answered about 18 months ago by Chunnie
Hi, there are quite a number of Chinese restaurants serving tim sum in Hanoi. You can try Fortuna @ USD9 +++ (available on weekends and usually quite crowded but good value for $); Hanoi Hotel @ USD8 +++ (food is good but variety is limited); Daewoo Hotel @ USD 13 +++ (didn't really enjoy the food there though the variety is more); Sofitel Plaze @ USD 12+++ (food was good but def no push carts!), Nikko Hotel @ USD 10 +++ on weekdays and USD 11 +++ on weekends (going to try soon so no comments yet) and Long Vien, a restaurant further down from Fortuna (no buffet but food is reasonable and relatively cheaper). As you can tell by now, I am v much a tim sum fan myself. :) Enjoy and let me know if you find other good eateries serving tim sum in Hanoi.
answered about 18 months ago by hanoiRob
Man I'm also very curious. I did find one place on Giang Vo and Hao Nam st in a 3 storey (4 st?) yellow building that looks typically Chinesey with a bunch of live seafood tanks at the back. The dim sum menu was limited in my opinion and while not great pretty darn good. No steaming trolleys like in SG though, gotta pick from a boring old menu. Haven't been there in nearly a year and half but I'm pretty sure its still around. Turn right onto Hao Nam st just before the Bia Hai Xom headed towards Cat Linh. Its the first or 2nd place on your left. I've heard rumors there's a place down from the cityview on the non lake side but haven't been.
After twelve years in Hongkong, dim sum is pretty important to me, especially after living on Cheung Chau and Lamma where dim sum was traditional yum cha. As with all Chinese food, Hanoi is surprisingly lacking. I think HanoiRob is describing Long Vien which is probably Hanoi’s best, but it has been going downhill the past few months; devoting its service to group tours and office lunch buffets. The owner/chef used to be at the Hanoi Hotel and that used to be the best. Now the Hanoi Hotel has focused on group tours and does not really have service for individuals looking for dim sum, and Long Vien’s limited menu might be going the same way. The Meritus had Hanoi’s best dim sum but Andrew Shi Ling left soon after the Sofitel (Sofitel Plaza) took over and now the service is so, so slow. The all-you-eat dim sum becomes frustration when the food very slowly comes. I haven’t tried the Nikko since they re-did the Chinese restaurant. Before the dim sum buffet was okay, but a lot of dumpling were thick skinned and cold. The Daewoo had ok dim sum a few years ago, but it remains very mediocre. Most real Chinese restaurants slowly (or quickly) become Vietnamese restaurants and dim sum (which is a real speciality) is left well behind.
