Two recent examples of the Hanoi cultural scene . . .
Hanoi continues to modernize and grow, both for local residents and for the expat community. As more money flows into the city and tastes become more cosmopolitan, we are seeing the opening of many new restaurants, upscale shops and shopping malls. While there often seems to be parallel markets for expats and for Vietnamese residents (even the wealthy ones), there are areas of overlap. Dining can be one of them. For example, a number of years ago an Australian opened up a small chain of casual restaurants called Al Fresco’s. Featuring a menu of Tex-mex dishes, hamburgers and pizzas, initial customers trended heavily Western. However, these days, when we pop across the street from the Embassy for lunch, the restaurant now is packed with Vietnamese office workers happily munching on barbecued ribs or quesadillas.
At the upper end, Liz and I just attended the opening celebration for a new restaurant called “Don’s Bistro.” The chef has lived in Hanoi for many years and had been a partner in a successful establishment before splitting off and starting this new venture. Located in the Tay Ho area, home to many foreigners, the new 4-story restaurant attracted over 500 locals and expats to its location overlooking West Lake.
The celebration was a study in contrasts. Inside, guests sampled fresh oysters flown in from Australia, while a German DJ spun house music. Outside, a Filipino band played Pink Floyd covers at maximum volume while customers ate smoked hams, shrimps, and Vietnamese snacks. Little girls from the neighborhood clad in what looked like Communion dresses gathered around the desserts, while their older (and more scantily clad) sisters milled around the first floor bar. While waiting for food, I watched as an elderly-pajama clad woman thrust a dozen rolls into a plastic bag and set off home. Neighbors enjoyed the free beer, while many foreigners and richer locals went for sake or cocktails. All the while, motorbikes honked their way through the festive crowd (closing down the street was not an option).
Last month, Hanoi hosted the NY Philharmonic for two nights at the Opera House. While Hanoi is a fun town, we don’t get that many opportunities for high end cultural performances such as this and so happily forked over nearly $100 per ticket. The Ambassador hosted a reception for the symphony and I got to meet many of the musicians, most of whom had never been to Vietnam and some of whom expressed surprise that Vietnam was so different from North Korea, which they had visited a few years ago. Hanoi’s Opera House is a beautiful structure built by the French a century ago in the heart of the city. Around the corner from the Metropole, its front steps also serve as a gathering place for locals to sit and relax in the evenings to people watch and visit with friends. It also serves as a perfect background for wedding photos, attracting several couples every weekend. Last year, we saw “Porgy and Bess” with an all Vietnamese cast. Interesting watching them attempt southern Black dialect from the 1920s, but they had great voices.
The Opera House wedding cake architecture is a pleasure to look at. Its tiny seats are not a pleasure to sit in. Nevertheless, the hall was packed both nights and the local authorities set up two giant screens in the traffic circle outside the venue so others could watch. Inside, about 600 of us sat through performances of pieces by Brahms and Beethoven. Young Vietnamese in jeans, stuffing their motorbike helmets under their seats, sat next to Japanese in business suits and Westerners in cocktail dresses. 75 musicians performed for nearly 2 hours, including several encores.
