베트남식 Living the high life, soul not included

[청석]

I see rich people: The lavish and sumptuous interior design of Hemisphere.

Hemisphere

Adress: 74 Xuan Dieu Road, Tay Ho District, Ha Noi

Tel: (04) 37191168

Hours: 11am-2pm / 6pm-11pm

Price: Expensive

Comment: Excellent food and wine, bad cocktails.

(18-01-2009)

Living the high life, soul not included

Efe Okogu explores the world of the rich, shares an incredible meal with his lady friend in a five-star restaurant of a world class hotel and comes away of two minds.

The Sheraton Hotel is one of those internationally renowned brand names that are synonymous with luxury. A five star hotel found in every major metropolis in the world, complete with all the extravagance the modern jet-setter and wealthy businessman could ever need: luxury suites, boutique shops, spas, discotheques, bars, swimming pools, gyms and, of course, restaurants staffed by the best money can buy.

Hemisphere is one such restaurant, and I recently had the opportunity to dine there. Now, I would normally not be able to afford such splashing out so I jumped at the opportunity to take my girlfriend on a fancy night out. We dressed in our usual backpacker-chic, but I accessorised with a loud tie and a Panamanian hat set at a jaunty angle. My accomplice donned bangles, gypsy earrings and a bright green feather boa.

We got lost at the hotel, driving round on my scooter through the maze of driveways, while security guards yelled at us before finally finding the parking garage next to the hotel’s disco: the entrance of which was populated by heavily made-up young ladies in mini-skirts – despite the freezing winter temperatures.

We walked past them and ascended a winding staircase into the hotel proper, then made our way to the restaurant. It was a bronze, beige and bold affair replete with a Valhallan high ceiling and gold plated copper sculptures of impossibly elongated flowers, twisting from large lacquer vases. One wall faces the vast expanse of West lake lit up by the lights of poorer souls fishing on the far side.

As we listened to the insipid muzak piped in from hidden speakers, we started with a Margarita and a Mohito which were, to be honest, quite disappointing.

As we sipped our drinks and perused the menu, I glanced around the mostly empty restaurant at the other patrons and in a homage to the sixth sense, whispered, "I see rich people".

The waiter came over and we ordered our meal while attempting not to laugh in his face. We failed. We got the Assorted Da Lat vegetable salad with smoked trout fillet; Stir fried duck breast flavoured with sweet basil and roasted peanuts; Stir fried assorted baby vegetables from Da Lat Plateau; Lime and coriander marinated grilled Japanese scallops; and loin of ostrich wok-fried whole shallot with fermented black sticky rice. What can I say, we were hungry and it was free.

Well, I can say that the portions were large and I have no need to re-iterate my gripe with fancy restaurants that offer works of art so small, they would barely feed a toddler.

Oh, and the food was delicious. The vegetables were fresh and lathered with sublime dressing; the seafood was well burnt with none of that left over rubberiness that some chefs believe proves the freshness of the catch; and the ostrich was juicy and thick, covered in a rich dark sauce that slid down the throat like butter.

As we ate, we finished our badly made cocktails and ordered a bottle of the house red. What came was a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, robust in flavour and just a touch on the dry side. It was infused with red fruits and perhaps some oak flavour and proved a wonderful compliment to the meal. It was a joy to drink, so much so that I suspect it was not the house Red. I wasn’t about to look a gift bottle in the mouth, at least not until the last drop was in mine.

As we proceeded towards inebriation, the rich people were replaced with other rich people and our dishes were replaced with Coconut infused creme brulee with a caramelised sugar crust; and Sun drenched mango flamed to order served with coconut ice cream for dessert. Delish!

In conclusion, the food was excellent, the wine was unbelievable, the view and decor were beautiful, but the music was boring, the prices (the bill – had I paid – would have totalled $300) were outrageous, and the atmosphere was non-existent. Hemisphere is a restaurant that offers the best money can buy but lacks the one thing money can’t: a soul. — VNS