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Finnmaccool's Posts
111 reviews or comments posted; 2 questions asked; 18 answers given.
Reviews / Comments (111) see all
Food is cheap here and reasonably tasty and it does seem to attract lots of tourists as of late. Not sure why, has someone gone and put it into the Lonely Planet or Guide du Routard or something? Anyway this was the other place that messed up my "top of the range" burger. As this was the first place I visited, I did ask for the egg and bacon to be added and sure enough, it came back with those inside. I have been here far too many times to mention and it always leaves me feeling like I have had average food but just not enough of it. I always seemed to forget the name of the place! BTW, I am not a fan of the fried spring rolls. Where is that king of spring roll hiding?
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On a positive note the burger was actually very tasty (a wee bit small for people with an appetite) but it was not what I ordered. I wanted the Aussie burger with all the bells and whistles and simply got a plain cheeseburger. I must be jinxed or something because this is the second night in a row this has happened (at different establishments, I might add.) Anyway I just ate it and explained when the bill came that they needed to charge me for a cheeseburger, not the other one. They were confused, understandably. After all, how could I possibly have eaten the wrong burger! To cut a long story short, the burger story is not really a big deal. The big deal is that I have eaten at other Papa Joe places and their pastries are generally fresh and taste nice! Not here. On 3 separate occasions, they have all failed. Last night's carrot cake was no exception sadly. Oh well what more can I say? 3 stars it is because the coffee et al all fall within acceptable parameters!
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This would be my fourth or fifth visit to this fine establishment and on a beautiful day I cannot imagine a more scenic place to be (other than on a beach with last month's FHM hottie) Anyways, apologies for digressing, the place is tastefully located on Truc Bac lake and is less busy than the Highland's coffee joint further down the road. The chocolate truffles are the "piece de resistance" while the food and drinks that I have had are more than up to par. It also has wifi should you need to spend your hours surfing away merrily waiting for the world to pass by. Definitely a relaxing Sunday afternoon place.
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This is a great little place that has been newly renovated and looks the part. I noticed the 9 small paintings hung tastefully facing the entrance and decided to give it a go. I am surprised that no-one has posted here before as it is an ideal little spot for a bite to eat before the opera house. The food we all had was very tasty and at a price that won't break the bank! You could always opt for the Metropole or My Way or the restaurant under the opera house if you want to re-mortgage the house. Great location and equally great service and plenty of room for large groups in the back.
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I stumbled into this place last night after looking for a convenient cafe close to Thai Ha and the first thing I have to say is that the view is GREAT. I like high buildings and although the place is small and quiet, it was exactly what I was looking for. Sadly no wifi, so work options may be limited but the food and drink are cheap and the staff are friendly. There was hardly anyone there for most of the evening so I am guessing it is not a popular spot for the locals. This means you can enjoy uninterrupted silence far from the madding crowd!
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Questions (2)
Hi there,
I am having a house warming party with quite a few individuals. Do you have any idea how I would go about getting beer kegs from somewhere so we can supply our own at the party?
Many thanks,
Dermot
Well this one has been a long time coming and I am trying to find out what the actual legal angle is on how businesses charge in USD. We have all seen the recent fluctuations in the VND to USD rate that wreaked havoc on our rent payments over the summer. Now that things have settled down a bit it has come to my attention that a few establishments are happy to list their prices in dollars (not a problem) but then charge an arbitrary black market exchange rate (my bugbear) well above the central bank rate. These "establishments" also tend to be among the more expensive eateries in town so not only are they charging "top dollar" if you'll pardon the pun, but they are also capitalising on the inflated exchange rate to make extra margin.
I have spent some time looking for information about what is "permitted" and what is not. Apparently, this practice is illegal although how in goodness name does one enforce it? When I queried it, all I got was a shrug of the shoulders and some lame line about the owner setting the rate. Of course I have tried to contact the owners for clarification but never get any replies. I wonder why? I have got several receipts with blatant incorrect exchange rates and cannot help but wonder how they can get away with it. Does anyone know how we can do something. I have no problem with businesses charging more money for their goods as inflation increases but please do not use stealth tactics to do so. We are not as dumb as the tourists who pass through this country.
