An Evening Return to the Lake
We picked you up again at five in the evening and left the homestay for Hoàn Kiếm Lake. As always, we crossed Hàng Tre, headed south, and turned right onto Lò Sũ. The route had become familiar, but the energy of Hanoi never felt the same twice.
The streets were easing into evening. Scooters passed in looser waves, engines humming instead of roaring. Shop lights spilled onto the pavement, and voices overlapped gently—vendors calling out, friends chatting, a radio playing somewhere behind a half open door. The closer we came to the lake, the softer everything felt, as if the city was slowing its breath.
The Luck of a Perfect Bench
With almost unbelievable luck, we found an empty bench facing the water. It was exactly what we wanted. We set the camera up for a sunset time lapse, starting half an hour before the 6:07pm sunset.
While the camera worked, we leaned back into the cool air and slipped into our favourite habit: people watching. Walkers, joggers, couples, and families drifted past, each moving to their own rhythm. Hanoi always delivered, minute by minute, as the sky shifted above us.
Walking Toward Dinner
By half past six, the moment had passed. We packed up and headed toward dinner at Madam Hiền, walking north along Hàng Đậu, continuing onto Hàng Bè, and arriving ten minutes later as evening fully set in.
Madam Hiền was a little pricey, but the warm glow of courtyard lights and the smell of herbs and simmering broth pulled us in before we even looked at the menu. The street fell away behind us, replaced by something calmer and more inviting.
Dinner at Madam Hiền
The menu was long, so we asked for advice and settled on:
- Caramelised meat with rice
- Rice rolls with meat and mushrooms
- Beef phở
- Two glasses of detox
The caramelised meat was rich and comforting, slow cooked in a glossy, savoury sweet sauce over white rice. The rice rolls were soft and delicate, the mushrooms earthy, the filling warm without being heavy. The beef phở arrived steaming, its clear broth fragrant with spices, soothing and full bodied. The detox drinks were light and fresh, cutting cleanly through the richness of the meal.
Dinner came to VND 829,440 (≈ MYR124/USD32/EUR27), and by the time we finished, night had settled in around us.
A Gentle Walk Home
Stepping back into the Hanoi night, the city felt softer and warmer, almost like it knew we’d just had one of those perfect, unplanned dinners that stay with you long after the trip ends.
We ducked into a 7 Eleven nearby in search of bananas, found none, and continued along Lò Sũ before turning left onto Hàng Tre. The walk home was easy and familiar—late diners lingering at small tables, plastic stools scraping softly across the pavement, laughter drifting from open doorways.
A short walk later, we were back at the homestay, ready to call it a night, carrying with us the quiet afterglow of an evening that had unfolded exactly as it should.
Catch our next video of the long tattoo session at Hangout Tattoo.
Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)
📍 Location:
23B P. Hàng Tre - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LrtA6xLFHWhzzzA29
Hoàn Kiếm Lake - https://maps.app.goo.gl/eb8a1XkY4cEoDUZm7
Madame Hien - https://maps.app.goo.gl/pTjE1TZinhPDJm6c9
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