{Cafe Crush} Trung Nguyen, Hanoi

Liz / / 4 Comments

I’ve mentioned how much I love Vietnamese coffee brand Trung Nguyen before (no, they’re not paying me!), but this time, it’s their coffee plus a gorgeous leafy setting that equals my first TN cafe crush.


In the vicinity of Hanoi’s Ho Chi Minh Mausoluem, this Trung Nguyen outpost is the perfect spot for a sweet and strong Vietnamese dripper coffee – their Legendee variety of course – while (unbelievably) breathing fresh air and escaping the city’s noise. There’s a cool indoor section with arched bamboo walls, but my pick is the outdoor part amongst the tropical plants and fishpond – Hanoi cafe heaven!


Go for: an iced coffee with milk (make sure its Legendee), and a completely different Hanoi cafe experience

Not for: the snappiest of service – something about the relaxed ambience?!

Trung Nguyen, 36 Dien Bien Phu, Hanoi

{Shoptalk} Hanoi & Hoi An

Liz / / 3 Comments

Just a few little things I found in Hanoi recently (plus one thing from Hoi An!):
1) Black bamboo placemats (set of 6)
From: Miscellaneous carbon-copy tourist shop, Nha Chung Street
For: 90,000 dong (approx US$4.50)
2) Hilltribe girl paintings (x 2)
From: Phuong Dong Art Gallery, 127 Hang Bac Street
For: 60,000 dong each (approx. US$3 each)
3) Mother of pearl lacquer tray
From: Van Loi, 87 Hang Gai Street
For: US$9
4) White stone chopstick holders (set of 10)
From: Thuong Gia 1, 7 Hang Trong Street
For: 50,000 dong (approx. US$2.50)
5) Pink, turquoise and white ‘prayer flags’ (for Z’s room)
From: Breeze, 2 Nha Chung Street
For: US$16
6) Scandinavian-look fabric (1 square metre – for diy wall hanging on a canvas)
From: Hoi An Cloth Shop
For: 50,000 dong (approx. US$2.50)
N.B. All Hanoi addresses are in the Old Quarter

{Behind the Blog} Niamh of Irish Wanderings

Liz / / 8 Comments
Niamh having a fish foot massage in Thailand (squirm!)

A writer, blogger and ex-expat, Niamh Griffins of Irish Wanderings once called Thailand home (among other places) – a former Girl in Asia! Now back in Ireland, she’s rediscovering her homeland, and makes me realise that returning home need not mean the adventures are over. Read on for more on Niamh…

Where do you live/where are you now?
I moved back to Ireland 14 months ago after a few (cough) expat adventures. Falling in love again with soft days, mountains and learning to tolerate the rain.

Misty Ireland

Antrim, Ireland

What are you currently…

…reading?
The Lovers by John Connolly and no, it’s not as soppy as you’re thinking. It starts as a cop thriller but soon draws in ghosts and demons. This is where I take a break from reality while pretending to be gritty.

…listening to?
Pages from Julie Feeney. I discovered her browsing around YouTube and then realized she’s Irish and brilliant! Songs that stick in your head for all the right reasons and her videos are really creative.

…watching?
I finally worked out why everyone loves Mad Men and am now addicted. I find myself wondering what I’d look like in gloves and a twinset but not sure if they’d go with the battered Converse.

…eating?
My version of Thai food – I lived there for 9 years and my tastebuds just can’t handle food without chilli and coriander! I shop at the ‘Asian Market’ which looks like someone hovered up food from supermarkets in every country in Asia and spat it all out on a Dublin sidestreet.

…wearing?
Fake Uggs, jeans with long-john thermals underneath and a woolly jumper – with sunnies because it’s trying to be spring here in Dublin.

…planning?
To take over the wor…Oh, sorry, must keep that a secret! Seriously, this is the summer of getting to know Ireland. Shamefully there are still counties (states) I haven’t been to so lots of picnics, hikes and cold-water swims are on the agenda.

