As I’ve written about in my previous posts on Hanoi, the Quan An Ngon restaurant is my absolute favourite so of course it’s high on my list of places to eat. My family which includes one very picky little girl, were absolutely delighted at the diverse choices available at Quan An Ngon.
We ordered chicken pho (chicken noodle soup), bun bo (beef vermicelli soup), bun cha (grilled pork and vermicelli), nem cua be (fried spring rolls), prawn fritters, young papaya salad, squid salad, mango salad with prawn crackers, fried tofu with fermented shrimp dip, fresh spring rolls, bbq squid, and che (sweet dessert) to share. The food were absolutely sumptious and although they cost more than what I would expect to pay at the street stalls, it’s great to have so many choices at one place. 
The salad stalls serve some pretty interesting salads. I caught sight of a tray filled with something that looked like bugs, but was told it’s actually baby sparrows. Although I’m keen on trying a lot of different food, I’m drawing a line at this because I’m pregnant and the last thing I want to do is eat babies (although they’re baby birds)! 
We loved the ambience … it was packed both days we were there. Although I would expect a more touristy-clientele, I was pleasantly surprised to see many locals eating there as well. One downside is the Vietnamese-speaking staff, they are not very well-versed in English. The menus are written in Vietnamese and English but I would really recommend walking around the many stalls to choose your food. If you find something that you like, just ask the staff to write it down on a piece of paper so that you can pass it to the waiter when you return to your table. This way you’ll be able to see what you are ordering. 
Quan An Ngon is really THE place to go if you want to have a wide variety of Vietnamese street food in one place.
I had earlier emailed Ms. Kim Lien from Customer Service that my husband and I will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary and had gotten a confirmation right away that they will surprise us. What a surprise it turned out to be! We had a room with a view of the beautiful West Lake and our bed is decorated with rose petals and a lovely cake as well as a congratulatory letter from the hotel. There were candles on the night stand as well as rose petals in the bath. Truly romantic! 
Like all Starwood properties, The Sheraton has the requisite amenities to keep guests comfortable. It has a very welcoming pool with a pagoda and a very unique dragon shower. Take a little walk to the other side and you’ll be greeted with a moongate and a tranquil courtyard and lush gardens. I would have been perfectly happy here just sipping a cup of strong Vietnamese coffee. There’s also a gym and tennis court in the hotel grounds. 
What makes the Sheraton Hanoi truly stand out is its staff. They were all genuinely warm and friendly and were more than happy to accommodate us (me especially with my endless enquiries and requests). We’ve stayed at many hotels in many countries and I must say, the staff at Sheraton Hanoi is top-notch. This is exactly what 5-star service should be.
Then folds it and voila! The perfect snack!
The main road in Krabi town is filled with rows of shops including food shops where visitors can have a cheap authentic local meal. There are also some food stalls along the pavements for a quick pick-me-up. For visitors who would like to engage in a spot of retail therapy, there’s the Vogue Shopping Mall in the middle of the town. It’s quite small, but adequate I guess. There’s a small supermarket and a Boots pharmacy on the ground floor as well as a KFC and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Chao Fa Pier is also located nearby. I’m told that a night market opens every night in Krabi Town where visitors can buy souvenirs and other local foodstuff.
Ruen Mai is set within the confines of a “mini jungle”. There’s a small stream that runs through the garden as well as a small pond where carps thrive. 
Big lanterns are hung on the trees, to light up the restaurant at night I presume. I imagine it must be a lovely sight at night. 
It’s also a great place to have a quiet meal amidst the flora. Young explorers will be kept happy whilst their parents enjoy a nice meal as there’s lots to explore here. 
We ordered the Tom Yam Koong (Tom Yam Prawn Soup) which came in a claypot packed with big prawns. The prawns were extremely fresh and the soup was perfectly sour and spicy! This is the best tom yam soup I’ve had yet! 
The mango salad with cashew nuts were good as well. The crisp julienne young mango contrasted perfectly with the crunchy roasted cashew nuts.
We also ordered a plate of stir-fried ferns. Very tasty! 
The last dish was the egg omelette with fresh crab meat. There were chunky pieces of crab meat in the fluffy omelette which our daughter loved. The omelette was not too oily either. 
As it was a hot day, we ordered watermelon juice (perfect to keep cool) and mandarin orange juice. The juices were thick and nice, the perfect thirst quenchers!
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