GO GREEN: GREEN MANGO THIRD BIRTHDAY PARTY

Cat Ba Island's famous Green Mango restaurant is celebrating its THIRD BIRTHDAY on SATURDAY JULY 21, 2007, and we're inviting everyone to come and celebrate.

The party kicks off at 7pm with pre-dinner drinks.

Then a 5-course tasting menu accompanied by a glass of fine wine is sure to tantalise the tastebuds and kick-start the evening in style (see menu below).

After dinner, the restaurant becomes a dancefloor with djs rocking dance funk disco house hip hop grooves all night long.

With door prizes for those dressed green to be seen and drink specials all night with a variety of cocktails, beer, wine and spirits, it's a party guaranteed to kick well into the early morn. And judging from previous parties, it's a celebration not to be missed.

So come to Vietnam's beautiful Cat Ba Island - get fed, get funky, get green mangoed!

Tickets: 250,000 VND
Includes: Pre-dinner drinks, 5-course tasting menu, glass of italian wine, drink specials and door prizes, plus your place on the dancefloor to boogie all night long.

If you can't join us for dinner but want still to party, then you're welcome! A small cover charge of 50.000 VND is all you need.

Contact: Mr Hai on 0988 681 208 or email greenmangocatba@yahoo.com to reserve your place in Cat Ba history.

Make sure you book your accommodation and transportation AS SOON AS POSSIBLE... It's the high season and Cat Ba is a popular place to go! See previous post below for more information.

Green Mango Birthday Menu

Course I: Tapas samplers
Meat version: Minced chicken in lettuce cup, Smoked duck spring roll, Prawn on sugarcane, Duck liver terrine on brioche toast
Vegeterian version: Bruschetta, Veg roll, Grape in goat cheese roll, Banana fritter

Course II:
Almond goat cheese salad
or
Salmon tuna tar tar with ginger vinaigrette

Course III:
Crab corn cappuccino
or
Cuban black bean soup

CourseIV:
Argentina fillet mignon served with mashed potatoes, merlot sauce
or
Braised lamb shank in red wine served with cous cous in a Coa Cao broth
or
White Truffle wild mushroom rissotto
or
Pan roasted white snapper on the bed of Baliness long bean salad, turmeric balsamic vinaigrette

Course V:
Mocha creme brulee, Chocolate soft shell taco, chocolate ice cream, crema catalana

Including one glass of Italian wine

Maps

Map of Cat Ba town



Map of Hai Phong

TRANSPORTATION: How to get there

There are many ways to get to Cat Ba island. It takes about 3-4 hours between Hanoi to Hai Phong and then less than one hour by ferry. It all depends on how you travel.

Bus services

Hoang Long bus
This is the recommended way to travel to and from Cat Ba island. It includes bus and ferry - taking you all the way from Hanoi to Cat Ba town.
From Hanoi to Cat Ba: leaving from Luong Yen bus station
Times: 5'15am, 7'15am, 11'15am, 1'15pm
From Cat Ba to Hanoi: leaving from next door to the Phong Lan Hotel on the main road in Cat Ba town.
Times: 7'15am, 9'15am, 1'15pm, 3'15pm
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Travel time: 4 hours (approx)
Ticket cost: 120,000VND
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To get tickets you'll need to go to the station office to pick them up - they won't take bookings over the phone. Otherwise arrive at the station and purchase at least 30 minutes before departure.
Contact: Mr Tung
Office: 04 987 5410
Mobile: 0912 023 227

Public bus
From Hanoi to Hai Phong: leaving Luong Yen Bus Station (leaving from the station is easy option, but buses go to Hai Phong from every station, so you can go to the station closest to you)
Times: Leave every 15 minutes
From Hai Phong to Hanoi: leaving Tam Bac bus station (Hai Phong)
Times: Leave every 15 minutes
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Travel time: 3 hours (approx)
Ticket cost: 35,000 dong
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Going by public bus is not the easiest way to go because it involves some planning to get to Hai Phong at a time that meets with the ferry.
From Hanoi, you will be delivered to the Tam Bac bus station in Hai Phong. You then have to negotiate with xe oms to get to the Binh Port. Then you have to negotiate to get on the hydrofoil. The only advantage of using this option is that it takes only three hours to get to Cat Ba, while the Hoang Long option takes four hours.

Charter
If anyone wants to charter a bus themselves, then to go from Hanoi to Hai Phong, then onto the ferry, then to Cat Ba town, we recommend the Hoang Long Bus Company. Their office is at Luong Yen Bus Station. You can negotiate with them the times to connect with the right ferry.
Contact: Mr Tung
Office: 04 987 5410
Mobile: 0912 023 227

Hydrofoil boat: Binh ferry, Binh port
You need to note these times should you go by public bus or charter one yourself.
From Hai Phong to Cat Ba
Times: 8:00am, 8:30am, and 9:00am
From Cat Ba to Hai Phong
Times: 2:30pm, 3:00pm, and 3:15pm
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Travel time: 50 minutes
Ticket cost: 90,000 dong
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ACCOMODATION: Where to stay

You can choose to stay in a range of different places on Cat Ba island. But make sure you book well in advance. Peak season sees thousands of people visit the island on weekends.