…obsessed with?
Dan Carter from New Zealand. Even if he played golf I’d love him. But as he plays rugby well, let’s just say the obsession grows. From a distance mind, I’m not dangerous!

Favourite cuisines?
Thai, Thai and Thai. I especially love Isan food from the North-east – heaps of chillies and sticky rice. There’s a vegetarian place in Bangkok called Mai Kaidee and it is the best food in the world. So there. But Mexican is a close favourite – there’s nothing like steaming refried beans with rice on a winter’s day.

Favourite travel destinations?
I love the buzz in Delhi, Sydney, New York … and Bangkok of course. And then I’m a big nature lover – hiking and trying to do water-sports so Himalayas, the West of Ireland and well, anywhere that’s clean and you can scream and splash water about!

Niamh in the Indian Himalaya

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where and why?
I’ve been getting a craving to live in India lately. It keeps popping up in conversations and appearing out of the side of my eye. And even though I lived in Sydney for two years, I never made it to New Zealand and that would be a great adventure for a year. The people are so lovely, I’ve great friends there, it’s beautiful and they love sport, yay!

Who/what inspires you?
I’m always inspired by women who’ve taken their lives, shaken it up and made a difference to people around them. Someone like social entrepreneur Caroline Casey who’s changing the way we see differently abled people. But also my Mum who grew up in a very sexist time in Ireland, traveled the world anyway and tries her best to make my siblings and I into nice people.

3 of your must-read blogs?
Aagh, what a choice! Obviously I love this one! But for traveling and dreaming I read:
Paddy in BA for photos and news from a wandering expat
Peregrine by Nature for beautiful photos that always make me stop and think
Shantiwallah for little insights that make me realize it is possible to stay in one place and be happy!

Thanks Niamh!

{Cafe Crush} Nola Cafe, Hanoi

Liz / / 1 Comment



A tranquil, bohemian coffee and culinary outpost in the charmless, backpackery end of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Nola is one of my favourite cafe finds to date. Downstairs is dimly lit and a bit more bar-like, but head upstairs and it’s like an art students’ sharehouse meets quirky granny’s loungeroom. Mismatched vintage furniture, old gramophones and musical instruments, potted plants and a choice of loungeroom, rooftop terrace or two other cosy terrace rooms await.

The noise of the narrow, congested streets below could barely be detected as I settled in for a refreshing juice (real! no sugar!) and beef pho cuon Ha Noi – delicious fresh rice paper rolls filled with tender beef and fragrant herbs reminiscent of those found in famous Vietnamese soup dish pho. I’d only eaten pho cuon in Saigon before and these were a world apart, so I’m glad I’ve finally tried them at the source.

Go for: the peace, the pho cuon (38,000 dong – around US$2), the original decor

Not for: slick surrounds or the most hygienic kitchen (if the idea of a chef with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth while cooking offends, this isn’t the place for you!)

Nola Cafe, 89 Ma May, Old Quarter, Hanoi

{Hanoi} Highlights

Liz / / 6 Comments


Last week we spent a few days in Hanoi – a place I love to visit over and over for its architecture, lakes, great shopping and vibrant street life.

Something I love about returning to a place several times is that once you’ve ticked off all the requisite must-sees you can focus on more important issues, like seeking out the city’s best coffee (in case you’re new to this blog, you won’t find much on the typical tourist sites Vietnam and the rest of Asia have to offer (yawn!) – it’s more about the fun and frivolous stuff, like food and shopping!).

Some highlights from my latest Hanoi jaunt:

  • Stopping at cute cafe La Place for a lemon mint freeze and cha ca lunch while overlooking the cathedral
  • Macarons from L’Epicerie du Metropole, the delectable little deli at the chic Sofitel Metropole

  • Our Parisienne-style room at the same hotel, with happiness-inducing splashes of red in the bedroom and bathroom

  • Shopping in the Old Quarter, which never seems to get old (especially on Nha Tho, Nha Chung and Hang Gai streets)
  • Surprisingly good natured bargaining, and feeling like I actually got some bargains
  • Early morning walks in less than 25 degrees celsius and wishing it could stay that way all day
  • Ginger icecream at Fanny’s (amazing Vietnamese ice-cream brand) after circumnavigating Hoan Kiem Lake in the Hanoi heat, post early-morning too good to be true chill

  • Seeking out (and finding) crushworthy cafes, like the leafy Trung Nguyen on Dien Bien Phu (above) and boho Cafe Nola – posts to come soon!

