Modern Vietnamese near the Lake

Munch

Sometimes when you’re traveling you get a little tired of eating dinner with dirt in your skirt so you opt for a local restaurant rathe than the cheap and tasty offerings from street vendors. The Rainbow Restaurant in the Hoan Kiem district in Hanoi is a great little spot to rest your weary legs and chow down on some tourist friendly food. I have to admit the entree was so fricken delicious we smashed it so quickly there was no time for a photo op :( Seriously the best Satay Chicken Skewers…ever! Plus the usual goodies like spring rolls with dipping sauce were also on the tasting plate.

It got a rather low Munch rating more because the food was, excuse the pun pedestrian, so a good spot to chow down but it won’t blow your taste buds away. In addition, the service was friendly and attentive.

For mains with we had 5 Spiced Duck and Beef & Chilli Lemongrass (citronella), both mains served with rice. The Duck was unfortunately dry and the beef was okay but not particularly spicy (good if you’re not a huge fan but like a little tingle). I washed my meal down with a Rainbow Cocktail, although I love the taste of cherry cough syrup it’s probs best if you ruin the pretty layering of of flavours to get a more balanced tasting drink, my partner had the local Hanoi Beer and all up the bill came to $20.00 AUD, so not bad for drink, entree and main, but you can eat cheaper elsewhere if you’re on a budget.

The Verdict: Tourist and Budget friendly, the mild dishes will appeal to most people so if you’re delving into Vietnamese cuisine for the first time, it’s a safe bet.

Address:  37 Hang Hanh, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi. Vietnam