Ottilie F.
Yelp
I've been here three times now, and I've walked away both times thinking the same thing: Great food, average service.
Firstly, don't let the fact that Madame Hanoi is *technically* a part of the casino deter you from eating here. I'm yet to see any seedy people in here! The vibe of Madame Hanoi is really nice, laid-back and relaxed, but you still feel a bit special being there. Great date night spot! Madame Hanoi is split into three parts - downstairs, mezzanine bar and upstairs. The upstairs area seems to be better for larger groups, whereas the setting downstairs is a little more intimate. The mezzanine bar has long tables as the only seating, and is quite dark. Natural light fills both the downstairs and upstairs restaurant areas, but the bar lighting is very limited. Despite this, the interior is absolutely beautiful. There's a wide array of colours which look fantastic against the heritage building setting. The real star though, is the a huge mural of a Vietnamese woman scaling both stories of the restaurant. She is absolutely beautiful!
Now, the food. Madame Hanoi is described as being a mix of French and Vietnamese. Well, it is and it isn't. The savoury food is predominantly Vietnamese, and the desserts are mostly French. The 'fusion' aspect is, to me, non-existent. Despite this, the food is creative, colourful and presented beautifully. Most dishes come on half-half plates, one half having Asian patters, and the other half being French-inspired. They literally look like someone has glued two different plates together, and they look great!
Both times I have eaten here, I have chosen the 'let us feed you' menu, for $55 pp, including dessert, excluding alcohol. It's pricey, but it's worth it. I also appreciate that the menu shows exactly what you will be getting in the set menu. As a bit of a fussy eater and someone who is not a huge fan of spice, Asian food can be a bit of a minefield, and I don't usually feel 100% comfortable handing the reigns over to someone else. I really like knowing what's coming! Our set menu included 'son-in law' duck eggs, mango, papaya and carrot salad, pork belly baos, peppered soy beef, spicy chicken wings, Asian greens with garlic and rice.
Upon ordering, we were asked if we were in a rush. The first time, we were, and staff did their best to ensure that we were in and out within an hour. However, last Wednesday, we weren't. The waitress explained that the dishes would be brought out in three courses. She then suggested a cocktail, and we each got a Hanoi Hannah, which I would definitely recommend.
First, the wings and duck eggs. The wings were a little on the spicy side (I'm really weak when it comes to chilli!), but they were so sticky and flavoursome I just had to keep going! The duck eggs...well we were trying to work out how they'd managed to both poach and deep-fry it. The duck eggs were a real stand out, I just wish the yolk had still been runny.
Next out was the mango, papaya and carrot salad and the pork belly baos. Order whatever you want, but GET THE BAOS. Don't think about it, just do it. They're messy, they're rich and they're probably pretty awful for you, but your taste buds will be forever in your debt! The salad was nice too, but was dwarfed by the almighty and everlasting power pork belly has on me.
Last was the beef, garlic Asian green and rice. The greens were crisp and crunchy, but only eat the confit garlic clove if you REALLY like garlic or have no plans to kiss your date at the end of the night. That stuff is potent. The beef, ugh, that beef. It was glorious and we were fighting over who got the extra bit. I lost, and I'm still slightly bitter.
I was close to keeling over from everything I'd already eaten, and then got reminded that dessert was yet to come. We were each served a glazed dome, one red and one dark brown. We both looked confused, and the waitress explained that these two half-spheres were Madame Hanoi's Bleeding Heart and Chocolate Royal. One was a white chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis, and the other was a chocolate mousse with hazelnut. Both had a chewy macaroon base which added to the decadence. We struggled, but managed to each have half of both desserts, and then called it quits. We could not have fitted any more in!
While the food was worth 4 stars at least, the service is a real let down. I almost wish we had said that we had a prior engagement after dinner, because dinner went for nearly three hours! Staff were hard to get a hold of for drink orders/water refills, and eventually to get the bill I had to go to the counter and ask. If it had been particularly busy, I'd have been a little more sympathetic, however staff were frequently chatting in huddled groups.
It's a real shame, because the food, décor and atmosphere at Madame Hanoi is such a stand out, yet the service really lets it down. Regardless, I'd still recommend trying the place out, maybe just make sure you have enough time on your hands!