Hoi An: Shangri-La Hotel

The ambiance of this restaurant is one of the best in Abu Dhabi. The soft lamps, the colours, the myraid of photos and frames on the walls, the lazily spinning fans of the ceiling, the pile of knick knacks through the restaurant make the whole place feel like you have stumbled upon a gem of a restaurant in back lane in a nameless Asian city, rather than having valet parked your car at the Shangrila. It creates an expectation for the food since the setting is such a sensory experience.

The food is priced at 5 star prices, and although in Abu Dhabi we have come to expect over generous servings, this is not the case at Hanoi. Each serving is just right, but being an Asian restaurant where the preferred mode of eating is to have a communal pool of dishes to share from (this may be the quirk of this eater) this may not be a problem. The service is excellent and unobtrusive, as is to be expected at the

The food is exceptionally good, exceptionally fresh. The menu is diverse and not having a huge experience of Vietnamese food beyond my favourite pho - it opened my culinary eyes to an experience of viet food that was complex,interesting and best of all really really tasty. I loved the fresh juices, the iced teas, although if eating with children, the size of the drinks may make a dent in their appetites.

An ideal place for a special meal.

I loved this restaurant. The decor set the mood for the entire meal. The presentation and layers of flavors of the meal made for a perfect night. This is great for a date or a formal business meeting. This is definitely a special occassion restaurant.