Reviews by suddenpaws
This place is for young, hip, cool people, of which I am not. The music was insanely loud, and just interrupted conversation. The lights were insane. The shape of the bar makes it a little odd, too, being a funny 'L', and the over-inflated drink prices... well, let's not go there. I won't be rushing back to this place, but I can see how it fills a void for the hip, fab 'gorgeous' expat crowd in Hanoi.
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The staff here are lovely. Very friendly, very attentive. Excellent English and a wealth of patience with dumbos like me. I really like them.
Having said that, this place only gets three stars, for a few reasons. First, the menu is not easy to read. Sure, I like coffee, but I don't like the fact that the menu listings of coffee use a whole bunch of meaningless, yet trendy looking names for each beverage without actually describing what they are.
Second, the food portions are a bit on the meager side for the price you pay, though I have to admit the croissant and bruschetta here were very tasty.
Third, it has a useless breakfast menu. I drink coffee with my breakfast. More options would be appreciated.
Lastly, every time I have been there one of the managers, an Australian guy, has been there, and he must be one of the rudest, most obnoxious people in Hanoi. The staff here are just lovely, but this guy treats them like absolute dirt. I don't like coming here simply because it means I am putting money into his greedy little pocket.
The service has brought me back twice, and I may go back again, but there are plenty of other places where I have found good coffee and good service...
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I think Studio has an identity crisis. I went there recently with a few mates and we had a lovely meal there. The food was delicious, even if the wait staff are still getting the hang of how to take orders properly and the owner had to step in a few times. Everyone enjoyed their meals immensely. Only problem was this place doesn't feel like a restaurant, and doesn't work as one. The seating is completely inadequate for eating unless you are at one of those tables for two, but as a group of 4 it didn't work at all. The funny looking floor cushions seem like a nice idea, but are really uncomfortable. Maybe as a bar it would be better, but when we were there on a Friday night the place was empty. Literally. It was not cheap for drinks, so unless you really wanted the "Austin Powers" shagadelic look, I can't see why people would go there. Music was loud and "doof doof" one minute, chilled the next. I really couldn't get a vibe for this place, cause it doesn't really have one!
I think this place should decide what it is and stick with it. If it's a restaurant, great. Be a restaurant. Or a bar, if you prefer. But trying to straddle both fences really doesn't work here.
Sure, it's groovy, baby, but not groovy enough to make me want to go back in a hurry.
3 stars for the excellent food.
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OK, so this place is pricy. Very pricy. The buffet is, like, $25US per person, which is not for the faint hearted. However, having said that, it's nice. Very nice. The food can sometimes be a bit hit and miss, but on the majority of occasions I have been there I have always found plenty of dishes I like.
Start with the breads - a fine selection including a very tasty sundried tomato one that's always there when I go - and the accompanying cheeses. Lovely. Move onto the substantial salad bar. Not just a few tokens, but at least a dozen different salads, some quite obscure and interesting, as well as the standard banana flower and the like. Also here you can find some pretty good sushi and seafoods.
The hot dish area is nicely laid out and easy to access. A variety of dishes, all clearly labelled, with rice always available along with a choice of at least two soups. To the side is the BBQ, complete with chef, and you can get hold of some tasty seafood and meats with your choice of sauce, all cooked before your eyes. Also keep an eye out for the lasagne and potato gratin which is often here.
Theres also a cold meat and fruits area, and around in the entranceway, the desserts, complete with the obligatory chocolate fountain. I have found most of the desserts here to be ok, though some are not labelled very well, so maybe ask if there is something you are not sure of. The cheesecakes are very nice, and the mousse isn't bad.
If you are flush with cash, or you have guests you want to give the star western treatment with a few asian dishes thrown in, come here. Admittedly I have a special card to get a discount here, so it's a bit cheaper, but even without it I would probably come. It's nice. Enjoy!
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Poor old BBQ Chicken seems to get a bit of a bum rap here. OK, so its not KFC. I seem to recall the same thing being said about Lotteria not being Maccas. That's the first point, ok? It's not KFC! Though, unlike Maccas, if you want KFC, you CAN go and eat it here in Hanoi! Also, like Lotteria, there are some things about this place that make it distinctively NOT KFC. Their menu is different, and has a variety of stuff that, if you don't like the battered rubbish, can actually serve more as a reasonable food option. Their prices are ok, and their food, whilst not the elite level, passes as food when you are skint and hungry. (though don't get me started on their fries... yuck!)
I have been to three different BBQ chicken stores, all of which seem to have popped up out of nowhere recently. They appear to be clean, the staff friendly, and the food, though not flash, is predictable. For a store that's apparently so bad, they seem to be doing extremely well.
