Little Hanoi

I visited this restaurant on a Wednesday, since my partner and I we both love Vietnamese food and frequently visit the restaurants of the so-called Pho Mile in Kingsland Road.
We ordered grilled prawns in sugar cane and prawn papaya salad for starters and shaking beef and Bun Cha Ca for mains.
The salad was fresh, but it was very cold, as it just had come from the fridge awaiting ready there to be served and, although pleasant, lacked herbs and a more sharp flavour.
The grilled prawns in sugar cane were just a portion of two and they were correct, but not as good as some served in other restaurants in London. The same happened with shaking beef. It was a small portion and the meat was on the chewy side.
The Bun Cha Ca was a surprise, since it was our first encounter with this dish. It is a tomato soup with fish fritters. The soup tasted good, a mixture of tomato and lemon flavours but again it had no herbs. When it came to the fish fritters, the first taste was rather nice, fishy and fresh, but after that initial second it turned into a stale sensation in the mouth. Were this fritters made a week ago or is it just that they are supposed to taste as if the flour had gone wrong?
Unfortunately, we didn't try the grilled scallops that everybody praises in their reviews on the internet. Perhaps we just chose the wrong dishes, but our experience in Little Hanoi was rather underwhelming. For the same price (cheaper if one doesn't have a tastecard discount) one can eat much nicer food by just walking for ten minutes to the great Vietnamese places in Kingsland Road.

Name: Irene
Location: London, UK

If you've previously went for nothing more than their cheap lunch buffet or Chinese standards, I implore you to return and go for the ala carte specialities as this is where their true strengths lie.

Rule no.1 at this little family-run institution: Stay away from the bog-standard Chinese trappings on the menu, get head waiter Michael Luong to help you order correctly and your tastebuds are in for the feast of their lives! Super-talented chef Phai (Michael's father) dishes up mouthwatering, robust Vietnamese dishes using the freshest of seafood, meat and vegetables paired with the most flavourful of herbs and spices that will leave you salivating for more.

The starter of Grilled Scallops on Shell (£10.50 for 4 pcs) is DIVINE, an absolute must-try. Topped with crunchy peanuts and a luscious tangy sauce, no wonder some call it the best scallops in London!

King Prawn Sweet Potato Pancake (£6.80) is another delicious (and rather filling) starter, fabulously fried, crisp and crunchy on the outside and chewy inside.

As for the mains, Grilled Venison (£12) is a true work of art- so tender, so moist, so deliciously charred yet sweet yet peppery all at the same time. Little Hanoi claims to be the only place that serves this divine creation in the whole haven of Viet cuisine that is Shoreditch- if that isn't reason enough to go I don't know what is!

Grilled Salmon in Banana Leaf (£12) is equally amazing- I was already blown away by the scallops and venison, then waiter Michael plonked this gorgeous melt-in-the-mouth slab of perfectly cooked flaky pink goodness in a beautiful sauce in front of us. Perfect with hot steamed rice.

Our meal this time ended here as Little Hanoi don't do desserts (traditionally the Vietnamese finish meals with fresh fruit or liquor), but from a previous visit I would highly recommend the Lobster and Dover Sole Boat specialities too, which they are happy to arrange for you on special order as long as you call them 24-hours befor

I have tried all the Vietnamses restaurants in the area. Fay The chef is by far the most talented and creative. Best value in London and every guest I have taken has raved about the food and when can they get back there. Keep it quiet though, or I might not get a table when I need it. Chris

One of the best restaurants in the area; although unprepossessing on first sight, the service is friendly and quick, the food is freshly cooked to order and prices are very reasonable. The food is not entirely authentic vietnamese, some hong kong influences, but all very good. Always ask the Maitre d' if their are any specials since the chefs frequently have additonal dishes from ingredients fresh from the markets.