NOVEMBER 2018 - SCOOT IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE

ABOVE:
Middle
Eastern and
Mediterranean
fare at Chaouen
Lounge.
CIRCLE:
Chaouen
Lounge’s
Garden Marcus,
a cheerily chill
outdoor garden,
is an ideal spot
for after-work
drinks.
The millennial vibes are
strong as I take a stroll
down Dang Thai Mai
street in Hanoi’s secluded Tay
Ho area. An emerging star in
one of the hippest hoods in
Vietnam’s ancient capital, the
street balances age-old
tradition with an understated
– but detectable – current of
youthful energy.
With the early-evening
twilight casting a romantic glow
on proceedings, young
couples ride pillion on their
Vespas to nearby Tay Ho (West
Lake) – the largest of the city’s
many lakes – whispering sweet
nothings to each other as they
participate in the
time-honoured Vietnamese
tradition of di choi, roughly
translated as “hanging out”.
The spate of new businesses
that line the street, too, have a
dynamism in keeping with
Hanoi’s status as the country’s
capital of understated cool. At
The Bottle Shop, Vietnam’s
booming craft beer scene is
showcased via the city’s most
robust selection of local and
international craft brews,
ciders, and spirits.
Close by, Chaouen Lounge
doubles down on the craft
booze theme – serving a wide
variety of bottles along with
Middle Eastern and
Mediterranean sharing plates.
Just along the street at
Bao Wow, meanwhile, chef
Phan Nhu Long and his partner
Katie Taylor are attending to a
packed house of diners,
hooked on their delicious
Taiwanese baos.
The couple has only been
operating their venture at the
current premises since earlier
in 2018, having piloted the
concept successfully in
pop-up form at music festivals
and flea markets around Hanoi.
And it is this “can-do” sense of
possibility that is helping
transform the onceconservative
grand dame of
Indochina into such a lively
old lady.
“Hanoi feels like one of the
most creative cities in
southeast Asia. I love it,” agrees
Ian Paynton, the English
founder of Hanoi-based
creative agency
We Create Content, as we work
our way through a Fun Guy
(teriyaki mushroom, Asian slaw,
house pickles, coriander, and
radish) and a fried chicken bao.
“It’s so soulful, and there’s
inspiration to be found
everywhere; in the way people
tackle daily problems, the retro
Vietnamese typography, the
colours of the crumbling
buildings, and among the city’s
creatives.
“Living costs are still relatively
low, which gives artists, writers,
photographers, and designers
the space they need to work
on personal projects. I think
that’s when some of the best
work can happen. It seemed to
me like the perfect
environment to set up a
creative agency that services
the region.”
I see plenty of evidence to
back up Paynton’s fervour
during my time in Hanoi.
Breakneck development has
only partially diluted Hanoi’s
intrinsic charm, and it’s hard
not to be won over by the city’s
charismatic tapestry of lakes,
temples, and street scenes. As
PHOTOGRAPHY CHAOUEN LOUNGE, STANDING BAR
56 SCOOT