I say about BBQ Chicken the same as Lotteria: don't go in there expecting the same as your patent Seppo brand that's conquered the universe. It's different. Except it for what it is, and if you can't, go back to KFC and eat with Chicky.
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This place is not bad, but it's not fantastic either. I have been here twice, once for a massage, and once for waxing. The massage was quite good. I specifically asked for a full leg massage and the results were just what I wanted, though for a fee.
The leg wax was excellent, quite possibly the best I have had here in Hanoi, but the underarm hot wax was a nightmare. I have been waxing both areas for over 15 years, and have never found anyone who pulled off hot wax so slowly. The girl obviously meant to do it slowly, but that's just not the way its done! It hurt like hell, and considering I have been known to fall asleep during waxing, that says a lot.
I think this place markets more on its product name. Their products look to be quite good quality, if a bit pricy. They have an outlet somewhere just for product, whilst this salon on Kim Ma is the only salon in the city. Its location on a busy Kim Ma corner makes it less than desirable if you like to have quiet and ambiance during your massage. The sound of traffic was almost constant over the struggling sounds of Kenny G on the speakers (not that that was necessarily a bad thing... sorry Kenny fans!)
Not top of my list of recommended salons, but not at the bottom either. I think there's just as good at better prices available out there. Just don't come here for hot waxing!!
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I have, on occasion, had a nice pizza here. Their menu is not too bad, and I have to say their cakes in the window are really yummy.
However, I can't really say it's worth the money. I agree with all other reviews to date that say this place is overpriced. It is. By a long shot. I mean, it's not bad (well I don't think so), but that's the problem - it's not so fantastic that it warrants the price tag of the meals and drinks. There's really nothing here you can't get better or cheaper elsewhere.
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With so many more places opening up around this area, there's less and less to recommend this place for, except the prices. Yep, they are cheap. Very cheap. If you want to eat for a small amount of cash come here. Having said that the food is, um, how can I put it politely...not fantastic, though it does basically pass as food if you are desperate. I have eaten the chips I think on a different day to loominpapa - mine were horrible!! Definitely fried one to many times in my case!
Good when you are skint and starving.
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I came here for an event, and I think because of it were treated better than most. We had good service. One point though: as we were here for a buffet, it might have been nice to actually know what the dishes were when they were put out. Some friends are veggies, others have religious beliefs to contend with (though it's nice to know this place is Halal), and it just might have been nice to know the contents of a dish before chowing down.
My only other issue here with the food was what some call mildly spicy and others call "Oh my God, I can see through time" spicy. I knew I would have a problem here when I couldn't feel my face after two mouthfuls of the butter chicken. The restaurant owner went to great pains to tell me that "no no no, all the dishes are mild", and was actually quite patronising about it. However, when my friend, who lives on VERY spicy foods, said to me "hmm, this is quite hot, isn't it", I knew it wasn't just my taste buds and pain receptors throwing a tanty. Solution? I stuck to the rice.
The price was seriously high for both drinks and food, and for me, it wasn't worth it. I hope someone else has a better experience. Considering I have recently moved over this way, I may try them one more time, but not without a full 19L container of La Vie and the SOS ambulance on stand by.
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A lot of people rave about this place as an alternative to the SOS and Hanoi Family Medicals out there who are much more expensive. I will say I found the desk staff to be friendly and helpful, the wait short, the prices very good, and the location very convenient. It is therefore a good alternative for most people to the more expensive places in Hanoi.
If you are allergy free, rarely get sick, and are a big believer in western drug therapy, they're perfect for your odd niggling ailment, and you can stop reading my review here.
To everyone else, by all means go to the clinic as a better financial alternative to the more expensive clinics, but there are two points to be aware of. First, note that these docs luuuuuuv their drugs, and are not afraid to dish them out to all and sundry. I have been here twice for relatively small ailments, been in and out with the Korean doctor in less than five minutes for a perfunctory examination (open your mouth and say ahhhh...good), and handed an amazing concoction of pills and liquids which were not labelled and which neither the doctor nor the desk staff could adequately explain to me in English. Lucky some had stamps - when I got home I looked them up on the net and found, not really to my surprise, that one was a drug I am actually allergic to, and which I would never have expected to be given for the ailment I presented with.
Which leads me to the second point: please make a note of telling them about any allergies or conditions or anything you may have, even if they don't ask. Neither time I have been there have they ever asked me if I am on medication, what my medical history is, or if I have any allergies or reactions to anything. For someone who may forget to mention these things unless asked (like I sometimes do), this is quite an alarming point, and one to be noted, especially considering their apparent willingness to medicate their patients.
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