Zenith Cafe

16 Duong Thanh Street 

Hoan Kiem

Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel.: +84 (0) 904 356 561

E-mail: info@zenithyogahanoi.com

Web: Zenith Cafe

No, I am not turning vegetarian but I did not feel like loads of MSG or meat. As I am heading for a meeting in Sa Pa, I figure there will be plenty to eat and drink over the course of the next five days; might as well kick the week off with healthy food.

A quick Google put me onto the Zenith Cafe, near my hotel. Turns out that it is easier to find on the internet than in real life, seeing how it is tucked away in an alley.

Cosy little Cafe and much lighter than the picture suggests (Hanoi winter greyness)

As I entered I half-expected a lot of people in trance humming "oooommmmm". Nothing like that, just a request to remove the shoes. The restaurant has a huge window and a very clear, clean design. A few tables are Japanese style, i.e. one needs to sit cross-legged. I am too old for that so opted for a normal table.

A very friendly waitress was on me in a flash but when I ordered food, she insisted that I order a drink first. I guess she was just trained that way so I made here happy by ordering a drink first and then the "Conscious Cous Cous" as a starter, the "Baked Falafel Sandwich" as a main course and the "Zenith Lemonade" to wash it all down with it.

The menu is not very big, but it will do for a good feed.

As happens so often in Vietnam, starter and main course came together, one of my pet peeves. But the waitress was too sweet to make a fuss so I tucked in. Incidentally, the drink she had insisted on me ordering first? It did not arrive until I was well into my meal.

Are you conscious?

I am not sure if the Cous Cous was conscious or not, but it was very good. The vegetables were fresh and the chickpea and mung bean Falafel was very tasty. If anything it was a bit dry, I would have liked more dressing. The same was true for the Falafel Sandwich: tasty but a bit on the dry side. Both dishes were well presented and I felt healthier immediately....

This was very tasty but the salad could have used a touch more dressing.

I did not care for the drink too much. I love ginger, but there was way too much in the lemonade, it felt like drinking razor blades.

Enough ginger to last me a year.

Overall, a restaurant I would certainly go back to. The staff are very friendly, the food is good, and I am guessing someone meant went well when they added about a pound of minced ginger to my drink. And they have fast, free WiFi. I also think that it is pretty good value with mains around the USD 7.00 mark and the juices going for 3 to 4 Dollars.

The only suggestion: soundproof the juice blender, it is annoyingly loud.

Service: ****

Food: ****

Ambiance: ****

Value for money: ****

Recommended: Oh yes