TNH

We had our wedding here in November, so I've been pretty lax about writing it up. All things considered, it went pretty smoothly, with only a few minor bugs on the day and in the preparation.

I got out of most of the preparation side of things, as while they spoke English, they were happier organising the event in Vietnamese to make sure there wasn't any confusion. There were some problems, but they were pretty minor. The main thing that impressed me was they had options for food for weddings that weren't the standard fat soup, xoi, green mango salad with warm beeer Hanoi like you normally get. I guess that is because they do events, not just weddings. The prices for their buffet options went from $8 a head up to $40 a head. Booze was on top of that, the options were free flow tiger $8 a head (including kids, which seemed a bit rough), $12 a head gets you house white and red added, $20 gets you sparkling/champers knock-off added. Or, if you want to go with bottles, it was a buck fifty for opened or missing bottles of bia Hanoi, $1 for open or missing bottles of water or soft drink. We took the third option which was supply your own booze, but then you pay them a small amount per case (but I've forgotten how much that was).

One thing I definitely don't recommend you do, is hit up their bar for spirits. I got a round of 5 glasses of a single malt and was presented with a bill that was slightly less than the whole damn bottle at the Warehouse which did not impress me.



Even though like I said, we organised it in Vietnamese, there was still some confusion... but that's OK, it’s good practice for dealing with a government department. At first, they were going to do the flowers for us, but we picked sunflowers, then daisies, and they decided to put us in the too hard basket as it was the wrong season for them, and they're not a traditional choice - they must have had a bunch of orchids and roses raring to go. So they said to get someone else instead, but that probably worked out for the best. I think we still ended up with orchids and roses anyway, but I was thinking daisies. There was also a bit of a mix up over how set the set menus were... we had a few emails and phone calls back and forth with yes you can swap this out, no you can't, maybe you can. I think the final answer was yes you can, provided the something else comes from one of the cheaper menu options.

The actual day went really well... we had the toast and the ring exchange upstairs, then we went downstairs (outside and inside) for the food and beers. They provided an MC who spoke Vietnamese, we had a mate do the translation duties and a more personal final spiel. They had a projector set up running the photo slideshow that we got done with our photos which bluescreened as we were just about to do the equivalent of walking down the aisle - I nearly absent mindedly wandered over to fix it, but remembered what was going on before my wife lynched me. Staff mingled well, taking photos for people if asked, checking if you needed a top up, and you could just wander up to the pouring station if they were too slow for you and help yourself. The grounds are really nice, and it has a pleasant aspect overlooking West Lake - close enough for a great view, not so close you can see any dead fish floating in it. We had our wedding in the afternoon, and there was a nice light breeze, and their courtyard is sheltered so you won’t get anything too strong messing up dresses and hairstyles and stuff.

It can be a little tricky finding the place, but we had a map on the back of the wedding invite (as they normally do anyway) and I just put a few familiar landmarks like Veggy's and Syrena Towers on it. The main problem we had with people unsure of where it was was them not going far enough down the road, or too far.

Food, booze, and rental of the place was about 4 grand for about 180 people, and we had a couple of weeks to pay the balance to give us time to count up all the envelopes.

All in all, it was an excellent venue for a wedding. Four stars for hosting your wedding, I would give it 5 stars if I was attending someone else’s wedding and didn't have to worry about the organisation and stuff.

Went to Sum Villa at noon on a Saturday for a coffee. It is a nice, quiet place to meet friends and socialize. The day we went, there were approximately 4 other groups there enjoying juice, tea, and coffee. They also have a food menu.

The location is great: on Tay Ho, overlooking the lake, with nice big windows and beautiful gardens. There is a family of mice which live outside the window; you can sip a tea and watch the mice run around in the garden and play. That might sound gross, but they are really funny to watch (and they are not inside the cafe, don't worry).

I had a Vietnamese iced coffee which was the perfect blend of sweet, strong and smooth, and cost 30,000 VND.

The design of Sum Villa is unique and different: part Arabic (w/ sheishas and lounge areas; part European with mosaic; and very modern.

The menu could be a little better, which is why I don't give it 5 stars, but it is certainly adequate.

Sum Villa is a great hidden gem that not many people go to, which is a shame because it’s beautiful and very charming. Perhaps it is owing to their remote location or PR strategies (or lack thereof) that each time I went there there were only a few other people at most.

But Sum Villa is a fine lounge that is great if you want to go for a few drinks and have a conversation with someone. The music is eclectic and ranges from Café del Mar lounge music to modern flamenco (with a bit of techno in it), which was a very pleasant surprise for me. The sofas and chairs are extra comfy and there is even a hybrid of a bed and a declining chair that I haven’t seen anywhere in Hanoi. I must say though that you’re really put on the spot when you lay down on that thing, so it’s not really my cup of tea. There’s a gigantic bed outside with drapings that wouldn’t look out of place at the Playboy Mansion. In fact, if you look from afar this whole complex of event space and lounge does look like Hugh Hefner’s prized asset thanks to its glitzy façade.

The drinks here are good and well-priced given the class of this space. I’ve had a catered lunch here and it’s very decent, but not amazing. Perhaps if you order a la carte it can be better.

The only thing I will complain about this place is the mosquitos, but I suppose if I wear jeans and shoes then they can’t really bite me anymore. So definitely give Sum Villa a try, and make sure you bring an electric mosquito racket to ensure a fun evening without the mosquito bites!