Cumulus - FAMILY MEAL, AS THE NORTH STYLE — Restaurant in Hà Nội

I admire William's story and his desire to help disadvantaged youth, but this is a review of my dining experience.

The restaurant is located on the second floor in a short cramped alley in which you are in proximity to people's apartments. It felt like I was trespassing.

The restaurant is a small room with five tables and a fairly steady stream of guests.

William is assisted by three or four wait staff in an incredibly small kitchen. Made me wonder if the food is prepared in a different location and assembled in the kitchen. I didn't pay real close attention, but in a space that small I would think there would be more cooking smells and smoke.

They have vegetarian and vegan menu options.

I had roasted duck, which I was told takes 15 minutes to prepare. In the meantime, I was served rice (an excessive amount for a solo diner), tofu soup, fresh vegetables, and citrus juice with chilies. The citrus condiment is prepared at your table. It's squeezed lemons and limes in a bowl. I was instructed on how to eat the dish

I didn't like it. Tofu had very little flavor, and the citrus juice was just that. Juice. The rice seemed mushy and overcooked.

The roasted duck arrived lukewarm. I like my food hot but I think lukewarm is a preference for Vietnamese as I have been served many a lukewarm meal throughout the country.

The duck was good. At the end of my meal, I received a steaming hot bowl of broth with greens in it. It's a mild-flavored soup of average taste. I was confused because I thought this would come out with the duck because William said it's to be eaten with the duck

William has an amazing story. Overall, the food was ok. The staff was friendly. The location and atmosphere were off-putting to me but if you are a street food lover then this will not deter you. I avoid most street food so consider that when reading...

We had an absolutely amazing meal at Cumulus. This place deserves to be at the top of your list for food in Hanoi. Incredible hospitality - the attention to each guest is unreal - and simply wonderful food - every dish was delicious, we were shown how to eat each one, and the menu comes with detailed explanations in English. Absolutely ideal for any travellers exploring Vietnam for the first time, you will get a real taste of Vietnamese food without having to worry about how to order or how to eat, but also fantastic for the seasoned lover of Vietnamese food. This is our third trip to Vietnam, and we couldn't have been more excited to find this place. It's the very definition of a "hole in the wall" - without Google Maps we would never have found it, and thank goodness we did - much nicer than some of the more expensive restaurants we've visited in Hanoi. Though the decor might be a bit simpler, the atmosphere, service, and food were much better. We ate here with my parents - the owner, who takes great pride in his restaurant (with good reason) even insisted on feeding my dad the first bite of each dish, and my mum, who is an avid cook herself, even tipped up the dishes so she could finish off the sauces - I've never seen her do that anywhere!! The cool even squeezed the limes and made one of the sauces fresh at our table. Every dish we ordered was delicious. I don't think you could go wrong in ordering anything off the menu (especially if you take the advice of the menu and owner), and there is an extensive vegan and vegetarian menu available as well (in fact, it seems to be the main menu, though there are plenty of meat dishes too). Soup, rice, and tofu are served as complementary sides - the tofu is stunningly delicious. You...

Debated on leaving a written review. If you are thinking of going because of the story behind the restaurant, absolutely go. If your experience of the local cusine has been in the area you'll enjoy the food and experience. Both cases can finish reading here.

For the rest, go in ignoring the hype or you'll be let down. The dishes are hit or miss. The complimentary vegetable soup is very good, the watermelon juice was decent, the Bun Cha was alright. The rest of what we tried was so-so. The portion sizes big; buy half what you think you want if you have been eating in regional areas.

Beyond that there were two issues we had (with asterisks). First the mains are prepared in advance and warmed on site. This is not surprising considering what is on offer and the space to work with. I don't fault them in the least. That said, you cannot be sloppy doing that else you end up with food that isn't evenly warmed (like a dish we ordered)

The other is that they show (not offer to show) how to assemble dishes. I have eaten Vietnamese food for decades but I totally accept I look just like the many folks first encountering the food here that are in need of assembly instructions so I won't complain. That said twice we were shown assembly and then they attempted to feed us. I am an adult, I do NOT want someone trying to put food in my mouth.

All said, I don't want to take away from the experience of others. The food is not terrible, just not amazing. The prices only seem high without seeing portion sizes. Helping people understand how to eat the food is great. The story behind is something I totally support since I have friends with similar stories in the business. Plus it is super fun navigating a narrow alley to a small restaurant up a...