Vege-ro Upstairs — Restaurant in Hà Nội

I really wanted to like this place, after I read a review on a Vietnamese foodie website. The food was in fact good (I would rate it 4 stars), but the service was an absurdity.

First, we were three couples waiting outside until there was free space. I was with my couple first on the queue. After a group left, the waiter informs us that there was space only for one, so the three couples decided to wait. That is, until one couple arrived and the waiter accommodates them first, without calling any of the waiting ones.

Second, the service is extremely slow. As in really, extreme. There were two waiters for 8 customers. During the first 20 minutes, all customers (4 couples) were waiting without any food or drink. I guess they could have served first the entries (like edamame) or the drinks, so we don't wait. But their own business model, so I don't want to interfere.

The dishes are prepared sequentially. That is, the first customer (not couple, customer) gets the first ramen and the drink. Then they start with the second one. One of the waiters seemed like an apprentice, and the other seemed more experience but working in a state of parsimony, like meditating. All-in-all: we were waiting for around 30 minutes to get a seat (despite a couple that they allowed to enter without queuing), and around 1 hour to get one ramen each. Again, it is a pity because the food was good, but being an Izakaya style place I do expect food to be served... just not so...

Hidden in one of Hanoi's colorful alleys is Vege-Ro, a vegetarian Ramen restaurant. We had made our reservations days ago guaranteed by a small deposit. Don't arrive early - we did and had to wait outside in Hanoi's biting cold till seats were free. Vege-Ro is tiny, with 10 seats around a cooking station helmed by a taciturn, intensely focused Japanese chef. With the absorption of an orchestra conductor, he chops, steams, mixes, and responds to various buzzers and timers cooking ingredients to perfection whilst soundlessly directing his two assistants. The menu is simple - several variations of Ramen with a choice of toppings. As we waited for our food, we spoke amongst ourselves in hushed tones, not wanting to disturb the performance being played out before our eyes. And when the food finally arrived, it was truly a symphony... textures, tastes, flavors, seasonings all coming together in perfect balance to create bowls of unadulterated deliciousness. We can only describe it as a Religious Ramen experience. Go and...

I came here lured by the countless rhapsodic reviews. I had no problems waiting outside for 10-15 minutes until there was free space, nor did I mind the preparation time, which is perfectly normal. What was disappointing though : first, the Dan Dan spicy ramen I ordered should not be advertised as 'spicy'. Wether it be Japan, India or Vn standards, the spiciness was a near 0, and the chili sauce available barely helped. Moreover, the dish was lacking half of what is said in the menu : ginger, garlic, almonds, sesame seeds, mushrooms and spicy bean sprouts were all missing ( or such trace amounts that made them undetectable ? Doubt it). So unless you splurge for several other toppings and double your bill, you are left with a very uniform ramen bowl consisting of yellow noodles topped with a couple radish sprouts and a seaweed cracker, that you gulp down in 3 minutes. Too steep for a 120k bowl...