffee.

Service
Excellent. The service staff treated us as well as they treated the Caucasian tourists/expats or Indian diners.

Price
$12.90++ per person.

Place
Rendezvous Hotel, #01-01.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Annalakshmi

I have heard a lot of good reviews on Annalakshmi and its unique practice of having its customers to pay as they like. Hard to believe? Here's an excerpt from their website:

"Firstly, the principal motive is service and not profit. Annalakshmi was not established as a business venture competing with others to make profit in a stipulated time... Be it any sphere, how can we price tag an act of love, selfless service... Almost all Annalakshmi outlets world over runs on this concept of “Eat as you want, Give as you Feel”. We do not mean to embarrass you—our esteemed guest, or put you in a tight spot by making you, instead of us, decide the price for the meal. Let this not be a factor bothering you, if it does. Have your meal first, pay whatever comes to your mind; that is perfect and appropriate for the meal you had in Annalakshmi. There is no right or wrong amount for the meal you had in Annalakshmi. We gratefully accept whatever it is."

And here's an interesting bit on the name itself:

"In Annalakshmi, as the name goes—food is revered. Anna means “food” and Lakshmi is the presiding deity. So, the food served in Annalakshmi is “Prasad” - a sanctified offering."


I have to say that it's a very noble cause worthy of admiration, even more so when you realise that this place is largely run by volunteers. Moreover, service here is excellent and it certainly puts you at ease as you enjoy your food. Before we move on, I'd just like to add that I won't be providing any ratings for the food here because it's only the second time that I'm having Indian vegetarian food and I don't think I'm in any position to really determine what exactly is good (and what isn't) since I have no point of reference at all! Still, hope you enjoy the pictures, and hope they entice you enough ;)

Samosa


"Delicious triangular-shaped Indian-style curry puffs with a filling of spiced vegetables". This was a good appetiser indeed because it's something familiar to me and I thought it somewhat allowed me to transit from my carnivorous state of appetite to something more vegetarian-like. The curry and spices mixed really well with the potato cubes, and the puff casing was adequately crisp.

Vadai


"Hot, crisp savoury lentil doughnuts". A pity these didn't come hot and crispy enough, because I used to like those sold at night bazaars which comes with a deep-fried prawn (of course, no chance of finding it here). Maybe I'm mistaking it with something else. The vadai here is softer and more bread-like, but I found it almost tasteless.

Bonda



"Crispy, golden brown balls made from potato masala, deep fried in a lentil flour batter". The first of many masala-based dishes for the night. The potatoes were really soft, almost mashed up, and mixed gently with the Indian spices.

Garlic Naan


Rebecca mentioned that there was no way she would be going home without first eating her favourite garlic naan. We found it alright but it was admittedly a bit too hard on some parts, so hard that you can't exactly tear it apart with your pair of fork and spoon but instead have to use your hand like you're eating a cracker. I didn't really dip the naan in much of the gravies or sauces since I thought it tasted quite good on its own, given the appetising garlic flavour.

Bhatura



"A deep-fried bread made from plain flour." It came all puffed up like a balloon, but "deflated" on its own in a matter of seconds. This was a favourite at the table and went well with any of the gravies that we ordered. I thought of it as an Indian version of the Chinese "you tiao" (fried dough-sticks) since it tasted quite similar actually.

Vegetable Fried Rice


"A non-spicy chinese style fried rice". Surprising as it is, this really tasted as though it came out from a Chinese vegetarian kitchen. Nothing much to say about ingredients since there wasn't much of it in the first place. Pretty alright.

Channa Masala


"Spicy chickpeas". We ordered two bhaturas which came with a serving of channa masala each, so this was a bit excessive on our part. Goes really well with the naan or bhatura.

Khumb Masala


"Mushrooms served in a delicious onion-based gravy". Our favourite masala gravy. The button mushrooms were really soft and yummy. You could use this as a filling for a self-made bhatura or naan wrap.

Aloo Gobi


"Potato and cauliflower in an onion-based gravy". I quite liked this because there was already quite a lot of masala gravy going around and this was much closer to a the typical Indian curry as well.

Kulfi


Kulfi's a kind of traditional Indian ice-cream, so the menu says, and I think it really gave a sweet end to the meal. It's really milk ice-cream with bits of (what seems to be) red-beans and tends to remind you of the local "potong" ice-cream. I would return to Annalakshmi just for this deliciously simple dessert to be honest. There's also another dessert that we left out, one that I remember as deep fried milk balls. I'm sure those would taste great as well.

Service
Excellent. The staffs were very friendly and polite.

Price
"Eat what you want, give as you feel". Some food bloggers have noted that people tend to give more in the absence of a fixed menu price, but to me I prefer to see it as a small contribution to the non-profit Temple of Fine Arts and the Temple of Service. To know more about Annalakshmi, click here.

Place
Chinatown Point Basement.