Hanoi food, part 1

When we arrived Hanoi it was almost 1am. It didn't stop us from getting food because we were practically starving. No food was served on our 90-min flight from Guangzhou to Hanoi- how poor could it be?

Luckily our room service arrived very swiftly. Our spring rolls (US$7) were crispy and tasty, but I don't think they were freshly made (freshly fried but pre-made). I suspected they were very expensive for Hanoi standard.

My husband and I both picked nasi goreng (around US$15) - one of the few Asian dishes on the menu. We always try to order things that we think the chef can do best, and in Asia it's generally a better bet for Asian dishes.

The strategy worked. Our nasi goreng was delicious with chunks of chicken in the fried rice. The only thing I have to pick on would be the fried-to-death chicken wing and drumstick on the side. They were so dry it was impossible to get through the skin.

Melia Hanoi

44B Ty Thuong Kiet, Hanoi.

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The lunch included in my Hanoi day trip. I hadn't expected a lot but still I was disappointed and hungry at the end. (Along with the very unorganised itinerary it was probably my worst day trip ever.)

The spring rolls had really tough skin like paper. The only dip was soya. Poor.

Sweet and sour pork. Pretty tasty but hardly enough for all of us.

There were fried vegetable and plain rice on the side. Everything had to be shared between five of us. Five! I had to dip into my emergency jelly tots supply. Yikes.

Vietnam Opentour