Birthday Run Across Hanoi
We stepped out of Vincom Center Bà Triệu feeling satisfied but not done. It was my birthday, and the day still had more to give. Another Adidas store waited for us at 360 P. Xã Đàn, so we booked a Grab for VND 33,280 and rolled straight back into the noise and motion of Hanoi.
The Jersey We Were Chasing
The Adidas store on Xã Đàn did not disappoint. The staff at Vincom had sent us here for Manchester United gear, and they were absolutely right. There it was—the Adidas Manchester United x Stone Roses jersey in blue. The one we had been searching for everywhere. No thinking, no hesitation. We bought one each for VND 2,300,000 and walked out smiling. Birthday mission well underway.
Ink on the Birthday List
Next stop: Hangout Tattoo. Another Grab, this time VND 59,280, and we arrived ready to plan the final item on my birthday list. Darren from Guntur Tattoo in Kota Kinabalu had recommended the place, and the calm inside immediately made sense. I wanted something meaningful—something tied to Vietnam’s art and culture.
Senior artist Luan listened, then sketched a lotus freehand right in front of us. It felt right. We booked the tattoo for Wednesday, the 18th of March, with artist Hung Bun, then stepped back out to find food.
A Simple, Perfect Lunch
After wandering a bit, hunger led us to a small, no frills bún cá stall on Chương Dương Độ Street. We ordered bowls of roasted meat soup with rice noodles, fried spring rolls, and iced tea. Hot, simple, comforting. The total came to just VND 130,000—and it hit the spot perfectly.
Back to Base
We walked back to Hangout Tattoo to double check our appointment, then grabbed one last ride back to 23B Hàng Tre. On the way up, we stopped at a tiny hole in the wall coffee stall and picked up a strong coffee to go for VND 30,000. With caffeine in hand, we finally went upstairs to rest.
A Misstep at Night
Later that evening, we went out for a short walk along Hàng Thùng Street. Near Nguyễn Hữu Huân, we spotted Thu Ann Spa and walked in without much thought. That turned out to be a mistake.
An hour later, we walked out feeling completely disappointed.
First, when we asked to pay by debit card, they tried to stop us by adding a 5% surcharge. When we said we didn’t mind paying it, they suddenly told us their card machine was “not working”. If they had simply said it was cash only, we would have accepted it. Instead, the whole back and forth felt unnecessary and annoying.
Then came the issue of the “tip”. To be honest, the massage itself was poor — more like an hour of rubbing oil around than an actual treatment. Halfway through, they even turned off the air conditioning, maybe to save electricity, which made the room uncomfortable. At the end, they handed us a feedback form. Being typical Asians who didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, we marked our experience as “good”. Because of that one tick, they insisted we had to give each masseuse a tip. We were asked, “Didn’t we make you feel good?” and “Why you no give tip?” It was awkward and unpleasant.
Lu Ann Spa truly damaged our first impressions of Hanoi.
Looking Ahead
Still, we chose not to let that moment define the day. We went to sleep thinking about the wins—the jersey, the tattoo plans, the food, the small moments in between. Tomorrow was waiting, and we were ready to slow things down and spend the day wandering the Old Quarter, letting Hanoi show us its gentler side.
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📍 Location:
Adidas Xã Đàn - https://maps.app.goo.gl/qV3Jqparopva1fhN7
The Hangout Tattoo - https://maps.app.goo.gl/x2SB88abGGz7Yb6N8
23B P. Hàng Tre - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LrtA6xLFHWhzzzA29
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