Hanoi September Köln — Restaurant in Cologne

I’m bit confused why this gem of a restaurant ‘only’ has 4.3 stars at the time I write this review. Compared to other Vietnamese restaurants this is actually quite low and I really don’t see why the score would be like this. Food was really good and 100% AUTHENTIC + extra points for offering Northern Vietnamese style

Ambience: It’s a very pretty restaurant with quite modern interior design.

Authenticity: Regarding the food my friends and I ordered I can assure that this is as authentic as it gets. It’s exactly how I grew up having it and how I would make it for myself at home. It’s very common for restaurants to try reducing costs by cutting ingredients at the expense of authenticity and flavour. This was not the case at all. I feel obliged to say that we only had rice vermicelli (Bun) dishes since those are typical for summer since the dish is not hot. So if anybody is looking for Pho I can’t guarantee if it’s just as good.

Food: Some of the lower scoring reviews report that the dishes are bland, have too much salad or are too small. I can’t confirm any of these claims. I suspect that those customers just didn’t know how you’re supposed to eat Bun (rice vermicelli). My friends and I had 3 different Bun dishes (1x grilled pork belly, 2x minced meat wrapped in La Lot, 1x Beef) and we all finished the greens that come with the dish. The greens are not really meant to be eaten separately like a salad but rather with the noodles+meat+fish sauce. But hey, you do you. One of my friends thought the dip was a bit on the salty side so it really wasn’t bland at all but rather a sign that they don’t dilute the fish sauce with too much water. Regarding the size you can see on the photo that they’re really generous with the pork belly. The meals were filling for all of us (3 men and 1 woman). I do see that some really big people might want to eat more but I think all in all these are very reasonable and healthy portion sizes.

Service: We went on a Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t too crowded. Most tables outside were occupied but we were the only ones inside. The staff was really friendly and food came fast too. Some people mention that the food is really slow when it’s full and I actually find that plausible because the tables are actually quite close to each other so the restaurant can potentially seat a lot of people and it does seem a bit ambitious. However during our visit service was flawless.

Prices: This is always a tricky topic. I personally think that the prices were more than appropriate. Let’s not forget that everything got a lot more expensive in the recent years and that people’s idea of how much food costs might be warped. Ingredients+utility+rent+staff+tax are not cheap and gastronomers also need to make a living. If you just take the ingredients alone for the dishes we ordered it really wasn’t expensive at all. Nonetheless I do agree that the price isn’t exactly cheap either but cheap food has become...

Ich hatte das Vergnügen, im Hanoi September in Köln zu essen, und ich bin absolut begeistert. Für nur 20 Euro habe ich eine Mahlzeit bekommen, die weit über meinen Erwartungen lag. Die Qualität des Essens war herausragend – jedes Gericht war mit viel Liebe zum Detail zubereitet.

Die Zutaten waren frisch, und die Aromen perfekt abgestimmt. Besonders beeindruckt hat mich die Vielfalt an vietnamesischen Speisen, die sowohl traditionell als auch modern interpretiert wurden. Mein persönlicher Favorit war die Pho, deren Brühe wunderbar aromatisch und authentisch schmeckte. Aber auch die anderen Gerichte, wie die knusprigen Frühlingsrollen und das cremige Curry, waren eine echte Geschmacksexplosion.

Der Service war ebenfalls hervorragend: freundlich, aufmerksam und schnell, ohne dabei aufdringlich zu sein. Das Ambiente des Restaurants war warm und einladend, mit einer schönen Dekoration, die die vietnamesische Kultur widerspiegelt.

Für 20 Euro habe ich nicht nur satt gegessen, sondern auch ein kulinarisches Erlebnis genossen, das ich so schnell nicht vergessen werde. Ich kann das Hanoi September jedem empfehlen, der gutes Essen zu schätzen weiß – es ist jeden Cent wert!

Review in English:

I had the pleasure of dining at Hanoi September in Cologne, and I must say, I was absolutely blown away. For just 20 euros, I enjoyed a meal that far exceeded my expectations. The quality of the food was outstanding – every dish was prepared with great attention to detail.

The ingredients were fresh, and the flavors were perfectly balanced. I was particularly impressed by the variety of Vietnamese dishes, which were both traditional and modern in their interpretation. My personal favorite was the Pho, with its wonderfully aromatic and authentic broth. But the other dishes, like the crispy spring rolls and the creamy curry, were equally delightful and full of flavor.

The service was excellent as well: friendly, attentive, and efficient without being intrusive. The restaurant’s ambiance was warm and inviting, with beautiful décor that reflected Vietnamese culture.

For 20 euros, I not only left feeling full but also enjoyed a culinary experience I won’t forget anytime soon. I highly recommend Hanoi September to anyone who appreciates good food – it’s worth every penny!

Đánh giá bằng tiếng Việt:

Tôi đã có cơ hội thưởng thức bữa ăn tại Hanoi September ở Cologne, và tôi phải nói rằng tôi hoàn toàn bị cuốn hút. Với chỉ 20 euro, tôi đã có một bữa ăn vượt xa mong đợi của mình. Chất lượng món ăn thật sự tuyệt vời – từng món được chế biến một cách tỉ mỉ và chu đáo.

Nguyên liệu rất tươi ngon, và hương vị được kết hợp hoàn hảo. Tôi đặc biệt ấn tượng với sự đa dạng của các món ăn Việt Nam, vừa mang tính truyền thống vừa hiện đại. Món tôi yêu thích nhất là phở, với nước dùng thơm ngon đậm chất truyền thống. Nhưng những món khác, như nem rán giòn và cà ri béo ngậy, cũng thực sự làm tôi hài lòng với hương vị bùng nổ.

Dịch vụ cũng rất xuất sắc: thân thiện, chu đáo và nhanh chóng nhưng không hề gây khó chịu. Không gian nhà hàng ấm cúng và dễ chịu, với cách bài trí đẹp mắt thể hiện rõ nét văn hóa Việt Nam.

Với 20 euro, tôi không chỉ no bụng mà còn có một trải nghiệm ẩm thực khó quên. Tôi rất khuyến khích mọi người đến với Hanoi September, đặc biệt nếu bạn là người yêu thích ẩm thực – thực sự đáng...

Ok, I really like this restaurant because they’re one of the few who actually offers Northern cuisine dishes (from Hanoi). So dishes like chả cá lã vọng, bún ốc, bún riêu are really hard to find elsewhere and they do this well.

However, not sure if due to the BIG range of dishes they have (dishes like bún bò nam bộ are from the South), EVERYTIME I come here, they’re always out of some dishes that I want (esp the Hanoi dishes). This is really sad and that’s why I take one star off…. I really hope this could be improved in the future because it’s definitely these special rarer authentic options that set them apart from the rest of the Vietnamese restaurants...