After getting settled in a new apartment, it is only natural to want to invite your loved-ones over to enjoy the place with you. Whether you choose to host an intimate meal or throw a big party, a house-warming event can be a great way to start life in your new home.

If you like the idea of a house-warming party, why not come up with an event that reflects your personality or take inspiration from one of Kosmo Tay Ho’s fun themes?

1. Cocktail Night

For those who like to channel style and sophistication, there is no better way to do so than with a cocktail night.

Entertain guests at your new apartment with a whole evening dedicated towards delicious drinks. Hire a creative mixologist to do the shaking and stirring for you, or use Kosmo Tay Ho’s cocktail recommendations and craft them them yourself.

Get started by trying these recipes that range from beginner to expert at home:

Vietnam-Style; Hanoi Temple of Literature Cocktail

This beauty represented Vietnam at the Singapore Cocktail Festival in 2017. Crafted by mixologist Du Vien, this original cocktail uses dry gin, Campari, apricot juice, aromatic bitters, and apricot flavoured Son Tinh Vietnamese rice liquor.

Ingredients:

• 50ml: Dry gin
• 15ml: Apricot juice
• 20ml: Son Tinh apricot rice liquor
• 20ml: Campari
• 2 dashes: Aromatic bitters

Garnish:

• Dry sugared apricots
• Orange peel

Step 1: Combine all of the ingredients in a large tumbler filled with ice

Step 2: Stir contents thoroughly and pour into a chilled glass

Step 3: Garnish with dry sugared apricots and orange peel before serving

Something More International; The Old Fashioned

This cocktail originated in Kentucky in the 1800s, but it is still as popular today as it was then — if not more so! Although the recipe for the Old Fashioned has changed slightly over the course of time, the drink is still firmly considered to be a classic. To really impress your guests, try serving the cocktail in the ‘old fashioned glass’ that it was named after, a traditional short tumbler.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. rye or bourbon
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 Sugar cube
• Club soda
• Old Fashioned glass

Garnish:

• Orange slices

Step 1: Place the sugar cube (or 1/2 teaspoon loose sugar) in a glass and dissolve it with 2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of club soda

Step 2: Crush the sugar with a chopstick, rotate the glass so that the sugar grains and bitters give it a lining and add a large ice cube.

Step 3: Pour in the rye or bourbon, serve with a stirring rod, and garnish with an orange slice.

Step 4: Enjoy!

2. Wine And Cheese

A wine and cheese night is a guaranteed winner with most guests. Get a sitter for the kids, invite the gang over, and get a little tipsy on wine while nibbling on cheese and biscuits. What’s not to like about that?

Good quality cheese can be difficult to find in Hanoi but it does exist. In fact, once you find the city’s best dairy products, it may be hard to go back to supermarket stuff — you have been warned!

The Oasis is a great first stop for wine and cheese supplies. It is on Xuan Dieu in Tay Ho and sells local and imported wines and cheeses, from cheddars and Camembert to Brie and blue.  

Marco Sarli, who opened The Oasis because ‘there was real need for such a shop in Hanoi ten years ago’, says: “pairing wine with cheese is completely up to personal preference”, although he admits that a strong Gorgonzola with prosecco” is his favourite.

As well as the largest range of fresh cheeses in Hanoi, The Oasis also stocks imported and homemade crackers, spreads, and cold cuts, all ideal for a house party. They stock Italian wines only, but try Annam Gourmet (51 Xuan Dieu) nearby for a wider selection.