Low-range

National Park Guesthouse
Contact: Mr Hach
Phone: (031) 321 6350
Mobile: 0988 809 320
Cost: 120,000VND

Beach Number 2 shacks
Cost: 100,000VND

Mid-range

Noble House
Phone: (031) 388 8363
Email: mailto:thenoblehouseVN@yahoo.com
Cost per night: Weeknights: $US15, Weekends: $US20

Princes Hotel
Phone: (031) 388 8892 or (031) 388 8899
Cost per night: $US19-$US25

Phong Lan Hotel
Contact: Mr Tung
Phone: (031) 388 8605
Mobile: 0912 467 016
Cost per night: $US25

Sunflower Hotel
Phone: (031) 388 8429 or (031) 388 8890
Cost per night: $US25+

Quang Duc Family Hotel
Phone: (031) 388 8231

Giang Son Hotel
Phone: (031) 388 8214

Cat Ba Harbour Inn
Phone: (031) 388 8324

Sun and Sea Hotel
Phone: (031) 388 8315

High range

Sunrise resort
Phone: (031) 388 7360 or (031) 388 7364
Cost per night: $US89-$US189

Holiday View
Phone: (031) 388 7200
Cost per night: $US33

Cat Ba Water Park Resort
Phone: (031) 368 8686

Green Mango - Second birthday

About Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba is an island of approximately 140 sq.km in Halong Bay, northern Vietnam.

It is the largest island in the bay and approximately half of its area is covered by a National Park, which is home to the highly endangered Cat Ba langur.

This golden-headed langur is rarely seen, as fewer than 100 specimens are thought to survive in the wild, although it is the subject of a well-organised conservation programme.

The Park covers both land and marine areas and has a high biodiversity, although it is at risk from too rapid an increase in tourism. Other mammals in the Park include civet cats and oriental giant squirrels.

The island is a national park of Vietnam and was recognized by UNESCO in December 2004 as a Biosphere reserve of the world.

Cat Ba town is attractively situated around a bay teeming with small boats, many of which belong to pearl or shrimp farmers.

The promenade has illuminations and a large fountain which only plays after dark; it is backed by a strip of inexpensive hotels and bars, and is dominated by the wooded limestone hills behind.

It is commonly used as an overnight hotel stop on inexpensive package tours to Halong Bay run by travel agents from Hanoi and can become very busy at weekends and during public holidays.

Many tour operators include an option of trekking in the National Park or canoeing on three-day tours. Shorter tours generally only stay overnight in the small town of Cat Ba (population about 8,000) or on boats moored in Cai Beo bay, about 2km away from Cat Ba town.

Source: Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Ba

Other useful websites:

• Catbaadventures.com: www.catbaventures.com
• Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project: www.catbalangur.org/Island.htm

About Green Mango

It was while working in Bangkok that Vietnamese chef Nguyen Thanh Hai heard about the lack of quality restaurants on Cat Ba, a small island situated in World Heritage site Ha Long Bay in north Vietnam.

Speaking to a friend convinced him to visit the island and take a look himself. Hiring motorbikes to make the trip from Hanoi and then catching the ferry from Hai Phong, he said the island captured his heart from the moment he arrived.

“When we first pulled into port I thought of Hong Kong, with the harbour area, the water, and the hills behind,” Mr Nguyen said.

“Cat Ba is in such a beautiful area – Ha Long bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam.

“The island is also a national park, offering swimming at beautiful beaches and hiking in the mountains.

“It was just calling out to have a restaurant that delivered a high-level dining experience, especially as more and more people choose to stay in Cat Ba – either visiting for a few days or during Ha Long bay cruises.”

Excited and inspired by the chance to open a restaurant on the island, Mr Nugyen immediately organised to meet with the owner of a building he had spotted during his visit. As it turns out, the owner was his next door neighbour in Hanoi, making property negotiations more than easy. That was during late April 2004.

Within 20 days of signing the lease he had renovated – he took charge of the kitchen area and his partner Duong Hong Hanh designed and decorated front of house – and the restaurant doors were opened.

“That was a very exciting and busy time for us,” Mr Nguyen said.

“It was great watching our ideas become reality. And it all fell into place just as we imagined, like it was meant to be.

"We had our official opening on July 22, 2004 and it's been a date to celebrate ever since."

The Green Mango is found nestled among a row of restaurants overlooking Cat Ba harbour.

Diners can choose to sit outside and enjoy the harbor view, or immerse themselves in the ambient indoor setting, with warm lighting, walls splashed with deep red, and tables, booths and lounge seating to choose from.

Mr Nguyen describes the menu as "fusion" food – a combination of Western and Vietnamese – with an offer of tapas tastings, mouth-watering main meals and delectable deserts.

“We draw from French and Vietnamese cooking techniques,” the chef/owner said.

“And our food is all MSG (monosodium glutamate) free – which is quite a unique change from so much of the food served up in Vietnam.

“I also encourage my staff to make sure the food is presented beautifully but differently, every time.

“I teach them presentation styles, and then they can use their own creativity from there.”

Aside from the food, the restaurant offers a great selection of wine. And the staff are more than willing to assist in matching wine with food to further tantalise the palate.

“Our idea was to always offer the ultimate dining experience… in Vietnamese there is a word we use that translates to “sexy”.

"It’s not just about the food and the wine, but the service, the surrounds – everything.

"We also follow the slogan "never let the restaurant close" so we cater to whatever our customer wants. Whether the come for breakfast, lunch or dinner - they can stay as long as they like. We like people to relax and enjoy as much as possible."

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Green Mango restaurant is open 7-days a week, from 6.30am - last customer.