Below is another photo I took at Quan Bia Minh last evening. The little tower across the road would make a really nice spot to have a private Jacuzzi. It’s high enough above the surrounding buildings and provides sufficient concealment for some privacy. For the exhibitionist, it’s a pretty cool spot too amidst all the traffic below.

It’s raining once again and I decided to pass my time blogging while I wait for the rain to stop. Hopefully, it’s not going to take too long. MF is arriving this evening. Her flight should be landing just about now. I’m going to have to head back to the apartment before her since she doesn’t have the keys. It’s about a good 40 minutes from the airport to the apartment on a good day. With the weather now, it might take an hour to reach Hang Bun. The rain had better stop in the next 30 minutes.

Way pass lunch time and not wanting to wreck my brains on what’s for lunch, I headed to STOP! Cafe just round the corner from the project office. GH, MF, CT, NL and myself have been here a few times. The food here is rather good though high on the pricing side given that it’s a cafe. You don’t get many locals coming in here. At 60,000 to 120,000 VND for an average meal, tourist are the main clientele here. It’s not as busy as Pepperoni’s across the road which is good in some ways. Unless you have a loud Vietnamese woman speaking English with a fake American accent, STOP! Cafe offers a quiet dining environment and the air-conditioning is a major plus in the current hot and humid weather.

STOP! Cafe - Interior 01

STOP! Cafe - Interior 02

STOP! Cafe - Interior 03 (2 Japanese ladies to the right)

The interior is nicely laid out and spacious compared to some of the less pricey cafes. The naturally lightning adds to the ambience and is one of the best I seen in my time here. It’s definitely a place to enjoy your coffee or perhaps even be seen in.

Motorbikes by the lunch crowd opposite at Pepperoni’s

Table setting

If there is one particular dish that I have fallen in love with whilst my stay in Hanoi, it has to be pork caramel. The Caramelised pork prepared with honey isn’t too sweet and offers the right fragrance and texture. For those who are health conscious, stay away from this sinful dish but realise you are missing out on a real treat. This is the second time I’m back here for this dish. The Hanoi Menu, already mouth watering to look at comes with, Fried Spring Rolls, Papaya Salad, Caramel Pork and Steamed Rice.

Hanoi Menu @ STOP! Cafe - Spring Rolls, Papaya Salad, Caramel Pork and Rice

An additional diet coke brought lunch to 151,000 VND. Not cheap by Vietnamese street stalls standards. The last time AM, MF and GH were here, they received a 10% discount and complimentary coffee. Must be due to the fact that we have lunch here very often, I did get a 10% discount when I was last here with GH. This time round, coffee was complimentary.

My only gripe would be that I wished they got their card terminal checked though. Second time my VISA wouldn’t go through. Called the bank and I was told there is nothing wrong with my card, There wasn’t a denied transaction as there should have been according to my bank. Simply meant the terminal didn’t manage to dial out.

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