{Shoptalk} Vincom Center – Saigon’s shiny new mega-mall

Liz / / 1 Comment


Saigon is not a city known for its mall culture. Sure, there are a couple of small malls like Saigon Centre, Tax Centre and Paragon out in Phu My Hung, but most pale in comparison to those found in Bangkok or Singapore or other large Asian cities…until now!

Vincom Center opened this weekend – a ‘real’ mall right in the heart of Dong Khoi Street, Saigon’s glitzy main drag. While some naysayers may bemoan the mall’s detraction from bustling markets and small, independent businesses, most Vietnamese people would probably disagree – Vincom Center’s presence propels Saigon into the new Asia, a continent aspiring to prosperity and consumerism and flashing one’s cash. Evidence? The hordes and hordes of Vietnamese visitors to Vincom on the weekend dressed to impress and posing for photos both inside and out. The people watching was just as much a spectacle as checking out the shops!

As for those – it’s basically a mix of everything Saigon has to offer plus a few newbies, all in one convenient, air-conditioned building (no more dodging motorbikes and waffle ladies and dying in the heat to get from one favourite store to another). There are high-end brands like Furla, Armani and Jimmy Choo (though it’s not open yet), mid-range places like French Connection, Mango, Levis, Converse, La Senza and Accessorize, and a whole floor of kids clothing and toys (among the brand names was one of my favourites – a dodgy ‘fallen off the back of a truck’ shop selling similar stuff to Saigon Square with some great 50,000 dong/US$2.50 pieces – fresh from the factory floor, but a bit lost enroute to the US or wherever!).


As for food, there are ice-cream chains Fanny’s, Bud’s and Snowee’s, a second outlet of one of my favourite cafes – Kita, the ubiquitous Pho 24 and Highlands Coffee, Thai Express and some Korean chains, and a second Saigon outlet of MOF – the cool Japanese dessert place I blogged about recently.

Overall, I think it offers a welcome change to the Saigon retail scene, and in the hot season, a cool and comfortable place to escape to if you’re up for schlepping ’round the shops. Now if only there was a decent bookstore….

Vincom Center, cnr Dong Khoi & Le Thanh Thon, D1, Saigon

{Saigon Eats} Banh Xeo 46A

Liz / / 11 Comments

Why has it taken me all this time to try Banh Xeo 46A?! That, I do not know – but what I do know is that this place is a must-try for those wanting an authentic, cheap and delicious local dining experience in Saigon. Its namesake banh xeo is the house specialty – a thin, light yet fluffy pancake reminiscent of a South Indian dosa folded over shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, all wrapped up in a selection of leafy greens (including mustard leaves and mint) and dipped in nuoc mam, Vietnam’s famous fish sauce based condiment.



Despite Banh Xeo 46A’s widespread popularity and listing in many guidebooks, it was jam-packed with Saigonites during our visit (as in the real kind, not expats!). The outdoor restaurant features long metal tables, little plastic stools and a boisterous atmosphere, with swift, efficient service better than that often encountered in far higher end places in the city. They even managed to whip up a non-meat option for my vego friend (yes, just bean sprouts in pancake – but with the accompanying greens and a special non-fishy dipping sauce, she swore she loved it!).

The cha gio (fried spring rolls) were also amazingly tasty – some of the best I’ve had. Am thinking of making a weekly pilgrimage!
Banh Xeo, 46A Dinh Cong Trang, D1, Saigon

{eat pray love} Will you see the movie?

