Hanoi Review - Kitchen (7A / 40 Xuan Dieu, Tây Hồ)

Scores out of 5: Veggie friendly : 4/5;  Value for money: 3/5, Quality of cooking : 3/5; Ambience : 3.5/5; Service: 3/5 ;Atmosphere: 4/5

Kitchen is an expat haven on the weekend, the sort of place that panders to those missing certain foods from home, with a broad menu of salads, sandwiches, great sounding breakfasts and a dash of Mexican thrown in. Kitchen is also unfortunately a little disappointing. The menu reads like a delicious smorgasbord of all things good and gourmet, but in fact the reality often falls a little short from your imagination. The Hollandaise sauce on the eggs Benedict is a little average, the English muffin has a graininess to it that grinds a little like sand in your teeth and the breakfast wrap has all the makings of being a delicious cheesy, eggy and chutney taste but ends up being watery.

The up side is that there are quite a few vegetarian friendly options for breakfast and lunch and especially in the Mexican part of the menu. So far the best dish for value and taste that I have tried is the Mediterranean platter (which turns out to be in a bowl)which has couscous, grilled veggies, tzatziki, falafel and sometimes just a little too much chilli. The falafel does not taste like falafel to me, but then I have been spoilt in Sydney and in the middle east with great falafel and expect it to taste like something.

This is a slightly overpriced café, but it is in the heart of the expat living area in Hanoi so that is not a surprise, it has a lovely courtyard for sunny days, a broad menu and a few dishes done well. The service is a lucky dip, some are great and friendly and others stare at you blankly so it is a game of luck. For those who need a taste of home, even if the taste is not all it should be, then Kitchen will continue to be somewhere to relax on the weekend with a pretty good cup of coffee.

Recipe
Sour Cream Scones
Since joining a charity organisation I have had a chance to cook as well as to sample many scones, as the Devonshire Tea is a staple of charities in Australia. I have always followed the recipe from The Commonsense Cookery Book, which was the book used in schools to teach kids the basics. I recently came across a recipe I think is easier, produces tastier scones and keeps fresh much longer. Here it is:
Sift 2 cups of self-raising flour twice.
Gradually add the contents of a regular carton of sour cream (about 330ml)
Mix in with a knife using a cutting action, until just coming together.
If necessary, add a little milk if it is still a little dry.
Turn out onto a floured board. Knead as little as possible; just until reasonably smooth.
Roll or press until 2cm thick.
Cut into rounds with a small cutter and place on floured tray.
Cook in a hot oven - about 230 degrees C - for about 8 minutes.
This recipe produces about 24 small scones.

Hanoi Review - Foodshop 45

Scores out of 5: Veggie friendly : 5/5;  Value for money: 4/5, Quality of cooking : 3.5/5; Ambience : 3.5/5; Service: 3.5/5 ;Atmosphere: 4/5

Foodshop 45 is an Indian Restaurant that is a favourite of expats in Hanoi. Sitting along the edge of Truch Bach Lake in The Ba Dinh area you can sometimes forget the bustle of the streets and think you are somewhere peaceful and on holiday. For me Indian food has always been a fairly easy experience as a vegetarian as there are so many options and rarely any need to be concerned that there wont be something you could eat.

On my second visit to this restaurant I sat in the downstairs area that holds the best wide windowed open view of the lake so is my favourite choice above the upstairs’ more closed in experience, however the tables on this level do seem to have the shortest seats I have sat upon outside of a blue plastic seat popularly used in street food experiences in Hanoi so can make for a slightly uncomfortable angle to eat at. The upstairs tables do not have this problem. For starters my friend and I ordered the Vegetable Samosas, the Paneer Pakora and the Tofu with Black pepper. The Samosas here are excellent, the pastry is flaky and the potato curry inside is just a little hot but not enough to numb your taste buds as so many often are. Everyone of course has a different level of chilli tolerance and for some Foodshop 45 may not be hot enough unless you order a specifically hot dish. While I like chilli there is only a little that I can take before I stop tasting my food so for me Foodshop is a good compromise so that most people can enjoy their food and for those wishing for a little more heat they can ask to turn it up! The tofu starter was tasty but nothing too exciting. For mains I ordered a favourite of mine, the Paneer Korma. In Australia my experience of this dish has been pieces of paneer (cheese) in a lovely Korma sauce made from cashews and a creamy sauce. Here in Hanoi the dish has a little twist, the Paneer is stuffed with a cashew and raison centre that makes it all the more delicious. This is a particularly rich dish so if you are looking for something a little lighter I would also order something off the menu that does not come with such a rich gravy like the dhal (yellow lentil curry). However having the rich curry means you can order the delicious garlic naan to mop up the sauce with!

Overall Foodshop is an enjoyable restaurant with good but not great Indian food, cold Hanoi beer on tap and the view of a lake in a very busy city.