Hanoi Delights: The Matchbox.

Sometimes we have to eat western food. It's pricey (by Hanoi standards), but sometimes the craving for a taste of home overcomes us. That's when we head to The Matchbox, a tiny French-Asian fusion cafe a few blocks from us.

They have a stellar duck confit for about $7. Good pastas, very tasty
pork and chicken dishes. And pretty good Chilean wines by the glass.
There's actually a little Chilean wine shop next door where one can purchase
a decent Malbec for about $7 a bottle.

Sometimes we just want bacon and eggs. They do this well,
with great bacon. And they make an excellent espresso, too.
They even have a small pitcher of cream on the table! Milk is not hard
to come by here, if you know where to look, but cream is next to
impossible to find, so this is a real treat. (Half-and-half is impossible to find.)
We always leave here with a smile, but at about $7.50 for two for breakfast,
and $15 for lunch or dinner (with wine), it's an indulgence we don't indulge in often.

P.