Answers (18)
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Not sure if this helps but you might simply want to dump the routers and buy an all in one ADSL wireless router instead of using 2. In theory there is no reason why they will not work together but as you are experiencing these problems, you might want to save time. Normally on a Linksys router you can see what machines are connected and verify that DHCP is giving out the IP address (which I am guessing is happening as you say that the Mac is connecting the network but not getting online). Check that this is happening and if not assign a static IP address to the Mac. Might also be worth having a look in the Apple Forums online for your problem. I know that mine works fine with the all in one Linksys modem we have.
Cheers,
Dermot
In response to the question: Need help in setting up my wireless network at home. I'm using a linksys wireless-g router and my internet provider (EVN) is using a d-link adsl2 + ro...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
I had heard so much about this thread that I had to come read it in its entirety and after a lengthy catch up, well it has been highly entertaining. Ladies, good luck in your mechanical search but I have to tell you that there is still hope. Nice guys are out there, just not in Mao's getting hammered every evening. As with anything worthwhile in life, you have to go find it yourself. Alas it's not going to just fall in your lap. In the immortal words of the philosopher Jagger, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes you might just get what you need!"
In response to the question: Okay...so I believe the ladies of Hanoi will not disagree with me that the ratio of men to women in this city does not work in their favour, and what ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Go to Mediamarkt on Hai Ba Trung. It is much closer. They have them but they are twice the price of regular DVD players.
In response to the question: I'm looking to buy a DVD player with a USB jack. Any ideas where I might find one? I saw the recent post and responses re. Big C and Metro, but I'm a ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Our school always uses Mai Linh taxis as most of the others will scam you with dodgy metres that go faster the more they toot their horn or change CD volume. Too many scams. When I first arrived I remember the driver fiddling with a button on the metre once I got in the cab. So bloody blatant I just got back out! Mai Linh are all white with green writing.
In response to the question: Newbie in Hanoi - Any 2 cents on things to watch out for? Appreciate the tips. Thks. ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
If I can add my 2 pennies' worth I would say that Cafe des Arts has some of the finest food in Hanoi - French cuisine after all and I am sure he would have a couple of Michelin stars if he were in Europe. It is quiet and cosy and you'll be well looked after. The menu is broad and you pay for what you get. Check out the link for a better idea:
http://newhanoian.xemzi.com/venue/show/503/Cafe-Des-Arts
In response to the question: Hi all, Me and my husband are celebrating wedding anniversary in a few days. Can anyone recommend a fine dining restaurant for this occasion? Would...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
I would not recommend shipping a laptop from the USA. If needs be, I would go with the suggestion above - get someone to bring it in their luggage. Incidentally, what laptop spec are you looking for. They can generally get you anything here if you know the right PC shop to go to?
In response to the question: Hi there. I'm looking at getting a new laptop shipped in from America. Dooes anybody know what the latest is on the taxes if I do this? I know a simi...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Just checked last month's bill and the rate is 1560 per unit - our landlord is a great guy and we pay the standard domestic rate. Not sure what you can do about getting ripped for "business" rate. We are private individuals after all!!!!
In response to the question: I know similar questions have been asked about this, but... After living for 6 months in my flat, I've discovered that we're paying 3-5 times what ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Now Kathleen all you had to do was Skype me or email and I could have filled you in.
In response to the question: Hi there- Am finally serious about buying a motorbike, but trying now to determine what the best bike is for us. Does anyone know of a good site w...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Yes indeed, just chose a random jeweller on Hang Bac about 2 months ago to get my gold chain repaired. It is an 18ct gold rope chain. They did their best and it cost a whopping 30,000VND. Fixed and ready to go. I then managed to break the actual catch and had that swapped out for 80,000VND. Cheap as chips. It did help that I had someone Vietnamese do the bargaining so could be an interesting experience on your own.
In response to the question: Hi all, I broke some of my favorite pieces of jewelry earlier this year and am wondering if there are any places here that do jewelry repair. Tha...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
I will second Atomic's response and advise you to steer clear of Vietcombank at the peril of losing your sanity. Try HSBC or ANZ or any bank that will treat you like a real person. Sadly, Vietcombank have not figured that one out yet.
