The General Manager of the Press Club, Mr. Kurt Walter, extended an invitation to experience the Emeraude Ha Long Bay Cruise, and we had come to meet with him this afternoon.

My first impression of the Press Club is that it is a venue for the cognoscenti to come and gorge themselves silly on sinfully good food. That week, they were paying homage to French cuisine, buffet-style, for lunch. It was happening at the upstairs restaurant, an impeccably arranged eatery dressed in white-linen tablecloths and napkins and sporting the correct number of drinking vessels and tableware for each setting. The salad bar had me at "hello!" with offerings of Da Lat lettuce (Da Lat is in the central region of Vietnam), carrots, cucumbers, shredded cabbage and cauliflower, blanched broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and a grilled-vegetable assortment. You could drop a number of condiments on your salad, including marvelous capers, olives, gherkins, chives, and five different dressings. I simply could not resist a sliver of pate; after all, how French was this going to be without pate?

One could continue with soup, as well as a selection of crudités and a salade russe with hard-boiled eggs. Moving right along, make room for two main courses: braised beef bourguignon, roasted spatchcock (spring chicken) - yes they were serving fowl despite the shrieks from the US State Department regarding the avian-flu epidemic. If there was more room on your plate, you could fit the mashed potatoes and fresh-cooked vegetables. Wash it all down with fresh fruit, and then try to get off your chair!!

Essentially, the whole thing appeals to the gastronomic and nostalgic urges we all have and feel when we are away from home, and the Press Club manages to give you a mini trip back without the miles. If the upstairs restaurant did not appeal to you, then you could scarf something down at the deli on the main floor, walk right into the adjacent patisserie, and go into a diabetic coma just perusing at their offerings. I’ve included a picture of some of the desserts to put you in the mood. So, where are all the reporters you ask? If they’re not eating, then they’re reading leisurely while they’re eating. The Hanoi Press Club bills itself as a first-class event coordinator, a harbinger of all good things that are classic and timeless, European style. It publishes its very own periodical in both Vietnamese and English. Their chef, Marcel Isaak, comes directly from Switzerland. If you want any sort of information for your business or event, you can contact deputy General Manager, Brenda Ho, who has a wealth of information at her fingertips.