Tasting Tips:

Other Delicious Wine And Cheese Pairings:

• Brie or Camembert with Champagne, Sparkling or Cava, balancing out the high acidity and carbonation levels of the drink with a creamy bite to eat. Light Pinot Noir reds work well with these soft cheeses too
• Goat’s cheese with Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc (white wines)
• Cheddar or Parmesan-style varieties, like Parmigiano-Reggiano and aged cow cheeses, will best pair with bold red wines like Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Bordeaux blends
• Funky blue cheeses go well with sweet wines, such as Sauternes, or bold reds, like Malbec
  
• For washed-rind cheese types, buy Gewurztraminer, Moscato, or late harvest Riesling, which are sweet white wines that will match wonderfully with the mild nutty taste of many washed-rind cheeses

Kosmo Tay Ho’s Top Pairing Tip: When in doubt, just put out a plate of mixed cheeses and some bottles of wine, and let people experiment for themselves. Chatting over wine and cheese can also be a really fun way of get to know your neighbours better!

3. Potluck Dining

Whether your guests are all from one country or from many, a potluck dinner is a great way to gather a new cosmopolitan community.  

This kind of house-warming party is easy on the wallet and great if you do not have the time to cook for everyone. It is also a great way to enjoy other people’s styles of cooking and potentially the cuisines of other cultures.

Kosmo Tay Ho’s Top Dining Tip: If you are having people over from all over the world, try making it a culture themed night and have everyone bring a meal or snack from their home country. It is a great way to show an interest in your guests’ cultures as well as share your own.

4. BBQ Night

A great way to make the most of good weather in Hanoi is to invite friends over for a barbecue. Cooking food with your guests can be both a fun activity and a chance to let your cooking skills shine.

Even better, at Kosmo Tay Ho, you are not just limited to one place you can set up your grill. Fire up the coals by the poolside, allowing you guests to lounge on the sun chairs or take a quick dip in the water. Alternatively, have a private party in the Sky Garden at night, or on your apartment balcony with glorious panoramic views of Hanoi.

You might have to shop around to get exactly what you need for a solid western-style BBQ, but that’s half the fun. Rest assured, you will find the perfect meat for your BBQ in just a few small streets in Hanoi’s West Lake area:

• Fivimart (Block E-D1 Vo Chi Cong / 689, Alley 314 Lac Long Quan) – a standard grocer for all your BBQ staples, just a few minutes walk from Kosmo Tay Ho
• The Oasis Butcher Shop (18 Xuan Dieu Street) – these guys take large orders and ship for free all over Hanoi
• Thang Long Seafood (1 Dang Thai Mai) – the best seafood for a BBQ on this side of the city
• Veggy’s (99 Xuan Dieu) – import grocer selling anything you need for a BBQ party with your new neighbours

5. Games Night

If you fancy unleashing your competitive side, consider a games night with a small group of guests. Both board games and card games can be a great way to entertain old and new friends alike.

You can also use your games night to get involved with the local culture by trying out the most popular card game in Northern Vietnam, Phom. If you have ever seen a group of people gathering around a deck of cards on the streets of Hanoi, the chances are they’re playing Phom. To get involved yourself, all you need is a standard deck of cards and a few friends.

How To Play Phom:

For the perfect game of Phom, get four players together and start with nine cards each, apart from the first player who should have 10 cards. The object is to build “Phom”, combinations of suits and numbers in your hand. For example, three nines or three jacks would be one “Phom”. Pick up a new card and discard one on each go for four rounds. By the end of four rounds, the player with the most Phoms and the fewest leftover cards is the winner.

Kosmo Tay Ho’s Top Phom Tip: Download the app on Android or iOS to get some practice in first, before challenging your new Vietnamese neighbours to the game on their turf!

Other Vietnamese Games To Play:

• Monopoly Deal — the Hanoi 1900s card game
• Monopoly — the Saigon 1800s board game
• Traffic Oi — a Vietnam traffic-themed board game
• Clue — The Quiet American edition
• Odd — the Vietnamese version of Cards Against Humanity — you might need a translator for this one, which could be part of the fun!

Most of these games can be bought from The Cube Cafe (168A Tran Vu Street), which is a partner of boardgame.vn, the biggest website selling board games in Vietnam.

“The most popular (non-Vietnamese) game right now is Exploding Kittens,” says Hoang Vo, the customer relations manager at the Cube Cafe, of a fun Kickstarter game that has had more backers than any other kickstarter campaign in history.