In response to the question: Can anyone recommend a hassle-free bank where I can start a bank account (either dong or dollars) and make deposits and withdrawals without showing do...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Does anyone know where this elusive indoor "bouldering wall" is located in Hanoi? No sign of it on the website that is posted above.
In response to the question: Hi all, I was wondering if there is anywhere to go climbing around Hanoi. Mostly intersted in indoor but if there was some nice (well-bolted) sports ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
You could always become a monk. I hear there are many monasteries looking for candidates. That's what I had to do. Let's face it, we are cultures apart and how will you ever know if the socio-economic divide can be breached? As far as my experiences go, it is a case of the better educated or more cultured a Vietnamese girl is, the higher her financial expectations are. Quite frankly, is it really that different to Western society? Maybe the Vietnamese girls just put their expectations out there more openly. I think western women are capable of being more covert, devious and secretive in their motivations. For the lucky few in Vietnam they have managed to sustain an Anglo-Viet relationship, but they are the exceptions rather than the rule. So if you are looking for a Vietnamese partner, don't hold your breath. There are always expat ladies you can chat up......
In response to the question: Okay people...don't bash me too hard here (he-he): Since I have been in Hanoi, I have only met the WRONG types of women. Either they don't speak Engli...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
There are loads of sports shops on Nguyen Thai Hoc that sell this sort of equipment but you will find the more professional versions in a shop called Sports 1 on the left hand side about halfway down.(it's a one way street) Sorry I don't have the exact number but it has a huge vertical sign on the outside and they sell just about everything to do with sports and fitness.
In response to the question: does anyone know where i can buy a cross trainer/elliptical trainer in Hanoi? doesn't need to be as good as the ones you get in the gym but still ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Steady on Jimbo, no need to fire insults. I also think this is a girl, so your comments are somewhat This person was only asking for advice! With a Mac everything is a lot more straightforward than a PC so sadly, if you are unable to connect then it is highly likely that the network that you are trying to access is locked. If this is not the case then you should open the network preferences option where you find the Airport symbol. Within this you will find an option called Advanced. Click on this and you will see multiple options along the top starting with Airport, TCP/IP etc.
Click on TCP/IP and make sure that the Configure IPv4 is using DHCP. Your friend may have set it to manual but it really needs to be "Using DHCP". If this is not changed, the IP addresses below will not be displayed e.g. Ipv4 Address, Subnet Mask and Router - they should all have numbers after them. Hopefully once you have done this you will be able to get back to the way things were. If not drop me a line.
In response to the question: Hi all I am a mac user having a difficult time acessing FTP WIFI connections around the city. It used to be that I would go to a cafe, select the FTP ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Try Bat Trang, the ceramic village about 12 km outside of Hanoi on the other side of the river. I have seen piggy banks there in multiple colours.
In response to the question: can anybody help me find a red big piggy bank? I looked around old quarter Hang Ma str, Luong van Can str but not bigger, almost tiny pig and ugly. ...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Another CELTA course here in Hanoi is offered by Apollo. Same cost and maybe discounts offered for early enrolment but I do know that it is significantly cheaper to do it here than any other country. Good luck. :-)
In response to the question: I'm looking to move to Hanoi - either to Hoan Kiem or Hai Ba Trung - in February of 2009 with my girlfriend. We are wondering what the best way to pla...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
Sorry the link is: http://www.apolloedutrain.com/news/182/13
In response to the question: I'm looking to move to Hanoi - either to Hoan Kiem or Hai Ba Trung - in February of 2009 with my girlfriend. We are wondering what the best way to pla...
Posted Thursday January 1st, 1970.
C, I think you need to re-phrase to avoid the sarcasm of your beloved "followers." D
In response to the question: Why would a prospective landlord claim the electricity in their beautiful hou came with a 20% foreigner surcharge? And how could they get away with ch...
Even a small star shines in the darkness
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Dermot Hegarty
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Email New Hanoian Member SinceWednesday January 16th, 2008