Liz / / 8 Comments
I’m really looking forward to seeing Eat Pray Love the movie when it comes out later this year (not til August apparently). I did enjoy the book – overall – but I somehow can’t relate to Elizabeth Gilbert’s personal journey and all her angst. I also think it’s kind of funny that she’s supposedly ‘risking everything’ and on an ‘incredible journey’ when she’s just travelling/living in 3 places for 12 months. That’s great, but also kind of normal. Isn’t it?! Anyway – I still look forward to seeing how the book will come to life on the big screen, and will probably want to book a ticket to Ubud straight afterwards (my current fixation by the way!). What about you – did you enjoy the book and will you see the movie?

{behind the blog} Charlie Hunton of Sea Circus

Liz / / No Comments


Some of the art that will grace Sea Circus’ stylish walls
The second installment of ‘behind the blog’ profiles Charlie Hunton of Sea Circus – also the name of her new Bali-based restaurant (think a design blog come to life!). Her blog showcases the aesthetics and inspiration behind the evolution of the restaurant, plus snapshots of the best bits of Bali life.

Where do you live/where are you now?
I’m lucky enough to say that I live in Bali – ‘the island of the gods’.
What are you currently…

…reading?
I’m reading ‘The food of love’ by Anthony Capella. I have only just started it but already it has whisked me away to the backstreets of Rome. The love triangle is as delicious as the Italian food, and Capella’s writing is as witty as ever… although the coffee geek in me slightly prefers his other book ‘The various flavours of coffee’ which has one of the most uncontrollably funny protagonists I have ever read. A must.
…listening to?
The Eden CDs. The origins of this collection are uncertain, but rumours say this is a 5CD set of CD-R’s that James Lavelle left behind at the 2003 eden festival. It’s a brilliant collection of unkle mixes or unkle related recordings. I’m currently putting together the restaurant playlist so have lots of friends sending me new/rare/classic music. Any music suggestions are welcomed and encouraged…
…watching?
Well literally I’m watching endless parades of Balinese hindus marching to the temple – they have taken over the streets with incense, gamulan music, flags and floats. Each village is going together to prepare their village temples for ‘nyepi’ – the silent day. The Balinese believe this is the day that evil spirits fly over the island so they try to make the island look dead so that the spirits pass over. Yhey turn off all the electricity – so it looks like no one’s home. You are also meant to be really quiet and no one is allowed out of their house [apart from the local ‘pacalan’ who patrol the streets intervening mischievous/disrespectful tourists].

…eating?
The best mie goreng in Bali – in my current favourite jaunt, ‘biku’.

…wearing?
Shorts and tee and it’s still too hot!

…planning?
A grand opening party for my new restaurant ‘Sea Circus’. The date is April Fool’s. The theme is ‘circus freak’ so I am planning staff outfits, entertainers, prizes, surprises, food, wine, music, guestlist, photographer, press… oh and designing my own costume too [i am the lion tamer!].

…obsessed with?
The perfect cup of coffee [literally taken out a small mortgage on my beautiful new synesso cyncra coffee machine and electronic mazzer grinder].

Favourite cuisines?
I love the balance of Japanese food – unlike many other cuisines it feels so good for you and tastes so subtly delicious. I also love the current trend of smaller share dishes; I always like to try lots of different tastes and flavours and love the social ritual that goes with sharing food, so the concept for my restaurant is ‘sharing’ with a focus on seafood.

Favourite travel destinations?
So many, too many, and far too many more on the list. But the place I kind of want to go to every time I travel is France; I’ve lived in its mountains, by its sea and in its beautiful capital city. and I adore it. Laid back surf sessions in Hossegor, crazy summer fetes in Pays Basque, apperos with farmers in Correze, l’opera and l’entrecote in Bordeaux, chateaus and aristo’s in le Loire… and then there’s Paris. My head still seems to be stuck in the rues pavees of le 14eme.

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where and why?
In South America – where I would do nothing but dance salsa and speak Spanish.

Who/what inspires you?
When Gene Wilder was Willy Wonka – ‘We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams.’

3 of your must-read blogs?
These women are 3 of the many that inspire me on a daily basis.
Thanks Charlie!