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2019-05-06
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This Vietnam bar restaurant is located in SOHO district, featuring a nice bar but also offering dishes inspired by street food in Hanoi. Arriving around 7 pm, there were already a big crowd hanging around the entrance enjoying themselves with drinks. Fortunately we got our table straight away as the restaurant did not take booking so it is first-come-first-serve.The interior design is rather normal, with small tables that are close to each other so one would not be exactly feeling comfortable,
This Vietnam bar restaurant is located in SOHO district, featuring a nice bar but also offering dishes inspired by street food in Hanoi. Arriving around 7 pm, there were already a big crowd hanging around the entrance enjoying themselves with drinks. Fortunately we got our table straight away as the restaurant did not take booking so it is first-come-first-serve.
The interior design is rather normal, with small tables that are close to each other so one would not be exactly feeling comfortable, but that would not be a surprise for a bar. The music is also very loud, and honestly we feel a bit annoyed. However, there are some elements like the lights and fans on the ceiling, as well as some murals on the wall which I found interesting.
We ordered three appetizers and one main dish to share. The first appetizer is Shrimp Rice Paper Roll ($108). Apart from the shrimp, the rice paper roll wraps around vermicelli, mango, Vietnamese herbs, avocado and mint. With the dipping sauce on the side, this paper roll is certainly delicious, with the sweetness of the mango, fragrance of the mint and other herbs creating a feast of flavours. A really nice starter.
The second appetizer we ordered is Grilled Diver Scallop and Pomelo ($128). Very beautifully prepared, the pomelo salad is put on top of the grilled scallop, which has been cut into thin slices, and in turn placed on the shell of the scallop. The pomelo is fresh, juicy and sweet, and there is also some vermicelli which provided good bite. The sauce has the sourness which blends well with the pomelo, making it refreshing. The scallops are nice too but got sodden from the sauce. Still another nice dish I like.
The third appetizer we had is Lemongrass and Kaffir Chicken Skewers ($108). The chicken has been marinated well with the herbs, but frankly they are too salty. Grilled nicely though, the skewers have a charred, slightly crispy skin while the flesh is not too dried out. There are some lime and chili on the side to add to the chicken if one desire. This one comparatively is the least appealing in the evening.
Then we had the main dish: Cha Ch Hanoi ($188), which is pan-fried white sole fillet, with turmeric, dill, red onion and peanut, with vermicelli on the bottom. The fish fillet is good in size, perfectly cooked, with the turmeric giving a nice acid to the fish bringing out the flavours. The dill and red onion added the aromas to the enjoyment and the crunchy peanut pieces giving a good contrast on the texture of the soft fillet. The vermicelli has absorbed the flavours, making them also fantastic in taste too. Overall another good dish I would recommend.With a bottle of still water ($68), the total bill on the night was $660. Considering the quality of the food it was reasonable in price. The service is quite good with the staff coming often to refill my glass and they are all friendly and helpful, but you cannot expect the restaurant level interactions where the staff explained to you each dish in details. I found Chom Chom a nice Vietnam bar restaurant that I would recommend to others.
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